It's Been Real, Co-Lin.

Hey Y'all!

My last day at
Copiah-Lincoln Community College

I can't believe. I just can't believe that my first 2 years of college at Co-Lin is over! I finished up last Tuesday and in 4 days I will be graduating with an Associate in Arts degree (general studies).

As I look back and reflect on my time at Co-Lin, as excited as I am to move on to a university to finally study what I need to study, these are two years that I will never get back. I have made some amazing memories here at the Lin, and I have made some amazing friends that will be my "forever friends." From being a trailblazer and showing people that Co-Lin was "the place to be," to being a part of the President's council and helping the school out, and being part of the BSU leadership team as the Mission's Coordinator, I have loved every minute of it and every bit of it was a true blessing! At my time as Co-Lin, I have been able to be a student intern for my church to prepare me for Ministry and I became a licensed minister! God has blessed me so much these past 2 years, and I am so grateful and blessed.

I will now be going to William Carey University in the fall to major in Religion and minor in Intercultural Studies! 

I can't wait to see what God has in store for me these next coming years, and I will forever be grateful for the experience He let me have at Co-Lin.
Thanks for reading!
Tonya, or as my friends call me, "Koala" "TanyeWest" "Tanya" "TT" 

This Thing Called "Passion"

This post is wayyyy past due! I started writing it, and then school work and life caught up with me and I never was able to finish! But it's not too long, :)

In January, I had the awesome opportunity to go to this thing called the Passion Conference. Though this was my third time going, there is always something so new and exciting happening! Being able to gather with thousands and thousands of college students and leaders, is most definitely an experience! We are all united on a weekend for God's fame and glory!

Jesus is the only reason why we are there. 

To worship Him, to know Him more, and to grow in Him. 

Once again, Passion made aware of the importance of ending slavery. Our generation believes that slavery will end in our lifetime! There are over 27 million slaves in our world today. Human and sex trafficking. It's so heartbreaking and this should not be the case! 

Thankful for this year's Do Something Now project: raising support for reaching unreached peoples in the world. 

My eyes were opened to how many people in the world have never heard the name of Jesus. Over 19 million people! They have no church, no missionaries, no outreach, and little to no scripture or believers. This is heartbreaking. Everyone needs to hear the name of Jesus! As I was looking around at the crowd of people around me (20,000+ students and leaders) lifting up their phone light to represent each unreached people group, I felt so heartbroken. This slide came up on their powerpoint. . .

"Will You Go?"

Those words hit me. It's like God was saying to me, "Why are you letting your plans get in the way of Mine?" Every time I come back from a trip, people ask me, "Will you be going back? Do you plan on moving there? Do you plan on being a missionary?" And I always tell them no and that I don't feel like I am supposed to go live someone and be a full time missionary. And I still don't know if that is what God wants me to do. But God opened my eyes that night and it was like we were talking one on one to each other and like no one else was around me. He made me realize the real reason why I said no to all of those things, was because in reality, I want to live in my comfort zone, I wanted get married and have kids, I wanted to have a nice house, all my selfish and worldly desires. I don't know if those things will happen! I was letting my own plans and desires get in the way of God's plans. That night, I gave my entire life to God.

If You want me to be married and have kids, then it'll be a blessing. If not, so be it. I will still live for You. If You want me to move to another country and do Your work, I'll do it.

God, use me. Where You want me to go, I will go.

Thank y'all for taking the time to read this!

Watch for more blogs coming soon! :)

Tonya

3 Semesters Down, 1 to Go!

Hey Y'all!

Fall semester is finally over, and now it is time for Christmas break! WOW that went by so fast! After 18 hours of classes this semester, I am finally done!
This semester has been full of ups and downs, but I got through it. I decided to commute next semester, so I'm moved out of the dorm.

I recently received some exciting news!
For the past 3 summers, I have had the opportunity to serve internationally for missions. So every time I return to the states and come back to school, people always ask, "So Tonya, where will you be next summer?" This time, I did not name somewhere out of the country.
I remember thinking what I was going to be doing this summer, and MFuge was put on my heart (a Christian Missions camp for youth), and I was so nervous because every summer I do international missions, and this summer God was like, "You're gonna serve in the states!" I don't care where I am, as long as I'm serving God and following His command to GO.
So I prayed, I applied, had an interview with them, and I recently received this email:

I'm going to be serving in Glorieta, New Mexico! This will be a new and exciting experience for me, and I absolutely can't wait to be serving and spending time with youth, sharing the Gospel, and doing mission work all at the same time all summer! I can't wait to see what God does!

