Obsession with Elephants:

 What Is it about me and elephants?

     Okay, so lately i've been obsessed with elephants! Everything I gravitate to has something to do with elephants.

I have clothing that have elephants on them, even an iphone case with an elephant on it :) I promise  if I had my own home, i'd probably have a whole room dedicated to these beautiful creatures.

I keep asking myself about why I love elephants so much. Could it be their peaceful nature? or maybe it could be their big heart? 

 I just love everything about elephants. They are huge, yet gentle. It fascinates me to watch elephants as they walk! they weigh so much,yet every step they take is so silent. 

Elephants see their world through their trunks. They smell, touch, carry things with their trunk. 

Not to mention their huge ears! not only do their ears enable them to hear, but it also provides shade from the blazing sun! 

How can we not find beauty in this these gentle giants? :)

  It's one of my dreams to be able to  be in an elephants natural habitat. Safari? oh my word I would go in a heart beat if I could! I'd love to be able to ride one! 

My journey to Indiana Bible College

My journey to Indiana Bible College:

I graduated from Gahr High School in 2010. Immediately after I graduated from high school I went on to pursue college education. Now that I had a free range on what I wanted to do with my life, there were just so many options! how I'd wish there was one direction I could go. But, life isn't that way there are alway options. I knew I loved everything connected with music. Singing and writing songs and playing the guitar and other instruments is what I loved to do. But, of course there was a career life on my mind. So I continued  with the pursuit to finding my place in the career world. First I wanted to pursue Dental assisting, but with my weak stomach I just couldn't bear the thought of saliva and all those kinds of body fluids. Yeah I am kind of a wimp when it comes to that. So the medical field wasn't really my thing. Anyway, I started to get frustrated with trying to find my grip on what I wanted to do with my life.
  Therefore, I decided to do my general education classes and figure out what I wanted to do on the way. While doing that, I found interest in history. Lost civilization kind of stuff. I found fascination in the past and the culture that was behind it. Maybe becoming a history or archaeology teacher is what i'm supposed to do? I enjoyed it! So, I studied:Archaeology, Mayan and Aztec and Inca history. Oh my word I can talk about that subject forever! But, I didn't quite feel like I could pursue that route because there wasn't a peace about it. I would have to go into foreign territories and be away for so long. There was only so much I could do before coming to a brick wall. So, I decided to look into massage therapy. I simply enjoy massaging. why not do it for a living? I looked up trade schools that offered massage therapy classes. even visited a couple. studied a few massage techniques and found interest in massaging. But, of course financial needs needed to be in mind also. So, my mom and I decided that i'd wait it out and pray about it and just decide on something when I got back from my mission trip.
QUICK FLASHBACK:My  whole life i've been surrounded with mission minded people. I know this is kind of off topic, but i'm gonna take a second to talk about the influences that i've had in my life. I promise this all is valid in my journey to where I am at now! 

My grandparents are missionaries to Davao City in the Philippines and are currently still doing mission work there 

 There names are John and Nori Cogan. They're actually the longest missionaries to the Philippines in the UPCI organization. I am very proud of them! They have taught me the importance of loving people beyond your comfort zone. 

 * Mark 16:15 (KJV) says "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

This verse was instilled in my heart all my life. 

My parents answered the call of God to start churches when i was about 2 in a half years old and my brother had just been born. We were living in Alaska at the time when this was all going on. I'll talk more about how we got to Alaska in another blog. Anyway, my parents got the call from headquarters that there was a need for a missionary on the island of Maui Hawaii. This was when Hawaii was still considered part of the foreign mission field. So, my dad and mom prayed about it and felt this was what God wanted. We were leaving one of the coldest places in America to a place considered "Paradise" :) 

Yeah Yeah Yeah! you're probably thinking "must be nice!" hahahah from Alaska to Hawaii. *sarcastic* hard change right? hahaha. But it's not easy starting a church from nothing. So, this was a start of an experience of a lifetime. I was still a little girl, so i didn't quite understand how hard it would be picking up and leaving. Before I knew it we were on a flight from Alaska to Maui Hawaii :) 

We got there and started the process of building a church from scratch on an island in the Pacific we had no clue about. We started the church in the city of Kihei Maui and were there for 2 years 

MAUI United Pentecostal Church:

  My uncle came and took over the church, because there was a need for a pastor on Honolulu Hawaii. So, we moved to the Island of Honolulu. Began pastoring a church called "Waipahu United Pentecostal church" we then were there for 12 years of my life. So, I basically grew up on Honolulu.

Waipahu United Pentecostal Church:

 My family and I were there for 12 years, then God called my dad to start a church in the city of Long Beach California. You have no clue how hard it was to leave Hawaii. not because of the scenery and the "paradise" that it was. It was hard leaving because this was my life, my friends and church family, this is was all I knew. I was leaving to start over again. I had no connections in California. But, I had to understand that when God calls, you have to go. I was angry and hurt at the time, but I had to let go and follow the will of God. We had to sell mostly all our possessions before we left for California. All we had going to California was three suit cases and one box of what we had. Crazy huh? hahaha but we did it. I'll talk about my move to California in a different blog. 

I have to get back on my journey to Indiana Bible College :P

so now you kind of see where my heart for Home Mission and Foreign missions grew from.

I'm only going to write a little bit of my mission trip to Spain/Portugal, but I promise i'll make a separate blog about that life changing trip. So, the time came when my mission trip would finally come along. I packed one suitcase full of clothes and the essentials that I needed, and went on my adventure to Spain/ Portugal. God did amazing things there! I learned so much about God's call,from that trip.

