Hey everyone, today I bring fresh news of where life is taking me. For Thanksgiving break, I got the most marvelous opportunity to fly to Delaware with John. It was truly a blessing to see where he grew up and meet his family in person. While we were away from Atlanta, we talked about how peaceful Delaware is and how we both slightly dreaded going back to the crazy hecticness that is Atlanta. We love it there, but it can be a little overwhelming 😅
A day or two before we were about to fly back, we received news that our current dorm building was found to be not up to fire code and thus all people living there were required to evacuate the building. The leadership at ASOM did find a new location to live at until Christmas break, but it would be even further from the city (about an hour away given there is minimal traffic). John's job requires him to meet his boss at least downtown or occasionally meet at the location of the job.
With the change of dorms, John's condition, and the way transportation is into the city, it would add a lot more stress. He felt more peace staying in Delaware and working for his brother Luke's cleaning business. We both prayed over what we should do as a couple. We are both serious about one another and have been for about a year now (although we have only been officially in a relationship for 6 months). We both love each other very much and want to see the other achieve our greatest potential.
As we prayed and thought more about what we should do together, we decided that it would be best to stay in Delaware and not return to Atlanta.
Many have wondered and asked, "But didn't you say that God wanted you to be in Atlanta?" The answer is yes, He did. I heard very clearly and correctly that Atlanta and being a student at ASOM was where he wanted me to be. I got to have a whole year there! It was a dream come true! But because of the dorm situation and John's current condition, it just made more sense to stay in Delaware where we both have jobs, a good place to stay, and have many ministry opportunities.
I am sad to leave ASOM. I made many connections there and friendships with students, staff, and people in the community. A piece of my heart will always reside in Atlanta. My decision to leave ASOM and pursue other options is a choice all of my own. I greatly appreciate all who have given financially towards my ministry in Atlanta. Your giving was not in vain. For those of you have been in prayer for me and for John and our relationship, I thank you! We have been blessed greatly.
I do want to publicly apologize to anyone who might be heartbroken over this news. I would love to go into greater detail with you personally should you have more questions or just want a greater understanding of why I decided to part from ASOM.
I know God has great plans no matter where I go. I am His daughter and I rest completely in knowing that He is fully pleased with me. He champions my decisions. He is proud of me.
I have never been the kind of girl to choose her career or schooling over a relationship. And this isn't just any relationship! John and I aren't operating under "normal" circumstances. Our previous dorm building was found to not be up to code. That was at the beginning of summer but this time, at our new building, it was during the school year. It is taking at least three weeks to figure something else out and during this time, from what I understand, the students aren't really getting to do the ministry work they are paying for and asking others to support them in. I could be wrong on this, but that is what I last heard.
A couple days ago, John and I rented a car to drive back to Atlanta to retrieve our stuff. While we were there, I was overwhelmed by a feeling that I wasn't supposed to be there. And we had permission from leadership to go to our dorm building to get our stuff! I definitely feel that God has released me from doing long-term ministry there.
We have planned to visit there and perhaps while we are visiting we will also minister. I feel more peace being in Delaware with John and working towards our future together.
In this time of transition, I appreciate those of you who are understanding of this change. It hasn't been an easy decision to make but when I got into this committed relationship, my life wasn't all about me anymore. I had to and still have to think about what is best for John, me, and our relationship.
As I said earlier, if you are still having trouble understanding why we chose to do what we did given the circumstances, I would be happy to talk with you about it.
Again, I thank each and every one of you who have poured into my ministry in Atlanta. Financial support at this point can cease. But don't cease praying for us.
I love you all very much. Thank you for your support.💗
~Samantha Scott (Also, you haven't heard the last from me 😉)
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Entry#11: When Skateboards Fly
Hello one, hello all. If you are a friend of mine on Facebook and you have been tracking my boyfriend (John) of 5 months medical progress, this post is mostly to engage an even larger audience mixed with believers and unbelievers who might be interested in giving financially or positive thoughts/prayer during his time of recovery. All of my thanks go out to every single person who has prayed, sent positive thoughts, given financially, or sacrificed their valuable time and energy for John and I. We are a very blessed couple.
Just to start this detailed report of all that has gone down since the initial incident, I'm going to start at the beginning.
On Wednesday night, November 8, 2017, I was exchanging texts with John around 8:30pm. I was unsure of when he would be home from working with a friend of his that evening; I had finished helping with our monthly dorm deep clean and was hungry for Waffle House. We agreed that whether he was going to be home sooner or later, I was good to go to Waffle House with/without him. I try to keep to a tight schedule in order to do better than I did last year at ASOM. He understood that I was trying to get back to my normal school schedule; if he could get back in time to say goodnight, he would, but he really cared about me getting rest.
After cleaning, a friend of mine and I decided to walk over to Waffle House. We then received an urgent message regarding a fellow Second Year. We had to be back by 9pm. We rushed back over, attended the meeting, and heard some news that didn't feel real until it was told by the Director of our school (please be in prayer). Afterwards, I finished eating my food and went up to my dorm room. Feeling very distraught over the news, I contemplated laying in bed and crying my eyes out, or sitting and talking with some First Years about life. I chose the latter. I left my phone on my bed to charge, and headed across the room to talk with them. After a bit of conversation, they asked me to tell the story of John and I. It's my favorite story to tell; how could I refuse?
When I return to my bed, I notice that I missed a couple calls and texts from John. He wanted to let me know that he got home earlier than he thought and since I wasn't answering, he assumed I was asleep. He proceeded to ride his skateboard to the local mexican grocery store. I quickly texted him back that I was still awake and wanted to see him. When he got to the store he saw that it was closed. At this point, he called me and informed me it was closed and that he was coming back. He asked me to meet him outside in 5 minutes. I told him that he should just text me when he got there. He expressed to me that he would really like me to be out there waiting when he arrived.
I took a couple minutes to freshen up and prepare myself to meet him. When I stepped outside, I was greeted by another student who looked fine on the outside but when she began to tell me of John at first I thought, "Yeah, I know, he's probably waiting for me; it's no big deal." But when she said that John was on the pavement with a head injury, the smile on my face quickly faded. She told me where he was and I immediately rushed from her to where John was.
At first, John didn't recognize me. He recognized me as my friend Jordyn and was instantly annoyed that she was there. He proceeded to get up, act like everything was fine, except for the small part where blood was pooling out of John's right ear. And he was as steady as a drunk man.
An ambulance was called, and John was confused as to why it was called for him. He was reluctant to get onto the stretcher. Eventually he did get on it and was placed inside the ambulance. This began the worst part of the whole situation. John has told me before of his past with anxiety and once the neck brace was put on him, he flew into a huge anxiety attack. It hurt my heart to be sitting up in the passenger seat, feeling like I should be in the cab with the other nurse/doctor/whatever their proper title is. I did mention to the woman back there that he does have anxiety, but I don't think she really listened to me.
Upon arriving at the hospital, he was very insistent on getting water. However, with his fresh head injury, it was not a good idea for him to drink anything until they could get a scan of his head. They even tried giving him a little bit of water and he almost immediately threw it up. He really didn't calm down until he was brought up to ICU. They had him on haldol which is a common antipsychotic drug (not that John is or ever has been or ever will be psychotic 😅) due to how he was constantly trying to get out of the hospital bed/removing IV's, etc. He was on it for only a day.
The next day, he woke up for a second, waved at me and slightly smiled. I came to him and he touched his forehead as if to indicate he wanted to be touched there. I did so and then he asked me to kiss his forehead in which I gladly did 😊.
