Prayer Walking through the French Quarter

Hey y'all!

This weekend, I had the awesome opportunity to go with 3 people to pray around the French Quarter. I have to say, I saw some beautiful, amazing things. But mostly, I saw sad, heartbreaking things. I just don't understand. The sights I saw, the smells I smelt, I just don't understand how people can live the way they live. I felt sadness for the homeless, I felt sick for the drunks, I don't have words to express the feelings for the women having to work at strip clubs and selling themselves to be able to live. I'm just heartbroken. Each place I saw, each person I saw, definitely have my prayers. Being here in New Orleans, in the bad area, I felt like I was in another country. And something like these sights are normal in Louisiana and other parts of the States. I just pray. God knows my prayers...

Here are some pics of some rough sites I saw. Just heartbreaking...

^voodoo magic ideals

^homelss people sleeping

^more voodoo and strip clubs down Bourbon Street.

^more strip clubs and bars.

Here are some pics of some awesome things I experienced and saw. Also including some things we did.

It was defiantly an experience here in New Orleans!

Show Love. Be Love. 

Tonya, :)

Confirmations!!

Hey Guys!

I haven't written a blog in a month! Wow! Well lots have been going on!

So lately, everything seems to be falling into place for what God wants for my life. I've always known that I wanted to be in the ministry somehow working with youth. It's like I'm getting more confirmations about that!!

We have chapel every Wednesday. We just have like a 5-10 minute devotion to to help people get through the rest of the week. Someone different speaks every week, and I was asked by my friend Reneè to speak this past Wednesday(which was yesterday)! So I was excited about that! Thanks Reneè for that opportunity! 

^in chapel!

Then, last night when I got home, I wanted to go to First Priority at CA(which is the highschool I graduated from) the next morning because I don't have school. I asked my friend Stu what time it would be and where, and he let me know, but then he asked me to speak!! I was excited but surprised at the same time! I had the amazing opportunity this morning to speak to about 30 amazing kids! It's so amazing how God is using me in so many ways. Especially when it comes to speaking in public, and able to talk about Him in different ways to many people about life and how we are supposed to live. Thanks Stu for that opportunity!

^me speaking at First Priority!

The biggest thing that has happened to me lately, is finally knowing where God is taking me for Summer Missions 2014!

I continuously kept thinking that God wanted me to go to Africa because it was like everywhere I go, I would hear the word Africa and hear people talking about Africa! But my BSU pastor told me about how there was options in India and the Philippines. In all three of these places, it had to do with working in orphanages, which is what I know God wants me todo this coming summer! Well, even though I really thought God wanted me to go to Africa, He made me realize that He had other plans! I will be going to the Philippines through the BSU to work at an orphanage to help out with kids, play with them, change them, and help out on the orphanage. ALSO, I will be helping disciple youth! I felt this was God's calling because of course it had to do with little orphans, but also because youth is where my life is. I'm closer to their age, I can relate to them, and I have done lots with youth! God knew where I was going, and I had pray about it and get overwhelmed to realize it! :) I realized that Africa wasn't right for me right now, because I wouldn't just be helping with orphans, but I would also be helping with going to Hope Houses, where their are people dying of Aids and HIV, and I knew I wasn't ready for that. So God really has helped me realize where I need to go! 

GOD IS SO AMAZING! I love how he has been giving me all these confirmations for my life. I know as long as I live for Him, and obey Him, and always know that when He tells me to go, that I need to go! I have such a passion for missions, and I pray that my love for it never goes away!

Here are some pics of random events that have happened since I last wrote! 

^we have had lots more people come with us to the nursing home on Thursdays! Awesome!

^the youth group at my church did ministry at the Ronald McDonald House for kids who are sick families to stay. We helped do their chores for them so they could rest.

^the youth going to the fair and the Casting Crowns concert!

^the youth group having a bonfire at Lake Lincoln where Michael spoke.

^Sarah Claire and me!

^me and Camille

^trailblazers! Maura, Regan, me, Carloeah, and Lauren

^Sam, me, and Michael!

^Michael and me!

^Homecoming 2013 at Colin! Trailblazer duty and game with SayClay! Colin-vs-Pearl River! Colin wins 37-27! Go Wolfpack!

^love these girls on BSU nights! Never a dull moment! 

^my roomie and I! Love her and so thankful for her!

Pray for me as God continuous to use me, and pray for my awesome BSU friends as they decide if they will do summer missions and where they will go.

