Today is my physical Birthday!

Today I am 17 years old! Where does time go? Before I know it, I'll be 18, then 25, then 40.... I guess the Lord is teaching me to live like I'm dying...
I got this book for my birthday called "I would die for You". It's about this 15 year old boy, BJ Higgins who went to Peru on a short term missions trip, got a rare disease, and died 6 weeks after he got home. I couldn't help but wonder why God chose to take him home? Then I got to thinking if I'm willing to die for my Savior. If I got a strange disease, or was captured by terrorrists, or any number of things, would I fight it? Do I consider my life so precious that I'd consider it more important to live, if God wants me Home? It's just gotten me to think about my calling to be a missionary and what people would remember about me if I did die? Would they remember my passion about Jesus? This book is very thought provoking and I recommend it to people who want to be missionaries!

Today is my Birthday!

Today is my 6th birthday! You all might be going "huh"? so let me explain: 6 years ago today, I was born again. I still remember the night it happened. Let me start from the beginning: I was born into a strong christian family and have gone to church since I was a week old! So I don't have a dramatic testimony like, a reformed drug addict like my dad or a thief or anything like that. I've always been a "good" person. Well, in June 2002, my mom did something that rocked my world: she got saved! She was a pastor's wife, had gone to Bible school, and was good on the outside, but she had never gotten saved. So that really got me thinking about salvation and if I was saved. On November 7, 2002, I was getting ready for bed and scraped my foot really hard on a sharp corner of the bed. I started crying and even after the pain went away I kept sobbing and sobbing. I cried out to God to take away my sins and make me a new person on the inside. I praise the Lord that He so unselfishly died a terrible death on the cross for ME! It blows my mind! If anyone reading this is not saved or is not sure they are, examine yourself! Don't just think you are! Cry out to God for mercy and repent of your sins and believe in Jesus' Christ and His power to save you. You'll never regret it! Have a wonderful day!

It's about time to update this thing!

Hey all!
I guess I should update this thing right? I can't believe it's November already! Where does the time go? So, November started off pretty interestingly: My sister Katy broke her foot riding Traveler! She was riding bareback up a hill and just slipped off onto her foot. She fractured the bone in the top of her foot! She's in alot of pain still so please pray for her. I have been really busy with school and work so there's not alot more to say that's interesting! I hope you all are doing great! Blessings!

Encouragement!

Hi All!
So, I'm a part of this NTM mission trip group on Facebook and I stumbled across this guy's blog that is also a member. He went to Interface in 2007 and had the best pictures and movies of PNG. Needless to say, I am really getting excited about my trip! Here is the link to it:http://heretodayandgonetomorrow.blogspot.com/search/label/Interface. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! I appreciate you all so much!

3 Praises!

Ok,
so I have 3 really cool praises: First of all, it's snowing in NY right now! I know that is a different sort of praise, but I love this time of year. At work, the Christmas candy is starting to come in and looks so beautiful!
THe second praise is that one of my very dear friends is pregnant! She got married in July and is due in late April! I am so excited for her as you can probably tell:)
The third praise is that my official liscense came in the mail today! Now, I'm really in business! God is so good!
In my last post I was confused and sort of depressed. Now, I'm encouraged in Him! I have been exploring college options and came across a program at a Bible college near my home, Elim Bible Institute. They offer an International missions program with an emphasis on medical missions. During the 2 year program, you get your EMT certification, learn basic skills such as suturing,starting ivs,taking blood, helping with childbirth, disease prevention, and giving physical exams. You also take missions courses, study the Bible, and, one class I'm excited about, teaching English as a second language. An 8 week internship at a hospital in a developing country tops off the program. It sounds like an amazing program but I'm still praying about it and will most likely change my mind a couple times before I reach a decision!
I appreciate you all so much. God bless you all tru!