Each time he would wake up, he would complain of headache which was due to his head injury. The doctors informed me that on the left side of his head has a contusion which is a bruising of the skull and on the right side he has a slight fracture on the outermost layer of his skull. They told me that if someone were to fracture their skull, that would be the best place to do so. John also had a little bit of blood on his brain due to the injury. It is also the main reason for his headaches and him getting more easily agitated than normal.
The next night, since John's recent scans had stabilized, he was moved from ICU to CCU. There he would still be monitored but less often. In CCU we had some more interactions. He was able to conversate with me, repeating himself only twice after I got to mostly explain what happened. He was able to pull me close to him for a hug. He whispered to me, "I need to be strong enough to get out of here."
The day after that he was more insistent in asking to leave. Around 10am, the physical therapy doctors came by to check him out. He went for a short walk around the hospital, displayed fine thinking and simple math skills. Afterwards, I'm guessing he was tired because he laid down to sleep a little longer.
When he woke up, he asked again to be checked out and allowed to leave. The doctor during this shift told him she was going to get the neurologist to check him out and in the meantime she would bring by a paper that he needed to sign in order to be released. When she came back, he was asleep and wouldn't wake up again.
We (the doctors and I) hoped he would stay at the hospital at least until his mom got there. But at 1am today, November 11, 2017, he was adamant about leaving the hospital. Right that very moment. I bursted into tears. The nurse thought that I would be unwilling to take John home but I assured her that wasn't the case. I would take John home; of course. How could I just leave him to wander the streets carelessly? I couldn't. I wouldn't. Never, ever, ever. Everyone besides John thought he should at least stay until 6am. He wouldn't hear it. He signed the paper. We packed up our stuff, tried to reason with him one more time, he stayed true to his plan.
Even before he entered the dorm building, his best friend of 10 years tried to talk sense into him. He still insisted on sleeping in his own bed. So we let him in, he went to bed for an hour. Then he woke up and took a shower all on his own.
In bringing him back to the dorms, I really had to place him and my trust in God's hands. John has always been protected well by God, and when I heard from an eye-witness what happened, the way God responded when the enemy attacked John was truly beautiful.
The student that rushed to tell me of John's accident was sitting outside with her boyfriend not even 40 seconds before John went down. All she saw was a skateboard fly. She didn't see a person fall until her and her boyfriend rushed out to find the skateboard. She recognized John right away. When she was coming back inside the dorms to grab another male was the very moment that I stepped outside to meet my love.
From those details down to no severe brain damage or skull damage, no surgery needed, it is evident how much God was smiling down on John during this attack.
Today, I am thankful for God not missing a second of what happened. I am thankful for His healing power working evidently in John's body. I am grateful for strong, sober-minded friends who held me steady when I felt I could hardly contain my desire to be hysterical. I am thankful for a new sense of closeness with John's family. Ideally, I wanted to meet them under better circumstances but what better way to let my real character shine than in this desperation?
I don't know what John's medical bill will look like. I can only imagine its horrificness. I am asking first that you pray. If you feel led to donate towards his bill (and I can greatly assure you every dollar given will go towards paying off his bill--it's top priority) you can send it through my PayPal email:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
Should you have further questions, feel free to comment. Be blessed and be at peace. Our God is with us.
💙Samantha Scott
Just to start this detailed report of all that has gone down since the initial incident, I'm going to start at the beginning.
On Wednesday night, November 8, 2017, I was exchanging texts with John around 8:30pm. I was unsure of when he would be home from working with a friend of his that evening; I had finished helping with our monthly dorm deep clean and was hungry for Waffle House. We agreed that whether he was going to be home sooner or later, I was good to go to Waffle House with/without him. I try to keep to a tight schedule in order to do better than I did last year at ASOM. He understood that I was trying to get back to my normal school schedule; if he could get back in time to say goodnight, he would, but he really cared about me getting rest.
After cleaning, a friend of mine and I decided to walk over to Waffle House. We then received an urgent message regarding a fellow Second Year. We had to be back by 9pm. We rushed back over, attended the meeting, and heard some news that didn't feel real until it was told by the Director of our school (please be in prayer). Afterwards, I finished eating my food and went up to my dorm room. Feeling very distraught over the news, I contemplated laying in bed and crying my eyes out, or sitting and talking with some First Years about life. I chose the latter. I left my phone on my bed to charge, and headed across the room to talk with them. After a bit of conversation, they asked me to tell the story of John and I. It's my favorite story to tell; how could I refuse?
When I return to my bed, I notice that I missed a couple calls and texts from John. He wanted to let me know that he got home earlier than he thought and since I wasn't answering, he assumed I was asleep. He proceeded to ride his skateboard to the local mexican grocery store. I quickly texted him back that I was still awake and wanted to see him. When he got to the store he saw that it was closed. At this point, he called me and informed me it was closed and that he was coming back. He asked me to meet him outside in 5 minutes. I told him that he should just text me when he got there. He expressed to me that he would really like me to be out there waiting when he arrived.
I took a couple minutes to freshen up and prepare myself to meet him. When I stepped outside, I was greeted by another student who looked fine on the outside but when she began to tell me of John at first I thought, "Yeah, I know, he's probably waiting for me; it's no big deal." But when she said that John was on the pavement with a head injury, the smile on my face quickly faded. She told me where he was and I immediately rushed from her to where John was.
At first, John didn't recognize me. He recognized me as my friend Jordyn and was instantly annoyed that she was there. He proceeded to get up, act like everything was fine, except for the small part where blood was pooling out of John's right ear. And he was as steady as a drunk man.
An ambulance was called, and John was confused as to why it was called for him. He was reluctant to get onto the stretcher. Eventually he did get on it and was placed inside the ambulance. This began the worst part of the whole situation. John has told me before of his past with anxiety and once the neck brace was put on him, he flew into a huge anxiety attack. It hurt my heart to be sitting up in the passenger seat, feeling like I should be in the cab with the other nurse/doctor/whatever their proper title is. I did mention to the woman back there that he does have anxiety, but I don't think she really listened to me.
Upon arriving at the hospital, he was very insistent on getting water. However, with his fresh head injury, it was not a good idea for him to drink anything until they could get a scan of his head. They even tried giving him a little bit of water and he almost immediately threw it up. He really didn't calm down until he was brought up to ICU. They had him on haldol which is a common antipsychotic drug (not that John is or ever has been or ever will be psychotic 😅) due to how he was constantly trying to get out of the hospital bed/removing IV's, etc. He was on it for only a day.
The next day, he woke up for a second, waved at me and slightly smiled. I came to him and he touched his forehead as if to indicate he wanted to be touched there. I did so and then he asked me to kiss his forehead in which I gladly did 😊.
Each time he would wake up, he would complain of headache which was due to his head injury. The doctors informed me that on the left side of his head has a contusion which is a bruising of the skull and on the right side he has a slight fracture on the outermost layer of his skull. They told me that if someone were to fracture their skull, that would be the best place to do so. John also had a little bit of blood on his brain due to the injury. It is also the main reason for his headaches and him getting more easily agitated than normal.
The next night, since John's recent scans had stabilized, he was moved from ICU to CCU. There he would still be monitored but less often. In CCU we had some more interactions. He was able to conversate with me, repeating himself only twice after I got to mostly explain what happened. He was able to pull me close to him for a hug. He whispered to me, "I need to be strong enough to get out of here."