Show Love, Be Love.

Tonya! :)

It's Confusing....

Hello everyone!

School is going great and meeting new friends have been awesome! Being involved with the BSU and helping out and being involved with different things they have going on like the nursing home ministry, girls bible study, and chapel and so on is great. I love it! I feel like I have already found another church family except its full of young adults! Also, being a trailblazer has been an amazing experience so far, and being involved with that is a great way to meet more people on campus! 

MeMe had knee surgery Friday and now is back home doing great! Please continue to pray for her as she recovers. I know she can get through because she is a strong woman.

Lately though, even with these amazing new experiences going on and amazing things happening in my life and new opportunities to serve God, I feel more down than ever. I feel more depressed, or sad. I'm the type of person that is just happy-go-lucky all the time and just always have a smile on my face, but when I'm sad, people automatically notice. And it stinks because people always ask me what's wrong when I'm trying to hide it. Don't get me wrong, I love people being there for me and them showing me love and that they care, but I don't want people to know I'm upset. I want to be happy all the time. I want to show love and happiness all the time, and I feel like I ruin things when I'm upset. Why? I have no idea. 

I'm find out out so many things that I wish I would have never found out. And it's bringing me down more and more everyday because it just builds and builds. Maybe the devil is attacking me? Maybe God is testing me? Maybe I'm not doing something I'm supposed to be doing? I have no idea. I just wish I didn't feel this way. I want to be happy everyday like I use to be. Not upset or mad at the world like I have been the last couple of weeks. I don't like this attitude I have. 

Please be in prayer for me as I begin a new week of school. 

Show Love, Be Love.

-Tonya :)

Some pics :

    Trailblazers! 

           The best roomie ever. She is always there for me.

All Around Christ

Hey guys!!

Hope you have all been doing well! 

This week back at school started Tuesday, and that night I had my first trailblazer meeting! We learned about everything we need to do, and we took a campus tour, and so on. Then, went to girls bible study! Now, this was my favorite part of that day! We meet every Tuesday night at 7 in the BSU. It's amazing how you can feel apart of a small family of girls when you have just met then! All these girls are so sweet and we can just talk to one another and be ourselves! 

^bible study with these ladies!

^this is such a sweet girl, Olivia! Amazing bible study leader! 

Wednesday, was a normal day full of work and laziness. Me and 3 others on the trail later team went to my old high school to represent Colin and try to recruit students to come to Colin! It went great, and then i had church. Church that night was great.

^CA alumni representing Colin! Trailblazing!

Today was my first time visiting the nursing home in Brookhaven with the BSU! We sang hymnals and I was asked to give the mini devotion for the week. I am so blessed to have had this opportunity! I have been asking God to just use me while I have my time here at Colin, but not just at Colin, other places to! I feel Him working and I'm just ready for whatever God has for me! Also, Grace (my roommate) played the piano while we sang hymns! Grace is an amazing piano player!It was so good to speak to these people and I'm blessed for an awesome BSU family! 

^the group who went to the nursing home ministry today!

^so blessed I had the opportunity to do this! God is good!

Tomorrow I do not have class, and I will go home! Oh! And I'll get my first paycheck ever! Pretty excited!

God is so good, and I can't wait to see what all he has planned!

Show Love, Be Love.

-Tonya! :)

Just Keeps Getting Better!

Hi Everyone!!

I just finished my 2nd week of college! Big things happened!!

BSU finally kicked off Monday, and there was a great group that showed up! I love gathering with a room full of people ready and willing to worship and talk about God. Truly amazing!! Tuesday, The guys and girls split up at 7 those nights and we have a bible study. My first bible study with an amazing group of girls was amazing! It's great to have a devotion with them and talk to each other about everything. Wednesday, for about 5 minutes at 11:30 every week, we meet in the chapel to do a little devotion and pray. Thursdays, we go to nursing homes and sing to the elderly. I have to work during that time so I can't go with them, which makes me extremely sad... :(

But I am ready to be involved in BSU and see what all God has in store for me while I'm there! 

^me and Grace at our first BSU!

Thursday, I had an interview to try out for Trailblazers at my school. (Trailblazers is sort of an organization at the school that retreat the school and go to high school recruiting kids and telling them why they should go to Colin! And they have to be willing to speak in front of people and be enthusiastic about the school!) well I was extremely nervous because they were only excepting 11-14 students out of 54 trying out!! But I made it!!! Me and 23 other students made it! I was so excited and was praying that of God would allow me to, that I would make it. I'm so excited!

