Girl Scout Daisies

Girls just wanna have fun!!

This is how we camp in a concrete jungle! 

Local children's home visit...so good for the girls to be able to love on these little angel babies. 

The only thing that could have made Girl Scouts better is a box of Tagalongs;) 

Si An Island

This man cannot walk, but never stops smiling and giving praise to God. 

Our church family worshipping. 

These people have all suffered from leprosy and have lived on the island for a number of years. 

This man has prosthetic legs.

Leslie translating from Mandarin to Cantonese. 

81 years old. He has been excluded from society since 1959. Saved by grace since 1998 and now recites scripture from memory. 

The lepers have done all of the groundwork. 

This man is blind, but has been planting his own garden for years. 

Simply beautiful. And humbling. 

She's the one

Four years old with dirt on my face

I'd been out in the yard pickin' dandelions all day.

I burst through the front door when i'd gathered enough

To give to my mom to show her my love.

When I held out my hand, she looked down at me

She said, "I've never seen flowers as beautiful as these."

She's the one who told me about Jesus.

She's the one who taught me to sing. 

She deserves an armful of roses, 

But she's satisfied with a handful of weeds. 

Now that i'm older and out on my own, 

I wish I could find more time to make it back home. 

I could have done better, I know in my heart

Than to scribble a note on a last minute card

But then she called on the phone and the first thing she said, 

is "i've read this card over and over again." 

She's the one who told me about Jesus.

She's the one who taught me to sing. 

She deserves an armful of roses, 

But she's satisfied with a handful of weeds. 

She knows what true love means

And I want her to know what she means to me

She's more than satisfied with a handful of weeds. 

May Holiday

Just a walk in the park.

(park entrance)

Quality time with baby Zhu Yue

Puppet show by Nate

Slumber party

Day trip to Hong Kong

Bike ride with the fam

I finally went to eat street food. Not too shabby! 

Walking down the street to work and I see this sweet girl. Sweeping away, she seemed happy as a lark! It's difficult for me to process how I should feel when I see things like this. 

Should I feel peace for her contentment? 

Should I feel desperation for her impoverished state?

Lord help me to be your hands and feet. 

Biggidy Biggs

Who says a Chinese-Nigerian can't be Tennessean at heart? This little stud is learning to dress like his big brothers, Grant and Blake...and proud of it! Too bad there is no such thing as deer hunting and horse riding in this concrete jungle. That's ok, his southern accent and charm will hopefully get him to Tennessee one of these days;)

Be still and know...

Much like those that have gone before us...from Adam and Eve to our very own parents... we have a hard time remembering WHO is in control. Who makes the sun to rise. Who puts the stars in place. Who makes the rain to fall. Who is the GREAT I AM.
"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10

The Whispering Preacher

As a child, I thought everyone eventually whispered when they grew old. Little did I know, there was a special story behind the lack of volume in this man's vocals.
God had a plan. A wake up call. A wreck.
Grandpa lost his voice box in a terrible car accident as a teenager. The doctors didn't expect he would make it through. God knew he would. Grandpa didn't know God. My great-grandmother (grandpa's mom) pleaded for his life with any ounce of faith she could muster in desperation. His life was spared... so that he could truly LIVE.
He had 8 kids. Became a preacher. Is now 'Grandpa Buck' to 43 grandchildren and about 50 great-grandchildren. His prayer today is that he would live to see his family spread all over the globe sharing the gospel to those who do not know.

For His Glory

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to teach. My siblings used to call me 'bossy boots' when we were growing up because I was always telling them where, when, how, and why they should do things! Now i'm learning how it is just important to step back and be taught! My sweet little Kindergartners teach me something new ALL the time. God has blessed me with the opportunity to teach overseas in China. I have 10 students with such different stories! They are from India, Taiwan, Brazil, America, Hong Kong, and Singapore. One of my favorite things about getting to know people is to be able to find common ground that you can relate on. Well, considering my little American girl has never even touched American soil, it is quite a challenge to find common ground with any of these students. It has made for some of the funniest class discussions. For example, I was teaching them about what a front porch is just the other day because all of them live in high rise apartments! Throughout this experience as a whole, I couldn't be more thankful for this job. I look forward to it everyday!