The day after that he was more insistent in asking to leave. Around 10am, the physical therapy doctors came by to check him out. He went for a short walk around the hospital, displayed fine thinking and simple math skills. Afterwards, I'm guessing he was tired because he laid down to sleep a little longer.
When he woke up, he asked again to be checked out and allowed to leave. The doctor during this shift told him she was going to get the neurologist to check him out and in the meantime she would bring by a paper that he needed to sign in order to be released. When she came back, he was asleep and wouldn't wake up again.
We (the doctors and I) hoped he would stay at the hospital at least until his mom got there. But at 1am today, November 11, 2017, he was adamant about leaving the hospital. Right that very moment. I bursted into tears. The nurse thought that I would be unwilling to take John home but I assured her that wasn't the case. I would take John home; of course. How could I just leave him to wander the streets carelessly? I couldn't. I wouldn't. Never, ever, ever. Everyone besides John thought he should at least stay until 6am. He wouldn't hear it. He signed the paper. We packed up our stuff, tried to reason with him one more time, he stayed true to his plan.
Even before he entered the dorm building, his best friend of 10 years tried to talk sense into him. He still insisted on sleeping in his own bed. So we let him in, he went to bed for an hour. Then he woke up and took a shower all on his own.
In bringing him back to the dorms, I really had to place him and my trust in God's hands. John has always been protected well by God, and when I heard from an eye-witness what happened, the way God responded when the enemy attacked John was truly beautiful.
The student that rushed to tell me of John's accident was sitting outside with her boyfriend not even 40 seconds before John went down. All she saw was a skateboard fly. She didn't see a person fall until her and her boyfriend rushed out to find the skateboard. She recognized John right away. When she was coming back inside the dorms to grab another male was the very moment that I stepped outside to meet my love.
From those details down to no severe brain damage or skull damage, no surgery needed, it is evident how much God was smiling down on John during this attack.
Today, I am thankful for God not missing a second of what happened. I am thankful for His healing power working evidently in John's body. I am grateful for strong, sober-minded friends who held me steady when I felt I could hardly contain my desire to be hysterical. I am thankful for a new sense of closeness with John's family. Ideally, I wanted to meet them under better circumstances but what better way to let my real character shine than in this desperation?
I don't know what John's medical bill will look like. I can only imagine its horrificness. I am asking first that you pray. If you feel led to donate towards his bill (and I can greatly assure you every dollar given will go towards paying off his bill--it's top priority) you can send it through my PayPal email:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
Should you have further questions, feel free to comment. Be blessed and be at peace. Our God is with us.
💙Samantha Scott
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Entry #10: End Of A Wave
I've been wanting to update this blog for weeks it seems. Although my last blog post was actually less than 30 days ago, I'm still ready as ever to share the exciting things that are taking place in my life as a missionary to Atlanta.
For those that didn't know, two weeks ago I bruised the tip of my femur. I was rushing out of a room and hit it on a stack of metal chairs that were just enough behind me that I didn't see them in time. I assure you it was a very hilarious event to take place in my life. Four days later I left for a week long fundraising opportunity all the way in Lexington, KY.
I was a little concerned about it as I didn't know the hours I would be working and a tiny bit unsure if my knee would hold up. Thanks to many prayers, by the third day I was out volunteering, I went my whole shift without my brace and it held up very well! It's doing even better now and only hurts sometimes but is only getting better. For those of you who prayed, thank you so much. Your faith really made a difference!
I am all about finding and implementing different ways to reach people. One of the ways I have been thinking on the most lately is shadow work. Shadow work is where I'm not directly speaking to someone about God, but allowing the Holy Spirit to move through me. People that are in the same area as me feel a positive change in the atmosphere and are filled with wonder as to what that feeling could be. As I have been actively and intentionally releasing the Spirit through my presence in a room or outside at a park or even just driving by, I have noticed a change. People are looking. People are wondering, "what could that be?" And the truth is that it's all God making himself known through me. So far to anyone who notices, I pray that Christ would be ever more revealed to them. I am also growing in how I should approach someone who does notice this change in the atmosphere and I ask that you be in prayer for me as I go about this!
Let me just say... it is SO good to be back in class, growing and learning with my fellow classmates. I have greatly missed getting the opportunity to help usher in God's presence through worship. It really is an honor to get to travel all over, meet so many different people, and be on mission, but there's nothing quite like being back home (of course I can be "on mission" while at home too, but that's not what I'm meaning here).
In other news, a few weeks ago I learned that this year for Spring Missions (Fourth Wave Missions) I am joining Greater Conversation again! Last year was so impactful. From the practices before we left to performing different arts to various audiences; from times of personal growth to times of growth as a group, it all has changed my life and lives around me. Just thinking about how great last year was has made me all the more excited and ready-to-go for this years Spring Missions!
As far as I know, it will be the same amount that I needed to raise last year ($400). I will definitely keep this blog updated as far as that is concerned. I have not a single worry about God providing. He has more than proved that if somewhere is where he wants me to be, finances are not an issue. But please be praying for me as I prepare myself for this 7 week journey in March with a new group of students. Pray for the encounters we will have as we are out on the field. If you would like to donate financially to my Spring Missions, information on how to go about that will be provided below. I strongly wish to emphasize that even if all you are able to give is $5, not only will I be extremely blessed by that, but so will you and everyone I get to speak to/be around.
I am in great anticipation for what the Lord is going to do the rest of this year and into next year!
Side note: I am super excited to go to Delaware in two weeks with John (my boyfriend of 5 months 😊)! I'm really looking forward to meeting more of his family and getting to know them.
If you would like to donate towards my Spring Missions fund, here is one way to do that:
1) Go to atlsom.com
2) Hover over "Missionaries"
3) Drop down to "Support"
4) Select "Support Current Missionary"
5) Select either Create an Account, or Give Without an Account
6) Select where you want to give, how much, and leave a note saying either "Samantha Scott Spring Missions" or "Samantha Scott Missionary Fund"
Another option is to get in contact with my mom, Bonnie Scott. She keeps track of my missionary finances very well. She can be reached by phone at: (616) 846-4478 or by email: office@thegatewaygh.com
A third option for giving is through PayPal.
My PayPal email is: angelistic124@yahoo.com
Above giving financially, I want to thank those who have been faithfully praying for me as I am here in Atlanta. It is and has been making a big difference! No wonder so many doors are being opened and so many opportunities to share Jesus and encourage the body of Christ are in abundance! Without your prayers, I'm sure the move of God would happen (after all, if we don't praise, the rocks will cry out, right?) but it is much more edifying and faith-building to partner together through prayer.
And to those who have given financially, I want to recognize and honor your sacrifice. Without you, I wouldn't be in Atlanta at all. I would have never gotten to do all the amazing things I get to do here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I hope you're having a great day, and if not, I will be praying that tomorrow is better!
Thank you for reading.
💗Samantha Scott
For those that didn't know, two weeks ago I bruised the tip of my femur. I was rushing out of a room and hit it on a stack of metal chairs that were just enough behind me that I didn't see them in time. I assure you it was a very hilarious event to take place in my life. Four days later I left for a week long fundraising opportunity all the way in Lexington, KY.
I was a little concerned about it as I didn't know the hours I would be working and a tiny bit unsure if my knee would hold up. Thanks to many prayers, by the third day I was out volunteering, I went my whole shift without my brace and it held up very well! It's doing even better now and only hurts sometimes but is only getting better. For those of you who prayed, thank you so much. Your faith really made a difference!