          After flying back from my mission trip, I went straight to Tulsa, Oklahoma to be with some of my family. I spent about 2 months in Oklahoma. My parents and I had decided that I had a better chance of getting a job in Oklahoma, considering job availability in California weren't doing too well. So, I had in mind that I would work and save up to go to Indiana Bible College. I had a few hook ups with jobs. I actually got hired at a optometry office, but I wasn't supposed to start till I got back from Youth Congress 2011.

      Let me first give you a little idea of what youth congress is. In the United Pentecostal Church, we have a youth gathering that allows young people from all over the country to come and gather together. It happens every two years and usually goes on for three days. There are different amazing speakers and amazing music.

       Anyway, my friend and I planned a road trip to attend Youth Congress. We made our way up to Columbus Ohio where Youth Congress was being held that year. I can remember how everything happened just like it was yesterday. We got to the convention center and got our seats. There was a few minutes before church would start. So, I decided to walk around the convention center for a while and maybe see some old friends. While I was walking around, I saw the Indiana BIble College booth. Usually at these conventions, there would be booths that represented different colleges and different Pentecostal clothing lines, and book stores. 

       I made my way to the Indiana BIble College booth. To be honest, I was kind of intimidated to go up to the booth. I really didn't know what to expect. But, I decided I was gonna head over there for a little bit and see what kind of stuff they had to offer. I looked around at the things they were advertising. They had things for sale like: CD's and DVD's, T-shirts that had IBC on them, magazines and other things. While I was looking around, someone from the booth came up to me and said "Do you plan on coming in the Fall?" and I said "I was planning on coming someday." He then continued to talk about the different programs that IBC offered and kept trying to convince me to go that Fall. But, I knew that financially I wasn't ready. So, he convinced me to fill out a little card they had, and said that they would send more information on events and programs that IBC had coming up. I filled out the card and went on my way. 

     After the three days of Youth Congress was over, everyone was packing and getting ready to head separate ways. We then decided "Why not stop by IBC?" we had to pass through Indiana anyway. My friend and I were so excited that we were actually going to see Indiana BIble College! we could hardly wait! (I even wore a IBC shirt that day) you could totally tell I was ready hahaha

Our First time at IBC:

     We got there and were just amazed that we were actually at Indiana Bible College. It was the training ground of some of our favorite preachers,singers and musicians! of course we'd be excited! 

So after that experience, we decided why not stay over for a night and go to church at Calvary United Pentecostal Church that Sunday? 

      We got a hold of some close friends and stayed the night with them. That Sunday morning we got ready for church and made our way to church. The church was massive, I've honestly never been to a church that big in my life! After an amazing service at Calvary, we went out to eat with some of the Marshall and Gallion family. I had no clue, but brother and sister Gallion were the campus pastors at Indiana Bible College! (God definately was at work) 

Some of the Marshall family: 

     At the restaurant we fellowshipped  with the Gallions and Marshalls. We had many conversations of past experiences. The Marshall family were missionaries in the Philippines with my grandparents, so we had a strong connection. We then kept on talking and kept having a great time. Then brother Gallion says "you girls plannin on going to IBC?" I then turned to my friend and smiled and I said "Well maybe someday." Brother Gallion then says "So, whats stopping you?" I thought to myself, well lots of things like finances. I explained to him what was stopping me.Then he started talking about the will of God and about all the testimonies of God's provision for other students. I then thought to myself maybe it is possible, but I was kind of stuck in my own thought. But, I continued to listen. He then says "have you filled out a application for IBC?" and I said "No I havent, but I know we have one in the truck." I then go to the truck and start filling the application out. I hand the application to brother Gallion, and he says "I want you to pray about this, I know God has a plan. I'll give you a call sometime this week." So, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Oklahoma.

     On our drive back to Oklahoma, the words that brother Gallion had said kept repeating in my mind,"God will provide." Anyway, We got back to Oklahoma and I continued doing what I was doing before I left. During that week I got a phone call from brother Gallion. He told me that I qualified for a scholarship! I was in astonishment because everything was just happening so fast! I honestly didn't think that it would be possible for me to attend Indiana Bible College this quickly!  But, God kept on making a way through all my doubt. I was in tears of joy at this point! God constantly kept showing me He had it all in control.

   I called my parents and shared with them what had just happened. My parents were full of joy and thankfulness that The Lord was doing a work in my life! 

   So, by the next week I was packing up my one suitcase and one little refrigerator into my car. Going in faith that The Lord had me in His hands all along! This was the beginning of a chapter in my life that I've only dreamed about, and it all became a reality, because The Lord saw a desire :) 

I am currently going into my Junior year at Indiana Bible College as a music major. It's crazy to know that i'm going into my third year already. It seems like just yesterday that I was beginning my journey here.

     I have learned so much in all these years, not just musically. But, my relationship with God has grown so much. I have had the priviledge of being apart of so many different areas of ministry with IBC. To the staff of IBC,I cannot even magnify how much they impact our lives everyday. We are learning from the best of the best! Everyone at IBC is different in their own way,Yet we're all striving for the same thing.  Working for the Kingdom of God! We are definately family! am so Blessed to be apart of Indiana Bible College!

Proverbs 3:5-6 says " Trust in The Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." 

No matter what it is you need in your life. God knows the things in store. Just trust in Him! He has you in the palm of His hand :) 

New at this!

Ok! so i've always wanted to start a blog, but never really got to it till now!

My boyfriend actually encouraged me to pursue this writing experience. I am extremely blessed to know I have someone who supports me in everything that I do. 

I have so many experiences in my life that I want to write about in this blog. Why not share it? :) 

I'm still trying to figure this whole blog thing out, so please be patient with me. I may go on and on about my life. But, I can truly say that every experience has made me who I am today. I hope you enjoy my life's journey as I write about it on the way!