"So, whether you eat of drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

"Deep within us we all know that it is our duty to glorify our Maker by thanking Him for all we have, trusting Him for all we need, and obeying all His revealed will. " -John Piper

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

BEIJING

20 hours on the train....

to Tienanmen Square...
to the Great Wall of China!!

Jingle Bells

We've been holding this surprise in for about 2 months. It killed me, but it was so WORTH IT!!!! Grant and Candice haven't been to China since Christmas of 2006, so this was a big deal for them. We had such a blast!

WE ARE FAMILY!

I sure do miss the faces in this picture. Although it's hard to be a world away, i'm so proud of what they're doing! Grant is in optometry school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Candice Rae is a nurse at a local hospital in the same city. They are both serving at their local church and loving it! Blake just joined the United States Army and is currently at boot camp. I know he is learning a discipline he will forever be grateful for! Hannah is holding down the fort with their dog, Jack. She is such a trooper! and last but definitely not least....my sweet sister, Kelsey Brooke. She has worked SO hard to get to where she is. She is getting her prerequisites for dental hygiene at a community college in Tennessee. The only bad thing about that is she'll never get her patients teeth to look half as good as hers:) Just wanted to give a shout out to my favorite stateside folk.

Happy Anniversary!!

Grant and Candice sittin in a tree... I can't believe it's been FIVE years since these two crazies got hitched!! Grant always knew he didn't want to waste time on people that weren't his forever bride. Candice was the same way about guys! To know both of them was to love them according to everyone at Dickson County High School. The only problem was that they didn't really know each other! I played soccer with Candice and looked up to her so much, and of course Grant was the coolest guy I knew right up there next to Blake Allen! Grant and I shared a locker and I looked forward to seeing him in between every class. I know most people don't even want to make eye contact with their siblings in school, that was not the case for the Allen kids. I started noticing that Grant wasn't showing up to the locker. Around the same time he had asked me what I thought about Candice Green. I told him I was for it!!! Then, I started putting two and two together! Fast forward 3 years and they were married! Grant and Candice have both played a big part in my life. They are honestly two of my favorite people on the planet and God has used them more than they even know. They are funny to boot:)

You might be in China if...

You see over 4 people on a bike
You find yourself in a traffic jam... not even during rush hour
There are no forks, only chop sticks
Someone discretely takes a picture of you because you're a foreigner
After asking, "how are you?" the response is, "I'm fine, thank you, and you?"
You hear English names like, Bamboo and Echo
You see people EVERYWHERE, no matter what hour
You can get a massage for $4
You never wear your shoes in the house
The ultimate holiday is Chinese New Year
There is rice at every meal
A whole lot of smiling and nodding is going on!
There are no front yards
The elderly are going strong!
The babies have a split right down the middle of their pants, no need for diapers
There are extravagant seat covers in every vehicle
Grand openings are HUGE!
Hugs are not popular, just arm locking as you stroll
You don't actually see anything that's exported
You meet someone new almost everyday!
There is always a chance to share the gospel with someone who's never heard

lecrae Send me aof

Humbled

In the words of my pastor, Hollie Miller, it is "only when we humble ourselves can we seet the righteousness of God." This is taken from the passage in 2 Chronicles when the leaders of Israel were humbled during Shishak's invasion. This message was a HUGE wakeup call because I am so quick to recognize pride in others, those in high positions or influential figures in society. All the while....I am "eat up" with pride! Proverbs 6 talks about what the Lord hates, and the very top of the list deals with pride. The first thing that came to my mind when pondering this issue was how Jesus did not hesitate to wash the feet of those who He came in contact with..WOW! This is the Son of God we're talking about....if that doesn't send chills up your spine, I don't know what will. Humble me, Lord.