I am all about finding and implementing different ways to reach people. One of the ways I have been thinking on the most lately is shadow work. Shadow work is where I'm not directly speaking to someone about God, but allowing the Holy Spirit to move through me. People that are in the same area as me feel a positive change in the atmosphere and are filled with wonder as to what that feeling could be. As I have been actively and intentionally releasing the Spirit through my presence in a room or outside at a park or even just driving by, I have noticed a change. People are looking. People are wondering, "what could that be?" And the truth is that it's all God making himself known through me. So far to anyone who notices, I pray that Christ would be ever more revealed to them. I am also growing in how I should approach someone who does notice this change in the atmosphere and I ask that you be in prayer for me as I go about this!
Let me just say... it is SO good to be back in class, growing and learning with my fellow classmates. I have greatly missed getting the opportunity to help usher in God's presence through worship. It really is an honor to get to travel all over, meet so many different people, and be on mission, but there's nothing quite like being back home (of course I can be "on mission" while at home too, but that's not what I'm meaning here).
In other news, a few weeks ago I learned that this year for Spring Missions (Fourth Wave Missions) I am joining Greater Conversation again! Last year was so impactful. From the practices before we left to performing different arts to various audiences; from times of personal growth to times of growth as a group, it all has changed my life and lives around me. Just thinking about how great last year was has made me all the more excited and ready-to-go for this years Spring Missions!
As far as I know, it will be the same amount that I needed to raise last year ($400). I will definitely keep this blog updated as far as that is concerned. I have not a single worry about God providing. He has more than proved that if somewhere is where he wants me to be, finances are not an issue. But please be praying for me as I prepare myself for this 7 week journey in March with a new group of students. Pray for the encounters we will have as we are out on the field. If you would like to donate financially to my Spring Missions, information on how to go about that will be provided below. I strongly wish to emphasize that even if all you are able to give is $5, not only will I be extremely blessed by that, but so will you and everyone I get to speak to/be around.
I am in great anticipation for what the Lord is going to do the rest of this year and into next year!
Side note: I am super excited to go to Delaware in two weeks with John (my boyfriend of 5 months 😊)! I'm really looking forward to meeting more of his family and getting to know them.
If you would like to donate towards my Spring Missions fund, here is one way to do that:
1) Go to atlsom.com
2) Hover over "Missionaries"
3) Drop down to "Support"
4) Select "Support Current Missionary"
5) Select either Create an Account, or Give Without an Account
6) Select where you want to give, how much, and leave a note saying either "Samantha Scott Spring Missions" or "Samantha Scott Missionary Fund"
Another option is to get in contact with my mom, Bonnie Scott. She keeps track of my missionary finances very well. She can be reached by phone at: (616) 846-4478 or by email: office@thegatewaygh.com
A third option for giving is through PayPal.
My PayPal email is: angelistic124@yahoo.com
Above giving financially, I want to thank those who have been faithfully praying for me as I am here in Atlanta. It is and has been making a big difference! No wonder so many doors are being opened and so many opportunities to share Jesus and encourage the body of Christ are in abundance! Without your prayers, I'm sure the move of God would happen (after all, if we don't praise, the rocks will cry out, right?) but it is much more edifying and faith-building to partner together through prayer.
And to those who have given financially, I want to recognize and honor your sacrifice. Without you, I wouldn't be in Atlanta at all. I would have never gotten to do all the amazing things I get to do here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I hope you're having a great day, and if not, I will be praying that tomorrow is better!
Thank you for reading.
💗Samantha Scott
Monday, October 16, 2017
Entry #9: First Travel Trip Of My Second Year
Hey everyone! I started my second year of ASOM about a month ago and this past weekend went on a Travel Trip to Macon ("Macon Bacon" as I lovingly call it), Georgia for the Made For More Conference/Girls Retreat. And let me tell you, that trip GREATLY impacted me. If you're a new reader on this blog page, I recommend that you go back, read my older posts from this year, catch up, and track with me as I share my journey!
On the drive home I had so many thoughts. I wrote them all down to share with you.❤
If you would like to partner with me financially, as I am a missionary here in Atlanta, I would greatly appreciate that! You can contact my parents for donations towards my tuition from the information provided below:
Bonnie Scott: (616)-846-4478
To donate towards my personal living expenses (food on Mondays, toiletries, etc) you can send it through my paypal:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
OR!
If you would like to send a care package you can address it to:
Samantha Scott
652 Angier Ave
Atlanta, GA 30308
Thank you again for your time and your prayers. I couldn’t do what I do without them.-Samantha Scott-
On the drive home I had so many thoughts. I wrote them all down to share with you.❤
Wow. What an impactful weekend! Not only for myself, but I got the most wonderful opportunity to spend Friday evening to Saturday afternoon pouring into the lives of girls from ages 12-18 through worship and dance. I feel refreshed, but at the same time exhausted!
Friday night I had an opportunity to pray for a young girl named Hannah. A week or two ago, she found out that she was becoming allergic to the cold. Whenever her arm, or feet, or legs touched something cold, her skin would first turn red then get itchy and after that she would get welts. For example, that night from her jumping up and down on the cold cement in the gym her feet got swollen and began hurting really bad. She went to the doctor the day before for blood work and was told that what she is experiencing ranges from arthritis (and within some years she would lose complete use of her hands) all the way to cancer.Her distraught at these thoughts was very evident and completely understandable. But here’s the thing about facing a giant such as this; although you can acknowledge how big it is, you have to know that who you have on your team is so much bigger, greater, and stronger. Because of this moment, I will continue to keep her in prayer. I would love for you to join me in praying for her (and I will try to update as I am updated).I also met another really cool woman of God as we were waiting in line to get pictures with Bonray (the band that night). Her name is Zandy (I know, super cool name) and she told me how her plan right after high school is to go to basic training and become a Marine. As soon as she said that, I was blown away! We talked more that evening but Saturday morning as I was observing and meeting other girls I kept thinking about how not everyone has the same reaction I did when they hear a beautiful young girl is joining the Marines. As everything was coming to a close that afternoon, I felt impressed to pray for her. So naturally I did. And will certainly add her to my list of girls to cover in prayer.Lastly, I just want to take a moment to appreciate how down-to-earth my interaction with Morgan, drummer and singer for the band Bonray, was. When she talked to me and asked questions about me, it was like I had always been a friend of hers. I could hardly believe it and was so honored to have had that moment. Also, I've planted seeds of influence to see if Bonray would be able to perform at Unity next year (or hopefully within the next two years 😉). It would just be super awesome to see them there and I know it would be a GREAT opportunity for them. Seriously, their music is so cool you should check out their EP on Spotify (this was not a paid sponsorship but rather me advertising my love for them).Anyway this was a great weekend and I want to thank every one of you for taking the time to read this post. What I personally need right now is a lot of prayer. There hasn’t been anything major in my life (personally speaking) yet but the continuation of prayer that God’s will would continue to be done in my life and in the lives I get to impact is ALWAYS needed. If you would like to partner with me financially, as I am a missionary here in Atlanta, I would greatly appreciate that! You can contact my parents for donations towards my tuition from the information provided below:
Bonnie Scott: (616)-846-4478
To donate towards my personal living expenses (food on Mondays, toiletries, etc) you can send it through my paypal:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
OR!
