Pendel Brass- St Thomas and St Croix missions trip!

Well let me tell you how wonderful God is! He's amazing! When we first arrived in St Thomas the first thing you notice is the beauty. God is truely a wonderful artist and has such an eye for beauty. God is truly amazing! I love him forever and a day!
After arriving we're all so hot and sweaty so first thing we headed to the pool! The hotel we stayed in was amazing and the people were so kind! Friday night we sang in the hotel. Erin, Ashley and I sang our trio "Right Now" and the people liked us so much they called us the Dixie Chicks..haha :] It was all in good fun though. Saturday morning we had a concert in Emancipation Garden before heading off to march down Main Street. The concert was great and although there were not many people there the ones that were felt the prescene of God. Then after the concert we headed out for the march. Heading it off was of course the Army flags then the Comissioners Moretz and the Carlsons, the Craigs (STT Corps Officers) and Tom Bolt (Advisory Board Chairman in STT). The parade was great. Then Emma and I headed back to the hotel to go to the pool and work on our tan.
After that we went shopping and bought purses and matching rings...we had so much fun :]

Then Saturday night we played at a Civic Gala at the Frenchmen's Reef Mariott Hotel...(the most beautiful hotel i've ever or ever will see(n) in my life) After that we all went back to the hotel to swim for a bit then off to a good night sleep :] Sunday there was combined church services at the St Thomas Reformed Church (which was the first church to be on the island of St Thomas). Although it was hot and the space was little we praised Jesus and enjoyed a very loving mother's day message from Mrs. Comissioner Nancy Moretz. Must say I very much enjoyed hearing her speak. Then later that day we all headed off toi Magen's Bay for a picnic with the corps and I must say I got the cutest picture of Harold and Priscilla eating lunch.

Monday morning a select group of us got up early and headed to the second most beautiful beach in the world on St John...Trunk Bay. There we went snorkeling found the best shopping and enjoyed one last day off before going to St Croix.

Trunk Bay...

Emma, Erin and I on our way to St John...:]

Monday night we headed to St Croix...there's only one thing I can really say about St Croix...it's amazing there. Life hits you when you're there. There are hardly any white people there and you see how differently you're treated there. Wednesday night a group of the guys headed to Wendy's which was not to far from the YWAM ( youth with a mission) training center we were staying at. They wanted to order burgers and things but the man at the window said they were only serving chicken sandwiches. Then they served the people behind them (who were dark skinned) burgers, fries, frostie's and such. None were really upset by the fact but it just showed the bondage the people were under in St Croix. The corps officer there Capt Lynette Gallamore explained to us there were spiritual conflicts on the island. Such as witch craft and other marijuana related religions that held the people of St Croix in bondage. And everywhere you went you saw these people. The people and places on that island will forever be instilled in my heart. Capt Lynette Gallamore and two soldiers at the corps Nichole and Sheldon really became close with our group that week and I am super excited to see all three of them at Congress in two weeks.

Nichole, Sheldon and Capt Lynette Gallamore at the Blue Moon...:]

The sunset in Fredriksted, St Croix....God's beauty is amazing!


The thing I loved most about both islands were the sunsets...they were sooo amazing. I truely found God's presence everywhere. I fell more deeply in love with my creator because He showed me the beauty He created and told me that beauty is in me too :] God has forever instilled in my heart the lessons I learned through this trip and I will never forget them.

The sunset over St Thomas...:]

Love and Prayers,

Kathryn

Who am I?

Well the past few weeks i've realized i really don't know who I am. I don't know what I like what I prefer in things, what I like to do all that much. I just don't know...and it worries me a bit.

Tomorrow after school I will be leaving to head to philly and join the Pendel Brass to travel to the island of St Thomas. I'm hoping while on this trip I can really learn something about one person on this island and really get to know their heart. But then I began to think " how can I get to know someone elses heart when I don't even know my own?" I think that's they key to why my last relationship with a good friend didn't work out. He wanted to know so much about me...but I didn't really know myself. And fact is I still don't. So as much as i'm prayin on this trip that I get to know someone elses heart well, I am really praying God would reveal to me my heart. I feel like i'm very much alone on this but I guess there are other people struggling with this. At least I hope others do.

But then I was thinking what does it really mean to know your own heart? When you know what food you like and what your hobbies are and things like that, is that really knowing your heart? But to tell the truth I don't want to know those things..in fact i'm sure I know those but when asked what my truest desire is I have no idea. I don't know what my dreams are. I don't know what my hopes dreams or desires are anymore. Part of me feels like I should give up on ever having unrealistic dreams anymore because I know they won't come true...that's how many times my heart has been broken..that I don't even bother to dream anymore...I hate it. I asked God for a dream the other and prayed it would come from him and it was the most amazing dream I'd ever had. It wasn't about the guy I was going to marry...it was about my future daughter. I invisioned making her my entire life and never letting her go for one second. I dreamt we got christmas card pictures taken together every year and I dreamt singing to her.

I pray now that God would give me all my dreams and that He would truely let me begin to know my own heart, and His.
I pray if you're having the same problems that you would pray this too.

" Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart"
Psalm 37:4
Kathryn