3 Praises!

Confused

Hey all readers!
I am so confused right now about my future as a missionary to Papua New Guinea. I have been so excited about Interface and can't help but wonder how it will change/impact my life! But what I'm confused about is where I should go to college and what path should I pursue: Bible school or nursing? I really don't want to go to a community college and be under the teaching of professors with ungodly views. It's all so CONFUSING!!!! Dad mentioned a verse today in his sermon that probably everyone of you will recognize: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In ALL thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6. I don't go to God first for all my concerns and fears and worries. He tends to be the "last resort". I often have the attitude of "Well, I can ONLY pray"! That is so wrong! I need to be seeking His face about my future first before I go to my mom or friends.So please pray for the following things:

*That I will know and be at peace with what GOd wants for my college years

*That I will always seek God FIRST

* That I will continue to trust Him for all my needs and wants

Thanks so much for praying for me! God bless you all!

I Passed!!!!

Yes, I am now the proud owner of a driver's liscence! It is such a neat feeling to be albe to drive without my dad in the car with me. I totally bombed on parallel parking but that was the only mistake I made. How amazing is my God! So many people were praying that I pass which is a really cool feeling. So, needless to say, I am floating on Cloud 9! I still keep saying, "I can't believe I passed!" Where I took the test is very hard to pass your first time but the instructor was really lenient. He said if I'm anything like his mom, I'll just find a parking garage instead of parallel parking! Mi God i gutpela tru! Blessings to you all!

An Afterthought

I forgot to say that the name of the movie is Changed, not Flight, although you can obviously watch that one too! Enjoy!

NTM - planting tribal churches : Video - NTM.ORG / VIDEO

This movie is from New Tribe Mission's website and is what inspired me to check into the Interface program. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I have!
NTM - planting tribal churches : Video - NTM.ORG / VIDEO

My Prayer Cards

Well, My prayer cards came in the mail today from New Tribes Mission. I am so excited as this is just one other reminder that God will get me to PNG if it is His will regardless of funds or other obstacles. If any of you want a prayer card, just email me at pngbound9@aol.com and I will try to get a card to you. I'm going to begin working on a bi-monthly newsletter about my progress and will probably start sending that out in January. Things are looking so promising! I love hearing from you all. And I have 200 prayer cards to give out so please don't feel shy about asking for one ( or more!). Thanks for your interest in my quest to PNG. I appreciate you all so much. Blessings!

Flying High!

Just thought I'd share a picture of me on Labor Day that Katy took of me jumping on our trampoline. This photo captures how I feel about PNG some of the time. The Lord keeps sending money to me. A pen pal of mine sent $30 recently and told me she is praying for me. How awesome is our God! When I least expect it, the Lord encourages me in some way! It is so weird how I am undecided about my near future. I have always been a girl that knows what I want and take steps to get it. I have wanted to be a missionary nurse to Papua New Guinea for a long time. I had not realized until I started thinking about missions trips and college how many options there are. I am not sure if I should stay for Internship after Interface or go home. I am applying to a community college that starts in August and if I stay for Internship, I will get back not even a week before school starts. Also, some missionary friends of ours are coming home for a few months this next summer and I want to see them. So many DECISIONS!!!!! But the Lord knows what is best for me and is taking care of me. I recently saw a picture with this quote: " Sometimes the Lord calms the storm around His child, but sometimes He just calms the child"! I think that is what He does for me.

Please pray for me:

*That I will continue to seek God's will concerning Interface and Internship

*That I will not worry about my future because God knows!

*I am still praising God for continued provision for my monetary needs. God is great!

Thanks so much for taking an interest in my life. I really appreciate your prayers!

PS. I am taking my driver's test on Thursday and am SO nervous! I'll keep you updated of how I do!

He Cares for me!