If you would like to send a care package you can address it to:
Samantha Scott
652 Angier Ave
Atlanta, GA 30308
Thank you again for your time and your prayers. I couldn’t do what I do without them.-Samantha Scott-
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Entry #8: A Pocket of Light
After two plane rides, I arrived safely in Atlanta exactly one week ago. Switching flights isn't for everyone. Especially when you have to walk from one end of an airport to another. But I love the airport in Charlotte, NC so the walk was worth it, although thoroughly exhausting. I'm thrilled to be back in my home away from home. There are new things to experience this year. For instance, we have new temporary dorm housing. I'm definitely more of a fan of where we live now than in our old dorm building. It was closer to the school of ministry I attend here, but it's definitely better to do without the bug problems we all experienced at the old building.
I do hope that these new dorms become our permanent housing, but only time will tell.
As I am back in Atlanta, I remembered a particular outreach ministry that my school goes on every Thursday called Compassion Night. This outreach provides one meal for any and all homeless people who are in line to receive it. While they wait to receive their food, small groups of people start up conversation with those in line. Normally during the school year I am unable to go on this particular outreach because I'm involved with the travel team which meets Tuesday's and Thursday's while Compassion Night is also going on. However, since school technically hasn't started for me yet due to a large fundraising event in New York, I had this intense desire to go this past Thursday night.
It. Was. Awesome. I got to hear a few stories, but one in particular really stood out to me. I unfortunately don't remember his name at this time, but he talked with my boyfriend, John, and I about his ministry. He believes in God and that He has called him to sell/give everything he had away and live among the homeless. And that is what he did for, if I remember correctly, 10 years now. It was amazing to hear this story and as he was talking, I was reminded of a particular video I was shown in youth group years ago.
The video started out with a man sitting at a diner looking kind of down. One at a time, individuals came by; the first one stood and asked how he was doing, but when they realized that the guy sitting on the bench didn't match up with their happy-go-lucky attitude, they quickly moved on; another one came, sat across and made light conversation but soon got up and moved on like the one before. This happened with a few more individuals. But there was something different about the last one. They started out across from him, but after more conversation, instead of them getting up and leaving, they got up and sat next to the man looking down. It's this last person in the video that reminded me of the homeless man that was speaking to us.
I thought that I gave up everything for God by leaving my home, my family, everything I knew in Michigan to attend a ministry school in Atlanta. This man LITERALLY gave up everything to reach the lost. That lifestyle and calling is definitely not for everyone. But it is such an inspiration to see that even in the darkest of places, there are pockets of light. It also inspired me the way he talked about his relationship with God. If you had heard him speak, I'm sure you would agree that he spoke from a real deep knowing of God and who He is. Darkness is being invaded by the light and it is so beautiful. Such an inspiration of hope.
I can hardly wait until next Thursday to go on Compassion Night again!
Thank you for reading this blog post. I really couldn't not share about who I met on Compassion Night! If you would like to watch the video I mentioned in this blog post, the Lord helped me find where it was! Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWdQRf0qbZI I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me.
~Samantha
I do hope that these new dorms become our permanent housing, but only time will tell.
As I am back in Atlanta, I remembered a particular outreach ministry that my school goes on every Thursday called Compassion Night. This outreach provides one meal for any and all homeless people who are in line to receive it. While they wait to receive their food, small groups of people start up conversation with those in line. Normally during the school year I am unable to go on this particular outreach because I'm involved with the travel team which meets Tuesday's and Thursday's while Compassion Night is also going on. However, since school technically hasn't started for me yet due to a large fundraising event in New York, I had this intense desire to go this past Thursday night.
It. Was. Awesome. I got to hear a few stories, but one in particular really stood out to me. I unfortunately don't remember his name at this time, but he talked with my boyfriend, John, and I about his ministry. He believes in God and that He has called him to sell/give everything he had away and live among the homeless. And that is what he did for, if I remember correctly, 10 years now. It was amazing to hear this story and as he was talking, I was reminded of a particular video I was shown in youth group years ago.
The video started out with a man sitting at a diner looking kind of down. One at a time, individuals came by; the first one stood and asked how he was doing, but when they realized that the guy sitting on the bench didn't match up with their happy-go-lucky attitude, they quickly moved on; another one came, sat across and made light conversation but soon got up and moved on like the one before. This happened with a few more individuals. But there was something different about the last one. They started out across from him, but after more conversation, instead of them getting up and leaving, they got up and sat next to the man looking down. It's this last person in the video that reminded me of the homeless man that was speaking to us.
I thought that I gave up everything for God by leaving my home, my family, everything I knew in Michigan to attend a ministry school in Atlanta. This man LITERALLY gave up everything to reach the lost. That lifestyle and calling is definitely not for everyone. But it is such an inspiration to see that even in the darkest of places, there are pockets of light. It also inspired me the way he talked about his relationship with God. If you had heard him speak, I'm sure you would agree that he spoke from a real deep knowing of God and who He is. Darkness is being invaded by the light and it is so beautiful. Such an inspiration of hope.
I can hardly wait until next Thursday to go on Compassion Night again!
Thank you for reading this blog post. I really couldn't not share about who I met on Compassion Night! If you would like to watch the video I mentioned in this blog post, the Lord helped me find where it was! Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWdQRf0qbZI I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me.
~Samantha
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Entry #7: Long, Hard Summer
If I remember correctly, I last left this blog on a note of still needing $500 in order to complete my first year, graduate, and be accepted to come a second year. I have some great news for you; that $500 did come in. I completed my first year at ASOM debt-free, and in just a few weeks I'll be headed back for my second year. In case I hadn't mentioned it in my other blog posts, I am committed to doing three years at ASOM, lest God tells me to do something else. The great news doesn't stop there-- not only did that which was needed come in, but I had some overage. I didn't know how much it was, but I thought it was great to have that. The protocol with overage is if you're coming back a second or third year that money goes straight to paying off the next years missionary tuition. But then they had another option: if a person desired to, they could donate that overage to help out another student in need of having their missionary tuition paid. I didn't have to think about it very long. How could I not give what has been so generously given to me? I had longed for an opportunity such as this to come along. I want to be as generous as the Lord leads and He was surely leading me to do this. When the agreement paper came for me to sign, I saw that the amount was a hundred dollars.
In the grand scheme of things, is a hundred dollars a lot? Maybe, maybe not. But here's the thing: when it comes to giving, the amount isn't necessarily what matters. What matters is that I was given the great opportunity to help out my fellow classmate to get one step closer to graduating along with me.
Changing the topic, to be the most candor, this summer hasn't quite panned out the way I initially thought it would. I had a few options to consider for the summer and accepted a summer staff position at my most favorite camp in the world, Lost Valley Bible Camp. When I had thought about working there for the summer, I thought it would be great. I'd be closer to home, but not too close, and I'd be at my most favorite camp ever. I'd be at the place that really impacted and shaped my life. But then reality happened: I was three and a half hours away from home, and my parents didn't visit up north as often as I thought they might have. There wasn't anyone at Lost Valley that I really knew would be working there (though we're all good friends now). The hours were long. And hard. It was no easy feat to work at Lost Valley this summer. It was a true stress test. To be completely honest, there were a couple times the stress got so bad I was ready to call up my parents and have them come get me.
I'm an introverted person! Long hours and lots of people can quickly overwhelm/stress me out if it goes on for too long. Midsummer, I was sure that if anyone had asked me how my summer went, I wouldn't want to answer their question because I had been so stressed. Thankfully, the staff at Lost Valley really care about their workers. When they noticed the stress getting bad, they took a step back, realized some things needed to change, and things got better. A lot better.
