UTC CAMP INTERN!

Okay, so I meant to post this the other day when I got the acceptance email, but I guess I was on too much of a happy high and then I went and saw my PT in the afternoon so I was in a pain wallow.

However, just the other day I got the official email saying that I have been "accepted" as an intern for the Ulitmate Training Camp in Colorado. I will be there for two and half weeks working with the student campers and helping to run the camp. Since, I am not full-time staff right now - I had to apply to be an intern, which you also have to raise support for, BUT since all you wonderful people have contributed to my team, I have already reached that support goal and am good to go! I am soo excited about being out there in Colorado at camp again this year and to see what the Lord has in store and how He will use me. I am also ecited to actually be using my gifts in conjucture with AIA in some capacity this year! woo hoo!

I am praying and thinking about how the Lord wishes to use me for the rest of the summer. AIA offers many other summer opportunities that I could also "intern" at or be a part of. I would love to do that and make my summer about AIA. What the fall has in store for me is still up in the air and I continue to pray for direction from God regarding this.

I am working and hoping to bring at least four people with me as campers to the camp. Please, pray for them and thier journey that they may make it to camp. I think each of them would benefit immensley from it and in different ways. If you know of anyone who might be interested in this type of camp, let me know! I would love to recruit them!!

If you want to learn more about AIA's summer opportunities check out this webpage: www.athletesinaction.org/opportunities

January 2010 Prayer Letter

Hey Team,

Here is the January newsletter. I'm hoping I can embed it as a document in my blog, so you can all check it out, since my weebly site is having issues with letting me post it there.

The Season of Love

Hellooooo second family!

I hope that the New Year has started off well for you and I’m sure it is going at full speed ahead. I know that my January has been filled, but alas I am still not in Arizona.
I had hoped to be able to go to Arizona this semester, but I have not been able to reach my support goal. I continue to inch closer, but no leaps and bounds. During this month, I have been faithfully praying for the Lord’s direction and guidance regarding my circumstances. I feel He still deeply wants me to be part of AIA and connected with it, so I have decided to spend my summer working at some of the Summer Opportunities, one of which is the Ultimate Training Camp held out in Fort, Collins, CO. In order to be part of these opportunities, you must raise your own support. SO, I will use some of the support all of you have so generously provided thus far in order to be part of the camp staff. I am looking forward to finding out who God will bring and what He will do at camp and of course sharing it all with you!
As the year progresses, I am continuing to work toward reaching my support goal for becoming a full-time staff intern. I have not felt the Lord directing my paths elsewhere as of yet and so will continue to aim to reach it for next year, while working on a few other endeavors (GREs) and hopefully finding a job here in So. Cal for the time being. Please, keep these decisions in your prayers. Your donations to Campus Crusade will stay in my staff account and wait. If you have any concerns regarding the funds, please feel free to contact me! Currently, to reach my goal I am mainly in need of monthly partners. If you know of anyone who may be interested or a church that I could give a temple talk/presentation to please let me know J
In the interim, I have been searching for a part time paying job. Please, keep my job search in your prayers and I will also be volunteering two afternoons a week with the GGHS swim team. I am very excited to try my hand at coaching and be a Godly example and good coach to the girls.
YOUTH and UTC
In the meantime, I have continued working with my church’s youth group and teaching the Sunday School class. It has been awesome watching and being part of these kids growth in Jesus. They truly have a servant’s heart and are eating up the information in James (the book we are currently studying). In Youth, we are working through a “Growing in Jesus” study, and the other week the kids really got into and came up with some deep symbolism regarding the parable of the pearl (Matthew). We discussed the pearl symbolizing heaven and their relationship with the Lord and discussed about sharing it with others. But, we took it further and discussed what the pearl’s shell can be (the world) and if you can re-discover the same pearl over and over again. The responses were right on! God is always reminding me of His amazing heart through these kids and I Love it!
Lastly, please pray for four guys (B, N, K, and R) that I have been working on “recruiting” to Ultimate Training Camp. I think all four would love and benefit immensely from this opportunity and am hoping the Lord brings them CO. Please pray that the Lord will place it on their hearts, will put things in order and will get them to camp to claim them for Him!

Till next time my faithful senders –
Best and blessings, Tori

James 2:26 – As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

All You Need Is Love

This time of year amazes me - it's all about love. And what better way to show Jesus than through love. Years ago, I stopped being a Valentine's Day/Love season hater even though I have yet to spend a V-Day un-single. One of best friend's, Becky Anderson, showed and told me, "this season is more than about the love of a significant other. Valentine's Day is just about loving people - that means friends, family, acquaintances. You can show all these people your love for them on that day." I took that to heart and she has been true to her word. Every year she sends a special card to us, her friends, to tell them about how much she loves them. So, I am no longer a bitter partaker, but enjoy the reminder of showing your love daily that this season brings. Not to mention all the fun movies that come out too (oh the heart of a romantic...hahaha).

But, it was really neat this weekend when I had been thinking and praying once again about life and where I am at, to just randomly have a wonderful Saturday evening without a thing to do, finished workout and a house "all to myself." I found the Hallmark Channel movie, "The Magic of Ordinary Days," starring Kerri Russell and Skeet Ulrich, on TV and I snuggled in with a giant salad to enjoy this seemingly interesting movie. It was just what I needed. I was able to sympathsize with the characters situations, but really I just enjoyed the tears that I freely let fall down my face regarding love and in response to the theme of love in this film (in group bible study last month we had discussed crying and I, a rare crier, had lately been feeling the need to have this emotional outlet, but could not find a conducive time, so praise God for Saturday!).


Then, on Sunday pastor preached on "Love" in church and the Young Women's Group and I did shopping for Haiti kits. Love was the theme of the weekend and so, I guess ther must be something in the air.

I encourage everyone these next two weeks to embrace the season and SHOW someone your feelings or just be Jesus to an unknown stranger. It's always a great blessing to get the same surprise from someone else, so pass it along and Love your neighbor.