Finishing it off with a big 'BAMG'!!

Hi guys! The summer is almost up. We are finishing up the week here in Myrtle beach! Only one day left...but it has been a great week so far! I just wanted to tell you all that today was the day we taught about Jesus' death and such! Then we passed out decision slips...and there were 8 kids who made the decision to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior! And there was also a girl who made a rededication to Christ! So...even though me and the girls are ready to be home...we have had a great time!!! I think one of the coolest experiences though has to have been meeting Sasha! Sasha is an 18 year-old exchange student from Russia! And although her English still needs some work...we somehow managed to have a great time and many laughs!!! She has actually been teaching me some Russia this week too, which has been really cool...but I still need lots of work!! HAHA! :) We even exchanged information...so we will be able to e-mail and write to each other!! I have been blessed to know her!

I really have enjoyed my time here! And although I am ready to be back home, I have had a wonderful time here in Myrtle Beach!

It has been a Fantastic summer!!! Thank you all for praying for me and my team this summer! Please continue to pray for safety though...b/c we are not home yet!

I love you all!!! See you soon!

~Eleni~

WOW! Long time no blog! so this one is going to be pretty long! :)

Sorry guys! I know I haven't written in like forever!!! Many of the places that I have been staying haven't had Internet! Plus...I am one of those people who doesn't really writing much...b/c instead, I am out there doing it! :)

Anyways...I will try to catch you guys up on previous events! LOL!

So...the last thing you heard was that there were 4 kids that accepted the gift of salvation! Well...let me tell you more about the big chunk of the summer that you missed out on!

June 22-June 29

St. George

So...this week we stayed with Leslie and Doug Dixon and their beautiful and sweet daughter Anna! We had VBS at night...but in the mornings we got to sleep in! HOLLA!! I love my sleep and it was a much needed rest!! LOL...but this was also the week that my stomach was messed up and I didn't feel good!

Anyways...I taught music this week and it was so fun to see the kids having so much fun! We got to know some of the kids and they were really awesome! And best part is...2 girls got saved!!!!

June 29-July 3

Columbia (GO CAMP!!!)

This week we helped with Go Camp, which was stationed on the CIU campus! Go Camp has only been up and running for about 3 years...but what they do there is they have worship stuff and things like that but unlike some other camps, they go out into the local area and do mission work! The kids were split into teams for the week...there were 2 construction teams, 2 service evangelism teams, 2 kids teams and 2 teams working with nursing home people (I think!?). This week was one of my favorites...but some parts were just so-so. My favorite parts were getting to know the kids participating in Go Camp (they are all in like from middle school to high school ages) and getting to chill with the kids on the mission sites and tell them about Jesus! The only thing i really didn't like about this week was that we had 2 different sites that we had to do balloon animals, face painting and snowcones at, so we didn't get to really get a chance to build relationships with the kids! God totally spoke through me though which was awesome!

July 3-July 6

Off to Florence for a Mini Break (YAY!!!)

These few days we got the chance to go home for a mini break! I got to see my family and i got to see some of my friends and hang out with them before I had to leave again! And i got to spend some much needed quality time with my sister! We had fun and tie-dyed t-shirts! They looked super cool and my mom even got in on the fun! Then it was off to Elgin for me!

July 6-July 13

Elgin

I think this was one of my least favorite weeks of all in I had to pick one. And i only say that b/c they didn't prepare very much and we passed out flyers like the day of the back yard bible clubs and we didn't get to really make relationships with the kids b/c they got to come and go as they wanted b/c we were stationed near their houses! Anyways...we had 3 backyard bible clubs to do that week, 1 in the morning at 10am and 2 in the afternoon at 6pm. The mornings we had bible club at a boy named Michael's house! So some of the kids from the neighborhood came to that. We never had more than 10 in the morning. Well...then come to find out there are no kids home in one of the neighborhoods in the afternoon! All the kids were either grounded, sick or on vacation! So we me and tia ended up just going and helping out the girls at the other site which worked out sooo much better anyway!! We had a good crowd of about 12 or so, give or take, and we had a blast!

July 13-July 20

Hunting Island State Park (campground ministry!)

Ok...So this week we stayed at a missionary house on St. Helena Island! It was nice, except the last tenants were rats and they left us presents all over the kitchen! But no sweat...I cleaned it up and we had strict rules on the cleanliness of the dishes we ate on and stuff! LOL!

