news out the wazoo.....

wow....yes, i know how terribly far behind i am in reporting updates. i wanted to post a bunch of photos for readers to enjoy but can't seem to figure our blogger in order to do that. so anyway, i'll give you a photo of my new FIANCE and i. :) john kovacs and i got engaged on august 7 of this year and are planning for a january 2, 2010 wedding. i couldn't be more delighted and thrilled at the precious plan of our LORD in our lives. we had the opportunity in mid-August to travel to my dear friend, Emily's wedding in Texas, drove home w/ mom to spend a couple days in AR, then flew to New Orleans to spend some time in Baton Rouge w/ John's family. i have since thanked the LORD so many times for blessing us both with tremendous families that love us so much. i couldn't have asked for a more wonderful family to marry into.

in other news, summer has wrapped up for Embrace Baltimore and the Baltimore Baptist Association. we had another good year with more teams than i can count coming from all across the US to serve w/ Baltimore churches including two churches very close to my heart, FBC London AR (who served with Valley Baptist Church) and FBC Rogers AR who served with Graceplace Church. God has been doing a continual work of stretching and challenging our local churches and giving them a new heart and passion for loving Jesus and loving others as He has called us to do. there is still SO much work to do and i still beg your prayers for the ministry of follow-up that so many of our churches struggle to grasp.

we also had a team of incredible summer missionaries who came with hearts so ready to love and serve the LORD in whatever thing He called them to. i was very proud of their flexibility, ability to work together, and eagerness to serve. they're all back on their respective college campuses now, and i'm excited to hear how God might use them in those mission fields. thanks for coming and giving your all guys: Anthony, Anna-Colby, Ashley, Jeanna, Sara, Melissa, Elisabeth, Andrew, Natalie, Jared, Kathrin, Damian, Hannah, Emily, Miranda, and Mark.

the changing of the summer season seems a sign of other changes in so many lives around me including my own. roomie Lily married Jeremy Cotton-Schmidt on august 29 (they are currently honeymooning in Costa Rica), roomie Brandy has transitioned into part-time service with a local church plant called Infinity and has moved into her own apartment in their target area (they launch September 13, so be in prayer for them!). Dawn will be finishing her USC2 term in late September and be headed back to GA for whatever God has for her from there. i am now enagaged, planning a wedding, have recently moved into a 4th floor apartment in the middle of Mt. Vernon (2 doors down from the Light!), and am also working part-time with the Light Church. Brandy and I are still putting in two days a week at the Embrace office and serving our BBA churches however they may need. it has been a season of BIG change in all our lives, but God continues to prove Himself so incredibly faithful to us.

thanks for your continued love and prayers. there's still a lot of unknowns, particularly after january 2 :) but again, God has been faithful all along and i know He has some beautiful plans still to unfold for our lives. i'll try to do a better job of keeping you posted.

as you pray for us thru the fall please just pray for our BBA churches to stay motivated and driven by the Spirit to love the lost and take risks in Jesus' name and pray also for the Light church as we minister to college students and young professionals in the Mt. Vernon community. we're expecting a big season of growth both numerical and spiritual and we as the leadership of the church just want to be in the center of God's will in order to be ready for that growth. pray also for john and i as we plan a wedding and our lives together beyond december. both of our USC2 terms finish in December, so we are praying hard about how God will allow us to continue in ministry without the financial support of a NAMB missions position. we're open to whatever He has for us, and excited about it all.

thanks again. love you all. :)

m