How did I get so stressed? Yes, the long hours and the people had something to do with it, but on top of that, I was placed in a leadership position and I didn't always know the right way to go about a task. It was also my first year on staff there. I didn't know what was expected. Personally, being in a leadership position scares me. I'm scared that I'm going to come across as bossy and that everyone will hate me. I had received some really good advice over Fourth Wave that I kept reminding myself. The girl that was leading our Fourth Wave team was told by her mom that she was the mom. If they got to be friends, that would be great, but she was the mom. That was one of the lessons I learned this summer; you can't always be everyone's friend. Sometimes, you have to make tough decisions--especially if you're in leadership. If you get to be friends with those you are leading, what a great bonus! But if you don't, at least you have a team that will listen, respond, and respect you. That really is most important.
Though this summer has easily been marked as the hardest summer of my 21 years of living, I did grow immensely as a leader. I gained more tools to use when it comes to leading. On top of that, now any work that seems to be a lot, I know it will pale in comparison to what I had to do over this summer. I really thought I had long days at ASOM... I catch myself laughing at the fact that I once thought that. And even the fundraiser jobs I volunteer to work at to help pay off my missionary fund still pale in comparison.
Did Lost Valley want this to be a hard summer for me? No. I had been told time and time again that it's normally not that stressful at all. Does it get hard sometimes? Sure. But it was never as hard as it had been this summer.
Changing the topic again, since I am going to be heading back to ASOM for my second year of ministry school, I am asking for your partnership in what God is doing there through me. Over the span of the next nine months, I am to raise $6,400 again. Through my service at Lost Valley, I committed to saving $100 a week and send that towards paying my missionary tuition. I am proud to say that I have all $600 ready to go and send in today.
I am very grateful for those who became monthly supporters and partnered with me last year. I am also thankful for those who gave one-time gifts. Every little bit certainly helped me accomplish everything God had for me that year.
This year I am asking for monthly supporters who would commit to sending $25/month for the length of my time there at ASOM. I am also looking for those to give one-time gifts of any amount.
I will, of course, be working fundraiser events during the school year as I am able to. This past year I was able to fundraise over $1,400!
If you are interested in partnering with me financially, you can get in touch with my parents, Bonnie and Larry at:
(616)-846-4478
Funds can also be sent to my PayPal email:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
If you are wanting to send a check, contact me for more information at:
(616)-846-4478
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. God bless 😘
Samantha Scott
In the grand scheme of things, is a hundred dollars a lot? Maybe, maybe not. But here's the thing: when it comes to giving, the amount isn't necessarily what matters. What matters is that I was given the great opportunity to help out my fellow classmate to get one step closer to graduating along with me.
Changing the topic, to be the most candor, this summer hasn't quite panned out the way I initially thought it would. I had a few options to consider for the summer and accepted a summer staff position at my most favorite camp in the world, Lost Valley Bible Camp. When I had thought about working there for the summer, I thought it would be great. I'd be closer to home, but not too close, and I'd be at my most favorite camp ever. I'd be at the place that really impacted and shaped my life. But then reality happened: I was three and a half hours away from home, and my parents didn't visit up north as often as I thought they might have. There wasn't anyone at Lost Valley that I really knew would be working there (though we're all good friends now). The hours were long. And hard. It was no easy feat to work at Lost Valley this summer. It was a true stress test. To be completely honest, there were a couple times the stress got so bad I was ready to call up my parents and have them come get me.
I'm an introverted person! Long hours and lots of people can quickly overwhelm/stress me out if it goes on for too long. Midsummer, I was sure that if anyone had asked me how my summer went, I wouldn't want to answer their question because I had been so stressed. Thankfully, the staff at Lost Valley really care about their workers. When they noticed the stress getting bad, they took a step back, realized some things needed to change, and things got better. A lot better.
How did I get so stressed? Yes, the long hours and the people had something to do with it, but on top of that, I was placed in a leadership position and I didn't always know the right way to go about a task. It was also my first year on staff there. I didn't know what was expected. Personally, being in a leadership position scares me. I'm scared that I'm going to come across as bossy and that everyone will hate me. I had received some really good advice over Fourth Wave that I kept reminding myself. The girl that was leading our Fourth Wave team was told by her mom that she was the mom. If they got to be friends, that would be great, but she was the mom. That was one of the lessons I learned this summer; you can't always be everyone's friend. Sometimes, you have to make tough decisions--especially if you're in leadership. If you get to be friends with those you are leading, what a great bonus! But if you don't, at least you have a team that will listen, respond, and respect you. That really is most important.
Though this summer has easily been marked as the hardest summer of my 21 years of living, I did grow immensely as a leader. I gained more tools to use when it comes to leading. On top of that, now any work that seems to be a lot, I know it will pale in comparison to what I had to do over this summer. I really thought I had long days at ASOM... I catch myself laughing at the fact that I once thought that. And even the fundraiser jobs I volunteer to work at to help pay off my missionary fund still pale in comparison.
Did Lost Valley want this to be a hard summer for me? No. I had been told time and time again that it's normally not that stressful at all. Does it get hard sometimes? Sure. But it was never as hard as it had been this summer.
Changing the topic again, since I am going to be heading back to ASOM for my second year of ministry school, I am asking for your partnership in what God is doing there through me. Over the span of the next nine months, I am to raise $6,400 again. Through my service at Lost Valley, I committed to saving $100 a week and send that towards paying my missionary tuition. I am proud to say that I have all $600 ready to go and send in today.
I am very grateful for those who became monthly supporters and partnered with me last year. I am also thankful for those who gave one-time gifts. Every little bit certainly helped me accomplish everything God had for me that year.
This year I am asking for monthly supporters who would commit to sending $25/month for the length of my time there at ASOM. I am also looking for those to give one-time gifts of any amount.
I will, of course, be working fundraiser events during the school year as I am able to. This past year I was able to fundraise over $1,400!
If you are interested in partnering with me financially, you can get in touch with my parents, Bonnie and Larry at:
(616)-846-4478
Funds can also be sent to my PayPal email:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
If you are wanting to send a check, contact me for more information at:
(616)-846-4478
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. God bless 😘
Samantha Scott
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Entry #6: It's Not Over Yet
"It's not over till it's over-- and it's not over yet." Is was what I told myself on the drive to our last stop in Madisonville, Kentucky. I'd been on the road for the past six weeks during what is commonly known around ASOM as Fourth Wave. We've travelled to Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, back to Kentucky, back to Indiana again, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, and Kentucky for the third and final time.
We came back to Georgia with about three weeks left of Fourth Wave for Georgia Fine Arts. On the way there we reminded ourselves to not get in the mindset of, "We're home now, we're on our own time," instead of the team always coming first. I took this advice to heart, especially knowing that we'd be staying at our dorms, with some of our friends there, too.
I honestly tried my very hardest to remind myself that I was still on Fourth Wave so my team always came first, no matter what. I was doing pretty good at staying in that mindset until the last couple of days, but thankfully soon enough we were be back out on the road.
I really want to take time to thank those who partnered with me in raising funds towards Fourth Wave. Hearing I had just a few days to raise a little over $600 in order to go totally freaked me out. Anyone who has kept up with this blog knows from reading these entries that it hasn't been the easiest in getting here. I mean, first I thought I was going to Australia, then I was moved to Corporate, and then finally placed on Greater Conversation. It's been a crazy ride, but I wouldn't want to change it.
