2011, already?!

Looking back, I realize that I have not updated since September.

A lot has been happening.

Since I got back home, my Pastor has had me going to Spur groups (a small group every other week after Church), I have been working at Tim Hortons, I have been taking online classes, and generally raising support. It has been a lot, but God is good and got me through!

Spur groups were awesome, come on, free food. I got to meet a lot of people, and I got some good experience on sharing my vision, and speaking in front of people. It was really hard at times, but again, I feel I learned a lot!

Tim Hortons has been great, crazy and fun at all times! I have run into tons of situations where I have had to have a lot of patience, and joyously serving people even when I didn't want to.

Online classes have been interesting. Harder than I originally thought, not being able to talk to the teachers or other students in person. You have to be highly motivated in order to get everything that needs to be done. One good thing that can be said is that you can finish classes whenever you like, not having a set schedule. Unfortunately, time can slip by faster than you think!

On top of Spur groups, God has blessed me with all kinds of different opportunities to tell people about what God is doing in my life. I am amazed to see who has supported me, and to see how much I have raised in the, truthfully, short amount of time. I never knew what to expect when I started this new journey in my life. But I always knew God would do what was best.

Which leads me to my next topic. Originally I had planned on going to Brazil this coming 14th of the month. However, God has had bigger plans, better ones than I could have expected, and I know that He is still in charge, which is just the way I want it!

I have been doing a lot support raising, letting people know what God is leading me to, but I don't think I did enough praying. I think that there is a lot that God will be teaching me these next coming months, and I am honestly excited!

I don't know when I will be going to Brazil, it really depends on support, and ultimately God's timing!

I promise to be updating more, and letting everyone know what is going on in my life, and how God has been working! So if you have ever wanted to support a missionary, now is a great time!

https://home.wol.org/giving/giveto/Hoagie+Hoagland+(0L0822)

God bless!

-andrew

Brazil: January: Support Raising update

Time to update. Now that I have, realistically, more time. I find less and less of it is used productively. However, I want to take the moment and write a brief update.

Wednesday night, 9/1, I had the chance to bring my missions trip to the Cornerstone Fellowship congregation, at a special Wednesday night Bible study.

I was nervous, I didn't bring some of the necessary paperwork, we had a hard time figuring out the projector and my laptop, and I didn't get a chance to brush my teeth. Oh well, regardless, the people that I got to talk to at the end seemed to think that I did well. Not that I don't trust them, I just know myself!

If you are interested about having me come to your church, I am interested! I need to raise more awareness! Let me know, and we can work out a good time.

If you are personally interested in supporting me, let me know and I can send you a slip via e-mail and get things underway!

Also, I am in need of FORTY prayer partners. Word Of Life realizes the need to have prayer backing up ALL of their missionaries. Prayer is more important than finances most of the time!

So if you would like to commit to pray for me, or support me financially, let me know!

my e-mail is :

andrew.hoagland@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Next Step

After two years, the thought of leaving the life that I started here, behind, is intimidating. But I know that the Lord has more planned for me, and I am excited!

Summer camp ended on Saturday, the 21st, and we graduated (At Word Of Life you graduate both first AND second year) and everyone went home.

A group of about 20 of us stayed behind though. We are now known as Missionary Interns. Our Official term is I/M IDP (International Ministry Internship Discipleship Program), but we wanted to stay away from acronyms. So we are now known as Missionary Interns.

We have been spending the time learning how to raise support, right and wrong ways to approach people, and getting all set up with Liberty University Online. It has been tough, having come RIGHT out of summer camp, but it is also really fun!

I will be leaving for home tomorrow morning, and will spend the next four months studying, raising support, studying Portuguese with Rosetta Stone, working, and getting involved with my church.

The next couple months will be intense, long, and potentially draining, but God has promised to be with me! (Psalms 37.5)

If you are interested in more information, let me know. I will be getting more out there, but let me know if you want anymore information!

A Year in Review

It started with a bunch of goons,

In one Dorm,

What could possibly go wrong?

Well two holes in the wall, many fights, broken dreams, crushed spirits, trying times, joyful occasions, and a formed brotherhood later, we can all reflect on the past year.

There it is, one year in quick photographic review. Word Of Life Bible Institute says that it is "One Year that will change your life." Well after TWO years, I can agree that there is nothing that would have prepared me like WOLBI. It may have been intense, hard, exciting, trying, amazing, discouraging, and difficult. But there is nothing I would have rather done then spent two years in the Word of God.

And now I am off to Brazil!

God is good!

Sumer Update

I know that I had said before that I was going to do weekly updates, but that has proved to be impractical. So I am just going to update this when i have a chance, which admittedly is not that often. But I will do my best.

This summer so far has been intense, and amazing, stretching, and encouraging. It has been difficult, unbelievable, demanding, and ridiculous. But the whole time, I allowed God to work. I was weak, so God may be strong. 2 Corinthians 12.9-10

I was a counselor last summer, but I really believe that God has a lot for me to learn. I was reading in "My Utmost For His Highest" on July 11, and the part that really hit me was where Chambers said, "The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and He will bring us back to the same point over and over again until we do." I had to read the whole devotion multiple times, and it was only on the second read through that I got that part. But it is so true, and I really believe that is what God is doing in my life this summer.