Why do I feel discouraged sometimes! God know my every need and takes care of it in His time. Yesterday was Sunday. I was not feeling discouraged at all but God still chose to bless me in an amazingly awesome way! An individual handed me an envelope with my name on it before Sunday School opening. I didn't have a chance to open it then. After church, another individual pressed a wad of bills in my hand and told me this was their tithe! I didn't see how much that amount was either. So, about 5 hours later, I got to open up the envelope and look at the bills. The amount of money totaled $550! Is God amazing or what? I think my total support is up about $4,300, and I still have almost a year until the trip! Mi God i gutpela tru! Two different people this past week have asked me if I will stay on in PNG after Interface for a 2 week medical internship. I'm still undecided at this point. Yesterday encouraged me so much, though. God is great!
Please pray:

*That God will show me whether to stay on for Internship or go home

* That I will not doubt God's ability to provide my every need

* That, when I get discouraged, I will remember all that God has done for me

Thanks so much for taking an interest in my quest to PNG. I really appreciate it!

Conflict!!!!

You probably are wary about the title of this post. Don't worry-- it's not what it sounds like!!!! I just want everyone's opinion on our horse's name. Do you like Jesse or Strider? Mom and I and all my coworkers like Jesse but Jenny and Danny like Strider. What do you think? Please post your opinion. Thanks!

Jesse our Horse!!!!

Well, here he is! Our adorable new horse, Jesse Jay Case! Jesse is the best horse in the entire world!!! He is so loveable( although he is a bit of a pig!) Jesse is a 12 year old quarter horse gelding with a blondish mane and a beautiful tail! There he is in the top picture eating grass in his 4 acre pasture. The next picture is me and my horse. We all are part owners in him. The bottom picture is all us owners: Me, Danny, and Jenny. Katy doesn't own him but she'll still be able to ride him. I thank the Lord for sending Jesse into our lives. He is a perfect horse for us!!!! Thank You, Lord!

I love my job!

My job at Lantzs is going exceptionally well. I am on my feet for 8 hours straight but it'll be worth it when I get my first paycheck! The Lord is so amazing about sending little things into my life to encourage me. Here's something that happened today: I was getting ready for church and wanted to listen to some music. I almost turned on a favorite tape but instead turned on the radio to my favorite station. All the sudden, my absolute favorite hymn came on: "His Eye is on the Sparrow"! The ironic thing is that I had just been humming that song minutes before! I don't know why that little incident so encouraged me but it did. It put a smile on my lips all through church. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

The New Look

So.... how do you all like my new look? Thanks to Katy, I have a beautiful blog. I appreciate her very much. I start my new job at Lantzs tomorrow. I'm so nervous! Please pray that I will be a good worker and not be too overwhelmed. Thanks alot!

The New Look

Under Construction!!!!!!!

I, Katy, am taking over abby's blog to custumize it for awhile so if things look a little weird don't worry :)
Later :)

A Plateau of Sorts

Well, now that I've gotten accepted to Interface, I've reached a plateau of sorts. It doesn't seem that anything important is happening. Funds are starting to slow down for now, I'm not really in contact with anyone from NTM and the trip is almost a year away! But the Lord is as amazing as ever. I'm not complaining because I know that the Lord is moving in awesome ways. I just want to GO!! I guess I have ants in my pants as the expression goes:)
Please Pray:

* That I will be patient and continue to trust the Lord for my needs and wants

* That I will be in prayer about my future as a missionary nurse

Thanks so much! I appreciate your prayers. God Bless!

Darien Lake

We had a full day at Darien Lake theme park Tuesday! Us Cases, Jacquie, and JD had a blast! The top picutures are Katy and Jacquie on a ride, and all of us eating a gummy snake. The bottom pictures are us eating dinner, and us kids after a LONG day! Katy, Jacquie and I got really sunburned. The picture was taken around midnight! I love Darien Lake and we saw lots of cool things and went on amazingly fun rides!

I'm officially accepted!!!!!

Well, it's official-- I am now considered part of the Interface 2009 team to PNG! I'm so excited! All I need to do now is send in a scan of my passport and I'm good to go. God is so amazing. Please keep praying for the following things:

* That I will keep my focus on the Lord

* That I will trust and obey His leading

* That the Lord will keep providing for my trip

Thanks so much for praying. I really appreciate it!