Immediately after we got back from Fourth Wave, there was another big event called Paradigm. Paradigm in a nutshell is a leadership conference. There is typically a morning session, then it breaks into smaller sessions for the afternoon, and also there is an evening session.
Shortly after Paradigm, I learned that I would be going on a travel trip to Maryland for Potomac District Fine Arts. This might be random to insert here, but Virginia is SO beautiful to drive through. I still can't get over it. What can I say? The mountains were quite majestic.
Anyways, after that I was back in Atlanta for less than 24 hours before I left again to fundraise at the Kentucky Derby. Now, I knew my mom and my grandma watched the Derby years ago, but I had never seen it and therefore knew pretty much nothing about it. During the fundraiser, I learned how to read the program, and actually began to keep up with the races while also working (it was difficult, but I managed😅). Also, the culture and tradition of Derby intrigued me. Almost everyone dressed to the nines, the women with beautiful fancy hats (fascinators)... It made me want to come back as a guest to this event someday in the future.
So here I am, back in Atlanta yet again. I can hardly believe that my first year here at ASOM is almost over. I'm here for two weeks and then I'm off to fundraise at Senior PGA. After that, I'm back until the end of the school year (which is really only a little over a week). Then I fly back home to Michigan! Yeay!
In other news, I recently heard that I'm only $500 away from being fully funded for my first year, able to walk at graduation, and recognized as completing my first year. That's insane! God really has blessed my first year and I really am so grateful to those who have come up alongside me and have invested in what He is doing here. He truly has taught me and is continuing to teach me that He is my true provider. He places amazing, generous people in my life to armor-bear me in this mission. I wouldn't be here without Him or with the people who have not only given financially towards this, but have sent care packages, letters, and prayers. It all has greatly encouraged me and has made a real difference!
If you would like to donate towards this final push towards completing my first year, you can go to: http://atlsom.com/ and click on Missionaries.
Another option is to give through PayPal: angelistic124@yahoo.com
Thank you for being a part of this.
-Samantha Scott
I really want to take time to thank those who partnered with me in raising funds towards Fourth Wave. Hearing I had just a few days to raise a little over $600 in order to go totally freaked me out. Anyone who has kept up with this blog knows from reading these entries that it hasn't been the easiest in getting here. I mean, first I thought I was going to Australia, then I was moved to Corporate, and then finally placed on Greater Conversation. It's been a crazy ride, but I wouldn't want to change it.
Immediately after we got back from Fourth Wave, there was another big event called Paradigm. Paradigm in a nutshell is a leadership conference. There is typically a morning session, then it breaks into smaller sessions for the afternoon, and also there is an evening session.
Shortly after Paradigm, I learned that I would be going on a travel trip to Maryland for Potomac District Fine Arts. This might be random to insert here, but Virginia is SO beautiful to drive through. I still can't get over it. What can I say? The mountains were quite majestic.
Anyways, after that I was back in Atlanta for less than 24 hours before I left again to fundraise at the Kentucky Derby. Now, I knew my mom and my grandma watched the Derby years ago, but I had never seen it and therefore knew pretty much nothing about it. During the fundraiser, I learned how to read the program, and actually began to keep up with the races while also working (it was difficult, but I managed😅). Also, the culture and tradition of Derby intrigued me. Almost everyone dressed to the nines, the women with beautiful fancy hats (fascinators)... It made me want to come back as a guest to this event someday in the future.
So here I am, back in Atlanta yet again. I can hardly believe that my first year here at ASOM is almost over. I'm here for two weeks and then I'm off to fundraise at Senior PGA. After that, I'm back until the end of the school year (which is really only a little over a week). Then I fly back home to Michigan! Yeay!
In other news, I recently heard that I'm only $500 away from being fully funded for my first year, able to walk at graduation, and recognized as completing my first year. That's insane! God really has blessed my first year and I really am so grateful to those who have come up alongside me and have invested in what He is doing here. He truly has taught me and is continuing to teach me that He is my true provider. He places amazing, generous people in my life to armor-bear me in this mission. I wouldn't be here without Him or with the people who have not only given financially towards this, but have sent care packages, letters, and prayers. It all has greatly encouraged me and has made a real difference!
If you would like to donate towards this final push towards completing my first year, you can go to: http://atlsom.com/ and click on Missionaries.
Another option is to give through PayPal: angelistic124@yahoo.com
Thank you for being a part of this.
-Samantha Scott
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Entry #5: The Box of The Unknown
I don't know about you, but for me, last week was pretty crazy. Tuesday was nothing special but Wednesday began the tumbling of news that would change my immediate future.
I know I had written earlier about not going to Australia and was instead moved to the Corporate team. This took a couple of days to adjust, but after that, I came to embrace the opportunity set out before me. The funds from the jobs worked in Miami would set me up quite nicely in finishing up this year's tuition, as well as put me in a good place for my second year.
Then, another opportunity was set out before me to intern with the missions department of the Dream Center, which my school is in connection with. This would be a paid internship and the funds raised there would also go directly towards my tuition.
So yeah! With both of these opportunities, I would be sitting pretty comfortably in regards to my missions tuition! But then...
I received news that I was being moved from Corporate to Greater Conversation (GC). GC is a team that travels all over the U.S. presenting the Kingdom message through stomp, step, drama, dance, worship, human video, prophetic art, and spoken word.
Then I received news that the internship would be bigger and more time consuming than I had in my schedule. At the end of the day it came down to internship, or WAP (Worship, Arts, Production). It was a difficult choice that I didn't make lightly. Although the internship would all the more set me up nicely, I came to ASOM specifically for WAP. I am aware of a big call on my life to be a worship leader and though I absolutely LOVE missions, right now is not the season for that.
Because I decided to not take the paid internship, I needed an option this summer that paid. I currently can't afford to not raise funds of my own for the coming year's tuition and for my own self to be sustained. Instead of taking the internship, there came an opportunity to work at a summer camp about 40 minutes from Atlanta. From what was discussed, the internship would have started now, at the tail end of my first year, through the summer, and into my second year. I'm unsure if by my third year I would be full-blown missions staff, or if I would be able to return to WAP. Regardless, I wouldn't graduate with the certificate I am currently working towards, and I would go without countless guitar, vocal, and piano lessons (what I plan to take next year), as well as opportunities to lead worship and grow in that gift.
Second year is crucial. It's the beginning of getting opportunities to lead worship bands. It's the deciding factor of what you do for your third year. There was no way I could miss this. But beyond that, I didn't sense that was what God was telling me to do. If it were, surely I would have stepped into what He was saying above my own desire.
The events that I have just described really speak to how I felt before I came here in August of 2016.
It was an ordinary day working in the Electronics Department of my local Meijer store. I was two weeks from quitting my job, and after doing all the calculations, I realized I was a little over $1,000 short. I thought to cancel my flight, take back my letter of resignation, and instead quit in January and come to ASOM then (as they have a January session). In that time, I would continue saving for school, and then I would have enough to cover my schooling. But then God spoke to me.
"Are you doing that so you won't have to rely on Me and instead rely on yourself like you've always done, or will you trust Me?"
That question stopped me. He's right. I have been leaning on myself a lot. As a naturally independent person, through experiences I've learned that the only one I can really depend on is me. On top of that, I didn't want to feel like I was asking people to pay for something that I should have been more intentional about saving for. However, that's not what He's called me to do.