As the year is about to end and 2015 is coming up, there are so many things that are going to happen, it's crazy!

Like always, I'll be with my best friend on New Year's, Passion Conference will be coming up, BSU spring break mission trip, graduating in May, MFuge in the summer, then starting William Carey in the fall! I'm so excited about what God is in store!

Time to enjoy my break! Thanks for reading!
Show Love. Be Love.
-Tonya, :)

Hello Again!

Hey Y'all!

Wow! It has been a while since I have written a blog! Sorry bout that! :)

My sophomore year at Co-Lin is in full swing, and the semester is halfway over already! Around 5 more weeks of school left, then Christmas break! That's insane. It won't be long until I'll be graduating!

Backing up a little bit, y'all know that I spent the whole summer in the Philippines loving on babies and discipling staff members there, and sharing the Gospel at local places there like a hospital. It was such a new and amazing experience for me! God showed me so much this summer, and I was so blessed by the experiences.

I've learned to truly study the Word to not only know myself, but to teach others.
I've learned more about sharing the Gospel.
I've learned that missions is not just going overseas, but sharing the Gospel wherever your feet go. 
I've learned that I am beyond blessed to have an aunt and uncle to take care of me in my situation, when there are babies and children who have no one...
I've learned that I am blessed to have the nourishment I need to survive, when there are children who can't have that, and may not live to be 5...
I've learned to pray more and more during each day.
I've learned (and still learning) how to be content with what I have.
I've learned this life is not about me, but life is about knowing God and making Him known to others and to live for Him; doing everything for Him.

I am so thankful for the opportunity that I was given to serve in the Philippines.
Since I've been back, there is no denying that I left a piece of my heart in the Philippines. The staff became like my family, the other volunteers I met there were absolutely amazing and became great friends, and I fell in love with a child there who I probably will never see again. It was so hard adjusting back to everything in America. Now I look for opportunities on campus to share the Gospel, as well as mission opportunities. I want to do things for God now more than ever before.
IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT THAT YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE TODAY! LOOK AROUND! SOMEONE NEEDS GOD!

Below I have a video of just a glimpse of what I experienced this summer. Fill free to watch! :)

So school! Let me tell ya about that a little!

I am interning for my youth pastor at my church this year and I love it so far! Getting so much experience that I'll need in the future and I'm so thankful for this opportunity! I'm on the BSU (Ministry on campus here) leadership team and I serve as the Missions coordinator which is so cool because I get to talk about missions and encourage people to GO! Which as y'all know I can't get enough of! I'm still the bible study leader for the junior high girls at my church and they are so sweet and I love them so much! I'm busy with church and BSU activities majority of the time, but it's so awesome and fun! So blessed! I can't thank God enough for the new opportunities that He's given me.

Here are some pics from this semester!

^starting being back in the states off with helping out my church with the back to school retreat.

^first BSU of the year with my roommate.

^some new friends!

^teaching youth one night

^having the opportunity to share what God did this summer to the BSU, my church, my youth group, and another youth group. God is awesome!

^ I'm an intern!

^Trailblazing it up!

^Promoting missions and leading a missions bible study with some students on campus!

God is so amazing and I'm so thankful! Thank y'all for praying for me this summer, and please continue to pray for me during school!

Show Love. Be Love.

Tonya, :)

Summer is Here!

Hey Everyone!

So, I've been out of school for about 2 weeks now, and I have been bored, entertained, sad, happy, just about all of the emotions you have when you get out of school for the summer.

I miss Co-Lin, I miss my friends who graduated this year already, and I miss the same routine. After staying at the dorms for 10 whole months and the only time you ever came home was on holidays and weekends, and not to mention during the holidays I was never really home-I always was either away doing something with the youth in my church or on mission trips or spending time with my best friend who lives in Yazoo City. 

So now being at home all the time and not really being busy like I was during the school year, it's hard to not get a little aggravated when I'm not doing something all the time. But I know it's good that I'm not doing much because I leave a week from Thursday to go to orientation in Rainsville, AL (which is training for the mission trip we go on), then on June 3 I leave from there to serve in the Philippines! It's the time that I'm preparing for my trip and taking time to pray and reading some material to get me prepared for my trip. 

