Amazing stories of prayers from back home!

Oh where to start? Well, I'll start with where I left off! Yesterday afternoon I received a call from my study abroad advisor back at UMSL. I explained to her the problems I'd been having, and also my concern about how this would affect my grades and gpa back home. She told me that they didn't advertise this to students prior to going abroad because they didn't want them to blow off classes, but they were very flexible in how grades transferred back home. They know other universities have different standards and they look more at how the students have done in their previous semesters to see how their grades should factor in. Basically, I just need to pass my classes here, and I'll be ok. As she was saying this, it all sort of started clicking in my head. The fact that somehow I got a schedule where I only have classes on Monday and Tuesdays, and that I don't need to devote as much time to them as I would back in the states, is more confirmation that God doesn't want me focusing on them.

Last night I went to a prayer meeting at Jubilee. I walked into the room and just had to smile, because it was set up the exact same way we set up prayer meetings back home, chairs and all! Anyway, we started with a time of worship, and the Spirit just FELL on us. Lots of pictures and words, and we all broke up and started praying for one another. As Jo, myself, and another lady were praying for this women, she was just slain in the Spirit! I haven't seen that since I was a little girl! I looked around and saw others too, amazing! The ladies that prayed for me were so encouraging too. One of the ladies kept praying phrases from Isaiah 61, which was God because there's no way she could've known those are the promises He's spoken to me! Afterwards, my phone rang, and it was parents calling! It was so good to talk to them!

Today I met with one of the college leaders, and she gave me some good pointers for where to get involved. I then met with the overseer of all the volunteering at Jubilee, and am going to try some things out next week. I told her my whole story: of how I'd always wanted to come here, my fiascos with UWC, etc. Before I left she prayed for me, and told me that she felt like God wanted to say to me "Well done", and He's proud of how I have handled this."I of course started to cry, as that was so what I needed to hear, and felt really relieved and encouraged.

The most amazing thing about today is that I've found out about 2 separate events of people praying for me. I was just talking to my sister Jo, and she told me she was awake at 3:30 her time, praying for God's comfort and peace for me...turns out that was the exact time I was meeting with this woman! Also my boyfriend Mitch met a man last week who was a believer and ended up telling him of my problems here. Last Tuesday at 2 am this guy, who doesn't even know me, woke up feeling like he needed to be praying for me--that was when I was meeting with the professor at UWC and was about reaching my lowest point. To know God had someone praying for me meant that was most likely why I was even able to get through that meeting! Amazing! And I know of how many people back home who have been praying, and I am convinved that has given me the strength at this beginning point, so thank you thank you THANK YOU. It's incredible to be in God's family!

Tonight we are having some students who are also international (Norwegian, Dutch, Germans, etc.) over for a Braii ( a South Africa BBQ that is very popular here). Tomorrow I am going to visit children in a very poor area of town with Jess Loizides, and will be going to the beach on Saturday I believe! I'm starting to stand out a little less with my paleness :)