My Facebook Badge

Don't ask why I posted this on my blog because I have no idea:) I just got an account on facebook. It allows me to talk to people that I know but don't hang out with. I've also joined a NTM short term missions group. Maybe I'll be able to talk to people who are going. Which reminds me: I sent in my application to NTM. I'll have to see what the Lord does with it.

Almost Made My Decision!

Ok, after much deliberation and prayer, I've almost come to a decision. I'm really leaning towards Interface. Just because I would be able to do intensive language study and learn alot about tribal missions from the classroom and from hands on experience. It's also 2 or 3 weeks longer for just a little bit more than TETM. Maybe I will go with TETM sometime later. But right now, I think the Lord is leading me to Interface. Some missionary friends of mine just gave me some great advice: They told me to use the "Red Light, Green Light" method. "Lord, as long as You give me a green light, I'll head in this direction. If You make it yellow, I'll slow down. If You give me red, I'll know You have something else for me." I think that's kind of what I've been doing all along. For ever so long, I've been praying, "Lord, is it Your will for me to go to PNG with TETM in 2009?" God does answer our prayers!

Here are some prayer requests:

*I'm sending out my application to New Tribes today. Please pray that God will continue to guide and direct me as to which direction to take.

* This Interface trip is a bit more expensive than TETM's trip. While I am only about $1, 500 short, I'm not worried because God has been amazing about providing me with money for 2 years. But, I'm human and I get worried. Please pray that I will totally trust in the Lord for all my needs.

*Please pray that I won't lose my focus on Jesus.

Thanks for everyone who prays for me. God bless!

Out of my Comfort Zone!

Recently, my siblings and I went camping. Not with tents or sleeping bags; real camping. We had one blanket a piece, a sweatshirt to stay warm, and our duffel bags for pillows. As you can tell from the pictures, I am SO not a camping type of girl! The top picture is of our camp. I will admit, it was a pretty good shelter. The next picture is of me and Jen putting up the bathroom. It turned out really nice. The next picture is of us four kids posing by a log we all helped chop in half. We didn't actually use it for firewood, we just wanted to chop it up to say we did. And, the last picture just proves my point that I am not a camping girl. It was taken at around 5:30AM so give me the benefit of the doubt! (Did I mention I'm not a morning person either?) We all had a good time and the trip made me see that I can survive less than desirable conditions. Not that I like it. PNG will be a much bigger challenge than this trip, so I would like you to be praying that I will be able to get in shape before the trip, and not gripe about the conditions. Thanks!

Changed

I've been thinking about alot of stuff concerning missions lately. I came across a movie from New Tribes Mission called "Changed". It really made me think. It's about a guy who went to NTM's Interface program and was totally changed. He said something that made me think: "It's not about what I want to be, it's about what I'm willing to become". That really struck a cord with me. Anyway... about Interface. It's a 6 week program in the highlands of PNG. It immerses you into tribal missions in the midst of tribes in PNG. In the mornings, classes are done focusing on evangelism and other things. Afternoons are spent in the local village practicing language and other stuff. So, it sounds really cool. I''m praying seriously about going with NTM instead of TETM this next year. It costs about the same.
Prayer Requests:
*Please pray that I will know what to do, in what direction to move, and what steps to take in reaching my goal.

*Please pray that I will keep trusting the Lord with my life. If it starts getting down to crunch time, I so often lose my focus. I don't want that to happen with this trip.

Thanks for praying for me. May the Lord be glorified through my life!