At the beginning of each day, and we have EARLY morning, I always try to recommit my life to Christ. I tell God, "No longer am I living for myself, but I am living for You! Help me to keep my focus on You, and not myself! Help this summer to be ALL about YOU!" And you know what? God has used that!

This summer already I have had huge ministry opportunities! The first week of the summer I had campers that I had last year. It was a great way to start the summer, and I was able to really get past a lot of the walls that I couldn't before! I find that I am a lot more abrasive with my ministry techniques. Not in a bad way, but no longer do I hold back, I let my campers have it, I rip the walls down, get to the heart of the matter, won't stand when they lie to me, and I am good at telling when that happens! But all the way I love!

I am not a father yet, but I have a lot of the pressures that fathers have. I have had campers that had fathers in jail, that have died, that don't care about their kids, that abuse their sons, that ignore their needs. Then they come to camp, not knowing what love is, and it is my job to show them. It is a LOT of pressure, they are ALWAYS watching, but it is sobering, and helps me stay focused! This summer is NOT about me, it is about God, and what God can do through me!

Prayer is so powerful, and it is a NECESSITY, a HUGE tool, but a very much untapped one! I will admit, I do not pray as much as I should, my Quiet Time wans at times, but my focus is set. Set one the eyes of Christ and what He did for me on the cross. But I always pray when I get the chance, and I hope that you will pray for me as well! I need it, we, as a camp (The Island), need it, and we as a body of believers need to step up our game and start praying more!

I am still going to be going to Brazil in January, God willing, and I still need support for that. I will be there for a total of two years, and will be living off of support that I get from willing people allowing the Holy Spirit to work through them. I pray that you would all consider what you can help me with!

And again, I ask for prayers, there is warfare going on out here, most choose to ignore it, some don't see it, but I am in the front lines, as a counselor, me, and the other counselors, face it daily. We are a united front, so please pray for us!

Island 2010

Here I am again, another summer of counseling. But even if I have gone through this before, and even if I have counseled hundreds of other kids, this summer is going to be different. No longer will it be for me, it will be all for Christ.

And that is a challenge.

Prayer would be good, not just for me, but for all of us counselors.

Counseling on the Island is the hardest thing that you can think of for ministry. But it is also the most rewarding. Kids come from all over, the city streets, smoking and drinking, from farms, dancing and partying, from pastors families, going through the motions and pretending. But they all leave with one thing. Knowing the love of Christ. No matter what your back ground is, you can find rest in Him.

And as a counselor, I will be dealing with all those different kids, different backgrounds, different situations at home, but my number one job is to love the Lord my God with all my strength, heart, mind and soul. It is ONLY then that I can do ANYTHING for God. I can be the "best" counselor and hate God, and accomplish nothing eternally; or I can be a "bad" counselor but love God and have miracles happen! Not that you have to be a "bad" counselor to get stuff done for God, but to put it into perspective.

This past two weeks we have gone through training courses, (first aid, counselor behavior, expectations) working on the Island as a unit (a group of guys or girls that through the summer will all counsel together) getting the camp ready for June 26th, and running through the rallies that we will be doing this summer.

It is a great time, but it is also really tiring. I am tired even now, and we don't officially start until tomorrow, when the campers first arrive!

It can be a really hard time, but if you trust God and really allow Him to work in your life, then He will do great things!

This summer is also really good, because my brothers have joined me on the Island, one is a boat boy, he past the test! And the other one will be working in the kitchen as food prep. Adele is also here in New York, but at the Ranch working as a Wrangler (working with horses). Pray for my parents, they are probably pretty lonely at home!

Until my next day off!

IM IDP

Hey! I know that it that it has been a long time since my last update, and it will be a while before my next one, but I wanted to let any who follow this to know what is going on in my life!

Last time I updated I was struggling between what God had planned for me, and whether that was going to Korea or Brazil. Well, the answer is here now, and God is directed my foot steps to BRAZIL!

It wasn't that Korea was a bad place, or that I shouldn't have gone there, it is just that God has plans for me to go to Brazil, and that is the most exciting place I can be!

the next step now is to make it through summer camp. I will be involved in that until August 22nd (more to come on summer camp). I will graduate from second year on the 22nd, and that night we will have some training until the 25th. We will also start Liberty Online classes the 23rd, and then head home on the 25th to start getting really active in raising support, working, and taking online classes.

It will be a stretching, but growing experience! I am really looking forward to it!

In January I will head back here to New York for a week of training, and then there will be a missions conference, where my fellow missionaries in training and I, will be commissioned, in front of all of the students, faculty, and missionaries, and then sent out!

I will be in Brazil from January 2011 till December 2012. It is a long time, but also a life time opportunity, not just for me, but also for all those that I will be able to reach with the Gospel of Christ, which is all that truly matters!