^i made it!!

As an RA in my dorm, we finally received our permanent schedule for the rest of the year. My advisor asked if anything was wrong with it, and there was only one thing wrong. I had to work on Wednesdays from 5-7, and I told her how I was heavily involved with church and I was one of the leaders for the youth group. A girl said she would trade with me for Thursdays at 7-9. So I was all excited to trade, then I realized that I will be missing football games. I was sad, but I knew church was more important and God is my first priority, so I traded. My human nature wanted to go to football games instead of church, but I knew what God wanted me to do. So everything worked out. I get to go to church, and I get to see the ending to football games! 

^me and Grace at our first Wolfpack game! Colin won 29-20! I got to see part of 3rd quarter and all of 4th!

College life is amazing so far, I hope and pray it stays that way! 

Show Love, Be Love.

Tonya, :)

That College Swag!

Hello Everyone!! 

I haven't blogged in a while and I think it's time for more! 

So this past week I had my first week of college! It was amazing!! It's so great to catch up with old friends, and also hangout with the same friends I had in high school! But most of all, the best is meeting new friends everyday! Everyday I have been busy, and I like to stay busy. I have 2-3 classes a day, and all my teachers are awesome. The classes are in the morning so I get to hangout the rest of the day, but also 3 out of 4 days I work. So it's really good! 

I can't forget about my amazing roomie! Grace has been so amazing and sweet this week! Meeting at Passion was the best thing I think could have happened! Even though I felt like a very bad roommate after I tried being a good one. It was raining really hard when we arrived back at the college when we went to grab a bite to eat. I dropped her off close to the entrance to I could go find a parking place so she wouldn't have to be in the rain. She got out and I said "RUN!" And bam! She fell into a huge puddle of water.....talk about me feeling so bad!!! But we laughed it off and she is okay! But seriously, she is the best roommate anyone could ask for. 

BSU kicks off Monday night, and I'm pretty excited about it!!! I can't wait to see what God provides for me to do with them while I'm there! 

God has blessed me beyond measure with amazing people in my life and an amazing education! I can't wait to see what else He has for me on this journey!

Here are some pics from this week! 

^first day of college with the best friend/roomie ever!

^Marissa, Me, and Daisy!

^Tuesday I hung out with these awesome peeps! Grey, Sarah Claire, Me, Marissa!

^my amazing cousin/best friend Blaire!

^Wednesday I spent the day with these lovely ladies.

^Thursday me and SayClay had our WolfPack Swag going on!

^these guys are pretty awesome! Josh and Clint.

^the breakfast was great with my girl Joanna.

^after a long amazing week at college, I was glad to see my MeMe!

College is gonna be amazing!

Show Love, Be Love.

Tonya! 

New Beginnings

Hello everyone!!

So recently as some of you know, I joined my youth group on the Back To School Retreat to start talking about things we can do differently in our church and youth group. Also talking about mission opportunities we could do! I am beyond excited to share some things that we plan on doing. 

For starters, me and my roomie Grace, and 5 other youth kids are on the youth leadership team at our church. This Christmas, we plan on going on a mission trip, just us, to do some missions either in Alaska or Chicago. We are still praying about which place God will want us to go. For the youth, the first trip will be somewhere in the states. We all are going to do things every month with our youth group involving missions in our local area. It's gonna be pretty exciting!

^the back to school retreat group :)

In a week from today, I will be moving into my dorm at Colin and starting my first day working there as a Resident Assistant. I'm beyond excited and so is Grace! We start college the 19th.

Beginning a new life living away from home, but not too far. Seeing where God leads me, and doing everything for Him. Studying General Studies with my time here, and move on after two year to Mississippi College to study what I'm in college for: Christian Studies and Philosophy.

Meeting new people, building lifelong relationships, and gathering with Christian students at the BSU. Having fun with Christians and experience college life in a way that glorifies God and not the opposite. Being me and having a blast in college!!

Roomies with Grace, also being small group leaders together for the Zion Hill Baptist Church junior high and high school girls, and part of the youth group leadership team.

Looking for mission opportunities also while studying, and looking for opportunities to share Christ with others.

I can't wait to see what else God has in store for me!!

I would love if you would pray for me as u begin this amazing journey in college.

Show Love, Be Love!

Tonya,  :)