Specific Prayer Requests

Well, I guess it's about time to post a new post. I have really been thinking about my future as a fulltime missionary nurse. The Lord has really been showing me that my heart's desire is to be a foreign missionary.... not necessarily to get a Bachelor's in nursing before I get to the field.
I'm really confused about my future right now. I'm fast approaching graduation from high school and don't really know what I'm gonna do after that. I know what I want to do, I'm just not sure if my plans line up with God's plans for me.*sigh*
The PNG trip is looking more and more real all the time. God keeps providing the funds. It's cool 'cause I haven't asked for a cent ( except to the Lord). Now, I'm asking that whoever reads this prayer for the following things concerning my PNG trip:

*The most pressing thing is that I will remain totally focused on Christ. That if or when things start getting down to crunch time, I will remember all the times God has been so faithful to provide for this trip.


*If another female student doesn't go on this trip, I will not be able to go. I really feel that the Lord has His hands on this trip, so I'm not that worried about this request....yet.

*The funds keep rolling in for this trip. Praise God!!!! (That's not a request but a praise).

A cool quote from Jim Elliot

I came across this quote in my literature book and just had to write it on here. It describes my heart's desire. The quote came Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot. Here it is:
"You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems. I'll tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study, hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever. I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man. When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowedge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me here. Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment condemned to worse fates then these demonfearing Indians, because having a Bible, they were bored with it- while these never heard of such a thing as writing."
Wow! What a statement! The man who said this was martyred along with four other men in Ecuador. He sacrificed his life for the sake of the Gospel. I wonder, am I willing to give my "precious" life for Jesus Christ?
I want to go to the unreached peoples of the world. I want to introduce them to my Lord. Romans 15:20-21 describes my desire. It says "And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man't foundation, but as it is written: To whom He was not announced they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand." So many people die every day without ever hearing the saving name of Jesus. In America, we use His name as a cuss word. Sometimes, I feel almost guilty to live in the USA where I have total access to God's Word. Why wasn't I born in the remote jungles of the Congo or on a mountaintop village in Papua New Guinea where there is no knowledge of Jesus? It boggles my mind sometimes. I am so thankful for my salvation. I can hardly wait to look some native in the eye and tell them in their language about my Jesus. What a glorious day that will be!

Well, this is me and my best friend Gretchen. I suppose I should tell a little bit about myself and the main purpose for this blog. When I was little,like 5 or 6, I wanted to be a ballerina. When I found out I would never be able to do that, I turned my career interest towards being a missionary nurse. Ever since then, whenever I'd hear about other countries, my ears always perked up. In October 2002, a missionary family came to my church from Papua New Guinea. They have 4 boys whom I got to know really well. They told me to come to PNG and they would translate for me and we'd have a really good time. I was only 10 at the time so I thought that sounded like alot of fun. About a month after they left, on November 7, I got saved. Since then, I started focusing mainly on getting to PNG. People teased me that it was just for those boys, but it wasn't and God knew that. In 2005, I asked a couple from my church to get in contact with this family about getting me language materials for the trade language in PNG, tok pisin. THey were very happy to send me a little travel dictionary and over the next 2 years sent me a bigger dictionary, a newspaper and pidgin, and various language materials. I also got a Pidgin Bible which is one of the best presents I've ever received up to this point. In 2006, the missionary family came to our house again. God "called" our family to the missionfield. We thought we were going to PNG or Mexico, but God's ways are not are ways:) We started teaching some Mexicans down the road english via the Gospel. So that is our "mission field" for the time being. Anyway, a couple from my church started supporting me a little bit of money each month for what I call a "PNG Fund". I am now up to a little over $3,000 in support. I'm looking to go on a trip to PNG in 2009 with To Every Tribe Ministries. I've been seeking the Lord's will for a long time concerning this trip. If He wills, I will be going. So many people have supported me by giving money and by praying for me. I have such a wonderful church family. Please continue to pray for me. I will try to keep this updated!

Abigail

New Blog

Hey!
My name is Abigail Margaret. I am 16 years old. This blog is dedicated to my steps towards a missions trip to Papua New Guinea in February 2009. The Lord has been so faithful in providing for me in tons of ways. I will try to keep this updated.