I ask that y'all please pray for me for the rest of my time here at home that I'll stop getting so aggravated and that God will help me prepare my heart in the right way.

However, I will be leaving tomorrow to spend a few days with my best friend in Yazoo City one last time before I leave for the summer. I'll come back Saturday, have church Sunday, have 2 days to pack, then go to my church one last time that Wednesday night before I leave. 

Here on some pics from the ending of my freshman year...

^Bro. Bruce (our BSU director) had a BSU party at his house for this year's and next year's leadership teams. It was so fun and I can't wait to serve next year!

^this pic was from my last day at Co-Lin with the best friends that I made that this year. They all mean so much to me and I'll miss them next year.

^These 3 girls graduated and are leaving me next year. I'm so proud of them, and I'm going to miss them very much.

^material I have been reading. 2 down, 1 to go.

I'll try to squeeze in one more blog before I leave for the summer. Love y'all.

Show Love. Be Love.

Tonya, :)

Freshman Year is About to End!

Hey y'all!

I haven't wrote in over a month, so I thought I'd update y'all on what's been going on!

So on March 29th-30th, the Will Graham Celebration was held at Mississippi College free of charge and everyone was welcomed! They had 6 bands that played that weekend: Matthew West, The Afters, Paul Baloche, Rhett Walker Band, Canton Jones, and Tedashii! Speaker was Will Graham (Billy Graham's grandson). Altogether of those nights, 200+ people received Christ into their lives! It was an such fun time of worship and a great coming together of Christ. The last night, Matthew West was  going to be leading worship, so I brought along some youth girls from my church and they had a blast and we were able to meet him! Such a great weekend!

^the youth girls and I

^Matthew West!

I had he awesome opportunity to meet Callie Cole, a girl who has an amazing testimony, and her family helps sponcer students going on mission trips. I'm very thankful that I was one of many scholar recipients! They helped me get closer to the Philippines and I'm very blessed for that!

^Callie Cole and me!

^I received a certificate from Callie's Missions for serving, and it was presented to my by my youth pastor and Zion Hill.

On April 5th, Zion Hill youth went to go see Kari Jobe and Rend Collective live at Pinelake Baptist Church in Brandon! It was such an amazing time of worship. Kari Jobe is such an inspirational person and really gets into the Word. Rend Collective was very entertaining!

April 11th-13th was LTC (Leadership Training Conferenece) and Missions Orientation weekend! All of the BSU summer missionaries and this years/next years BSU leadership team were required to go to this event. LTC was so fun and we learned so much. My favorite part about the weekend was missions orientation! (That's not too surprising! Haha!) That Saturday, all the BSU missionaries (130+) were all being commissioned to serve this summer. We had to stand up and say our name, where we go to school, and where we were going that summer. After that was over, all the summer missionaries went to Camp Garyway for orientation. We learned so much about what to expect when we all go to our mission locations, and we had time to really reflect and remember why we are going to where we are going. I got to meet one of the girls that will be serving on my team this summer, and she is also the team leader! Her name is Katie and she is a junior at MSU. We were able to get to know one another, and talk about the Philippines together. I am very excited to serve with her. I met some amazing new people, and I get to see many of them again when I go to orientation in Rainsville, AL on May 29th! 

^this years and next years BSU leadership teams for Colin!

^being commissioned!

^me and Maura! Colin summer missionaries!

^Katie!

Colin just had Spring Fling! So here's some pics from that week!

This past weekend, we had a girls night out at the church for the youth girls at Zion Hill. It was a great time of worship, fellowship, and unity. I love these girls.

I only have 5 more class days here at Colin, and I've gotta say, I'm not loving it too much! My freshman year in college has went by wayyyy to fast, and I have made so many new friends who are graduating and leaving us. It's going to be so strange not seeing them every single day next year, but I know that we have made friendships that will last a lifetime. I have truly enjoyed my first year here. When August comes I'll be in my last year of Colin! A sophomore! I can't believe how much time is flying by!

Just a little over a month, I'll be headed to the Philippines! I'm so ready for God to use me! I'm ready to serve! He has been preparing me for months now for this trip, and I'm ready to GO. 

I ask that y'all will pray for me as I finish out these last few days here at school. Almost there!

Thanks!

Be Love. Show Love.

-Tonya, :)

Can I Just Say, God is Absolutely Amazing?!

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I've written a blog! Last time I talked to y'all, it was in January all about Passion Conferenece 2014! Well since then, so much has been going on and Gos has been keeping me blessed and busy for sure! I couldn't thank Him more for that! 