Nathan Isaac Allen

This is a story about a family journey that gets sweeter with every step. A family who is very close at heart, but the distance among them is widely dispersed. This family spent a large number of their days all together in a land that was familiar. A land that seemed comfortable and consistent. In the midst of familiarity, consistency, and comfort, the leader of this family decided to choose the path of uncertainty with much faith. A path that would take part of this family across the world with many questions and concerns. Amidst the questions and concerns was an overwhelming peace due to God's sovereignty. As the mother and father of this family became somewhat accustomed to this foreign land, they began to reach out to people and build relationships. One particular relationship that was built will never be forgotten. It was that of a young lady who was broken and unsure of her next step. It was only by the grace of God that she connected with this particuluar family. She was with child by a man who left her all alone with nowhere to turn. She moved in with this family not knowing what she had gotten herself into. Not knowing that this mother and father had a gift to give that would far exceed a roof and four walls for her and her baby to be. They had the gift of sharing the gospel with her. She could not understand this gift because she had never been exposed to it. All she knew was hurt. The baby came into this world with half asian decent and half african decent. He knew not the world he had entered. This young, new mother gave him the English name, Nathan (a gift from God). She gave consent to this family to be the official caretakers of this sweet baby boy. She knew she could not provide him a home or a stable life. She had seen the love of Christ and love for each other this family possessed and could not explain the peace she felt during her stay. She went on to pursue her career leaving a huge piece of her heart with this family. Nathan did not understand the complexity of his situation, he only knew the need for food and rest. He did not understand the diversity in his surroundings. He did not understand that God had a special plan for his life to bring him out of a potential mess. He did not understand that his life was and will be a message that will only be explained the power of our Mighty God. This young child is a blessing to all who know him, not because of who he is, but because of where God has brought him from.

captivate us

I have been so amazed by the love of my Father in Heaven. In hard times, He strengthens me. In good times, He reminds me. In fun times, He fills me. In uneasy times, He humbles me. In lonely times, He comforts me. In idle times, He occupies me. In busy times, He evaluates me. HE IS GOD!

Psalm 139 assures me that He knows my steps. I want Him to constantly search my heart and examine my ways so that I can walk worthy of His calling.

The Lord is a Warrior; The Lord is His Name.

I stepped foot on grounds that were so unfamiliar a few months ago, not sure of what would come of this place called Pine Cove. Unsure of who I would get close to, who I would confide in, who I would develop inside jokes with, who I would simply call a friend. It just looked like a lot of unfamiliar faces. Some confident, some overwhelmed, some just as unsure as I was. I was able to be sure of this, that my God would carry me through it. Now it's July...over half way through this journey, and He has not only carried me through it, He has completely used it for His glory. I have learned so much about the simplicity, yet the unfathomable power of His gospel. It's the core of christianity and we miss the mark so many times by getting caught up in the nit picky details of life. We've been studying the story of Gideon in Judges chapter 6 and 7. I have never taken the time to appreciate this story, but I have absolutely loved it this summer. In a nutshell... God uses Gideon to lead the Israelites with 300 men to defeat the Midianites with 100,000 men. I read this and felt so convicted at how often I lose sight of how powerful God is and how little faith I have to trust that He will do even the simplest things in my life. Shame on me. But glory to God!!! I've also learned from those i've been around. From campers, to other counselors, to cooks, and now the family I am a nanny for. They have each taught me something that I will take with me throughout the rest of my life. It's funny that we, at camp, see it as the norm to wear your hair messy, sing cheers about bald headed granny's, and to cry and laugh at the same time. Praise the Lord for Pine Cove and the lives that are being changed because of this ministry in Tyler, Texas. My prayer, along with many others, is that the gospel doesn't stop here. That the campers and staff whose lives have been changed in this place would carry the message into all the world, just as we are commanded in Matthew chapter 28. I am blessed to be able to experience such a time as this!