DCLA Freedom!

I shipped Tori off to Los Angeles with 34 other teens and adults to attend a Christian Youth Conference known as DCLA. The group left last night at 6:00, and arrived in LA at 9:00 this morning, Pocatello time. This was a huge undertaking on our parts.

First, when Tori decided that she wanted to go in January, I was working part time at a tax prep company. Not enough money to pay the bills, much less find extra money to pay for a trip to LA. And then there was the spending money issue. I know, God has a very large wallet, and his budget is WAY bigger than mine. But, I am also a realist. I have spent 13 years being a single mom living below the poverty level. However, God has shown up before and blessed my girls financially for ministry opportunities.

Four years ago Sammee and Tori decided they wanted to go on tour with the Continentals. For those of you who haven't heard of the Continentals, it's a Christian singing/dancing group that tours the country. They have groups for ages 12-16, 17-21, an acting troupe, and a group for 25 and older. They tour the US and Europe. The only requirements were that you could sing and dance a bit. The catch? We had to raise over $3,000 each in only 4 months. And that did not include plane tickets or spending money. I was very discouraged, but the girls got rolling. Donations started pouring in from church family, relatives, friends. The girls sold popcorn at church (of course, from the Popcorn Shop), and we had a yard sale. Mom helped out, of course, mostly with airfare and spending money. God showed up, and they raised all the money they needed to. And the girls had an amazing experience! They even mentioned some of the kids who were there because Mom and Dad just wrote a check.

Where am I going with this? Nowhere, really. Just reminding myself that God shows up when you are doing what He tells you to do. Do I think that God told Sam and Tori to go on tour? Yes! Strange as it seems, Continentals was their version of a mission trip. You don't have to go somewhere and build a school for underprivileged children to be on a mission trip. You just have to show Jesus to people who might not know him.

Tori may not be on a mission trip this time, but I know God told her to go to DCLA. At this conference she will learn new things to help her bring her friends to Jesus. She already brings her friends to Youth Group and church. In fact, she dated a boy and he joined the Praise Band. I think God helped us get the money for DCLA to assist Tori in being a leader in youth group next year. As a senior, she has the leadership qualities to do an awful lot for the Kingdom.

Okay, I think I am done for now. As I get updates from Los Angeles, I will post the amazing stuff that happens to the kids from First Baptist Church Pocatello.