February 17th, the BSU held a Missions Banquet for the missionaries going away this summer! It was such a great time of fellowship and entertainment! It was a success of raising money, and all the proceeds go to myself and the other two summer missionaries in this pic you see below! Their names are Maura and Doug!  It would be awesome if you would keep them in prayer as we all prepare and get ready to leave for our missions in 2 months!

Maura-India

Doug-Indonesia

Me-Philippines

We also had an awesome Disciple Now (D-Now) this year! It was all of the Copiah County area! February 21st-23rd, our D-Now was takin place at First Baptist Church of Hazlehurst, and it was an incredible weekend full of fellowship, worship, and having fun together as a huge group of Christians! We had Landon Dowden as the pastor for the weekend, and also Jared Smith as the worship leader, and they were amazing! I had the awesome opportunity to be a D-Now leader for the very first time! Me and a girl I met named Reed were the junior high girls leaders for that weekend, and we had a blast serving! That Saturday, we had a time of missions, and for our missions, our church helped go and clean an elderly lady's (from our church) house! Our group came together in an awesome way that weekend, and I believe it helped us grow a lot more closer! That Sunday morning, our group finished off D-Now at our home church, Zion Hill Baptist, and it was all youth lead!  This D-Now was definitely worth going to!

^Reed and I with our junior high girls!

^Zion Hill Baptist Church group!

February 27th was Shine A Light On Slavery Day! 

((If you don't know much about that, visit www.enditmovement.com ))

That day, we all put huge red X's on our hands, and help build awareness to the slavery issue when people ask what that red X means. The night before, I showed the youth group at my church a short movie about slavery. Once I explained to them what the plan was for the 27th, we all put X's on our hands and took a pic, to show the world that we were "In It To End It!" Building awareness to the situation. Pic below!

The next day, lots of people were telling me that putting X's wasn't going to stop slavery, and I do understand that. But building awareness to let people know about the issue, helps them to become known to the fact, and will encourage then to give financially to any of the organizations who are able to go and rescue these slaves trapped. We can't help them, but the organizations such as End It Movement, IJM, Poloris Project, Love 146, etc., can help free these slaves all around the world when we can't! Awareness helps people know!

Also that day, me and 3 of the youth and my boyfriend traveled to Tupelo, MS to go to WinterJam! WinterJam is a tour that had 10 artists, and 1 speaker! They were absolutely amazing! It was an awesome time of gathering together with other Christians!

The awesome thing about that night also, we saw so many people wearing the red X's on their hands! WinterJam helped let everyone know about slavery that night! Here's a pic they posted that night!

Recently, something awesome happened! In the beginning of this year, I applied for the BSU leadership team for the year 2014-2015! So many people applied, and I honestly didn't think I had the chance to get a spot. I just tried to keep thinking, "God, if You want me to be a part of this, You'll have Your way. But if not, it's not part of Your plan for my life. You've got this." When the BSU pastor messaged me that night asking me if I would be the missions coordinator for next year, I almost cried. My passion for missions, is expanding even more! Of course I said yes! God blessed me with this position, and I can't wait to serve! I can't wait to talk to students next year about missions and why they should go!

Finally, spring break! For spring break this year, I traveled with the BSU for a mission trip in Martin, TN to help a church called Hope Church! (I'm traveling from there now!) all I can say from this week is wow! God is so amazing! At the church, we helped repaint walls, redo flooring, replace some parts of ceilings, added new additions to to he sanctuary, built a railing for a balcony, repaired stairs, fixed the kitchen, and dining area called the "Kill A Cow Cafe", and so much more!

We finished all of our work in 3 days! Thursday, we went door to door inviting people to the church for free BBQ, worship, and fellowship! It was an awesome turnout! I couldn't have been more blessed to have met the people at Hope Church and their love for Christ. They truly are a real church who welcomes anyone and everyone! Along with BSU people, Clear Branch Baptist Church joined with us, and we all got along so week! We all had so much unity and God was just working in awesome ways with all of us! I wouldn't have traded this week for anything!

1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT
"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

God has been showing his faithfulness to me so much lately! It's crazy! I couldn't be more thankful! I've been learning that if I stay faithful to God, and follow His way, He will lead me in the right directions in life. Pray for me as I continue to learn this!

Thanks!

Show Love. Be Love.

-Tonya, :)