Anyways...This week was a pretty leisurely week for the girls and me! We only had the bible camp from 9:30-11:00 every morning! We had lots of kids most of the time! There was only one day that we were short on kids and that was the day we had 3 total! LOL! Anyways...we had fun hanging out with them! This week the girls and I really bonded and had some relax time! We even had a photoshoot! Also...this week we also learned in our group bible study that we need to give God the control and that we need to have faith and trust Him!!

Jeremiah 29:11 stuck with me this week! It says,"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

July 20-July 27

Lake City!

This week has been amazing!!! It has been one of my most favorite so far! It ties for first with my first week in Columbia! This week I have been in charge of music at our VBS every night! And in the morning we all do a back yard bible club with about 8 kids. And just this week we have had

*drumroll please*

4 KIDS ACCEPT CHRIST AND BE SAVED!!!! PRAISE GOD!!! 3 new sisters and a new brother in Christ...and hopefully more to come!!! Tuesday night's lesson was on Jesus' death, burial and resurrection a.k.a. the salvation story! So I felt lead during music class to take some time with the kids explaining in depth the price Jesus paid and told them more about what sin is and how we can be freed from it! God really spoke through me! I even used a really cool demonstration too and they really understood!! But I really love this church we are at now! They are so awesome! And their church is undergoing some changes that have some people taking drastic measures...but just pray for them that they can pull through! They sure don't show that they have been going through some hard times! Also...there is this lady named Teresa Smith and she is just one of the sweetest, funniest and most kind-hearted lady you will ever meet! And come to find out, her daughter and I know each other and we were in the high school musical play together at the Florence little theater, in my home town of Florence!! This week has definitely been a blessing! And me and the girls only just now got into our first little arguement tonight...LOL! I think that is good that we haven't had one til now! We really do get along really well though! Just pray for us that we can just make it this last week and a half with no problems! And just pray that we will remember that this may be our last week...but it is the kids' first week! B/C we are pretty ready to go back home...we are just missing everyone! But we will prevail!!! LOL! :)

Anyways...I hope I kinda filled you in on a the missing pieces!! Sorry it took so long to put up another post! More later!

Love yall! Thanks for reading!

Eleni a.k.a. "EJ"

YAY!!!

So...Just thought I would write and tell everyone that there have been 2 more kids to accept the gift of salvation!! So...that is 4 total kids that have been lead to Christ by the Kids Connection team! We have had 2 great weeks with the kids! It is so great to see them getting excited about Jesus and to just see them smile! The kids have been learning so much!

We had been staying with a wonderful older couple and they have been such a blessing to us all! Helen is the name of the older lady and she totally reminds me of my Greek, food pushing grandmother who's name is also Helen! LOL...but she has been a total doll! She woke up the other morning and made us apple, cinnamon pancakes and they were delish! But she is soooo cute! She is also a really creative lady and she has some of the coolest thing that she made displayed in her house! There is a really cool poem in the bathroom! LOL...but it is a really good poem! It is called "Do You Have the Time?" and goes a little like this:

Do You Have the Time?

I knelt to pray, but not for long,

I had too much to do.

I had to hurry and get to work,

For the bills were coming due.

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,

And jumped up off my knees.

My Christian duty was now done,

My soul could rest at ease.

All day long I had no time,

To spread a word of cheer,

No time to speak of Christ to friends,

They'd laugh at me I'd fear.

No time, no time, too much to do,

That was my constant cry.

No time to give to souls in need,

But at Last, the time to die.

I went before the Lord, I came,

I stood with downcast eyes.

For in His hands, God held a book,

It was the book of life.

God looked into the book and said,

"Your name I can not find.

I once was going to write it down,

But never found the time..."

I just love that poem! It really says a lot! You know if we don't start acting like Christians then how do we expect to get to heaven?? God deserves a lot more time than we (myself included) give him! So...today...just take a while and listen and talk to God! Take time from your busy day to just relax and enjoy what God gave you! Think of everything you have and give thanks to God for that!

Anyways...Keep praying for me and the girls as we minister to kids all over south carolina! We have just settled into our new house we are staying at! VBS also started tonight...but yeah! I will post more later!

Just remember....Give God thanks! And talk to Him, b/c you can't have a relationship with out talking to someone! And all God wants is a relationship! It isn't too much to ask for the large price he payed!