He's called me to rally people around me to lift me up in prayer and financial support. He's called me to trust in Him completely as my true provider. I wasn't ever meant to take this journey alone. He is to be my provider like He always has been. Here was my opportunity to let Him be exactly that. I left my job at the end of August and came to ASOM in September. The rest is history. Now I'm about to head off with GC which leaves March 3rd!
If you would pray with me that all the teams about to leave on their various trips, including Greater Conversation, would be safe, that we would have many opportunities to lead people to Christ, and that we would see many people be transformed by the truth of God's Kingdom, that would be greatly appreciated!
If you would like to donate towards my missions tuition fund, checks can be mailed to the following address:
Atlanta School of Ministry
Att. Samantha Scott
P.O. Box 54532
Atlanta, GA 30308
If you would like to donate to me personally, funds can be sent to my PayPal email:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
Thank you for taking the time to read and invest in me! You are not only making a difference in my life, but in the lives of those around me.
Samantha
I know I had written earlier about not going to Australia and was instead moved to the Corporate team. This took a couple of days to adjust, but after that, I came to embrace the opportunity set out before me. The funds from the jobs worked in Miami would set me up quite nicely in finishing up this year's tuition, as well as put me in a good place for my second year.
Then, another opportunity was set out before me to intern with the missions department of the Dream Center, which my school is in connection with. This would be a paid internship and the funds raised there would also go directly towards my tuition.
So yeah! With both of these opportunities, I would be sitting pretty comfortably in regards to my missions tuition! But then...
I received news that I was being moved from Corporate to Greater Conversation (GC). GC is a team that travels all over the U.S. presenting the Kingdom message through stomp, step, drama, dance, worship, human video, prophetic art, and spoken word.
Then I received news that the internship would be bigger and more time consuming than I had in my schedule. At the end of the day it came down to internship, or WAP (Worship, Arts, Production). It was a difficult choice that I didn't make lightly. Although the internship would all the more set me up nicely, I came to ASOM specifically for WAP. I am aware of a big call on my life to be a worship leader and though I absolutely LOVE missions, right now is not the season for that.
Because I decided to not take the paid internship, I needed an option this summer that paid. I currently can't afford to not raise funds of my own for the coming year's tuition and for my own self to be sustained. Instead of taking the internship, there came an opportunity to work at a summer camp about 40 minutes from Atlanta. From what was discussed, the internship would have started now, at the tail end of my first year, through the summer, and into my second year. I'm unsure if by my third year I would be full-blown missions staff, or if I would be able to return to WAP. Regardless, I wouldn't graduate with the certificate I am currently working towards, and I would go without countless guitar, vocal, and piano lessons (what I plan to take next year), as well as opportunities to lead worship and grow in that gift.
Second year is crucial. It's the beginning of getting opportunities to lead worship bands. It's the deciding factor of what you do for your third year. There was no way I could miss this. But beyond that, I didn't sense that was what God was telling me to do. If it were, surely I would have stepped into what He was saying above my own desire.
The events that I have just described really speak to how I felt before I came here in August of 2016.
It was an ordinary day working in the Electronics Department of my local Meijer store. I was two weeks from quitting my job, and after doing all the calculations, I realized I was a little over $1,000 short. I thought to cancel my flight, take back my letter of resignation, and instead quit in January and come to ASOM then (as they have a January session). In that time, I would continue saving for school, and then I would have enough to cover my schooling. But then God spoke to me.
"Are you doing that so you won't have to rely on Me and instead rely on yourself like you've always done, or will you trust Me?"
That question stopped me. He's right. I have been leaning on myself a lot. As a naturally independent person, through experiences I've learned that the only one I can really depend on is me. On top of that, I didn't want to feel like I was asking people to pay for something that I should have been more intentional about saving for. However, that's not what He's called me to do.
He's called me to rally people around me to lift me up in prayer and financial support. He's called me to trust in Him completely as my true provider. I wasn't ever meant to take this journey alone. He is to be my provider like He always has been. Here was my opportunity to let Him be exactly that. I left my job at the end of August and came to ASOM in September. The rest is history. Now I'm about to head off with GC which leaves March 3rd!
If you would pray with me that all the teams about to leave on their various trips, including Greater Conversation, would be safe, that we would have many opportunities to lead people to Christ, and that we would see many people be transformed by the truth of God's Kingdom, that would be greatly appreciated!
If you would like to donate towards my missions tuition fund, checks can be mailed to the following address:
Atlanta School of Ministry
Att. Samantha Scott
P.O. Box 54532
Atlanta, GA 30308
If you would like to donate to me personally, funds can be sent to my PayPal email:
angelistic124@yahoo.com
Thank you for taking the time to read and invest in me! You are not only making a difference in my life, but in the lives of those around me.
Samantha
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Entry #4: Travel Trip (Talladega, AL)
Disclaimer: If you haven't read any of my past blog posts, please do so! It will greatly benefit you in understanding what I'm talking about.
One of the more well-known extracurricular activities here at ASOM is Travel. This group meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6pm to anywhere around 10pm at the latest. We learn and create stomps, steps, dramas, spoken words, and dances. We take what we know and divide into smaller teams and travel all over the U.S. going to camps, churches, and conventions. We perform these arts in front of people of all ages.
Since joining ASOM in September of 2016, more specifically the travel team, I've had the opportunity of traveling to Dexter, Georgia; Lansing, Michigan for Michigan Youth Convention; and more recently went to Talladega, Alabama for their Youth Quake retreat. It's this most recent trip I want to share with you.
It was a one-day travel trip. The day began with getting up early, getting out the door and on the road by 6:30am. It takes a little under two hours to get there. We eat a super good breakfast and head off to the morning session. In the morning we perform a dance and a drama about being unified. I get the wonderful privilege of doing the transition from the drama to the speaker. I've never done a transition before, but it goes relatively smooth despite it being my first time.
After the morning session, we head over to lunch. At lunch is when I meet this wonderful young woman of God you see pictured with me below:
This is Kaydence. She was quiet and shy. She sat alone, head lowered, focused on getting through the meal. As soon as I saw her, I knew it was my duty to go over and be a friend to her. I knew exactly how it was going to go. She would be closed off for a little while, but sooner or later, the more I asked questions about her life and shared about mine, her head would lift and we'd be laughing. I was in great anticipation for this moment.
When it came, we laughed and shared more about our lives with each other. Our time was cut a little short and I had to leave in order to prepare for the afternoon session with the rest of the team. Before I left the table, she asked me, "Will you sit with me at dinner?" To which I responded with a resounding, "Yes!"
After the afternoon session, the team and I hung out for a bit. We set up a target and took turns shooting at it with a bow and arrow (turns out I was a pretty good shot, though I'm not too surprised because I am pretty good with a handgun too). This went on until about dinner time.
At dinner, you can assume that I sat with Kaydence, and I did! She shared more with me about her family and thanked me for sitting with her. From what I remembered her telling me, she did have a few friends, but when a traumatic event happened in her life, her friends left. She thanked me for showing her what a true friend looks like.
She also let me know how good it felt to laugh again. Since that traumatic event, she hadn't laughed a whole lot. We then headed to the evening service, and seeing her worship with so much freedom and joy really touched my life. Before the team and I left to head back to Atlanta, she ran up to me and hugged me so tight.
Keep in mind I only got to spend not even a whole day with her! I wish we could have been there for all three days. But I really want to encourage you, the reader, to never underestimate the impact you can make in someones life in one day. You really do have the power to change their perspective when you make yourself available to what God wants to do.
Be encouraged, and reach out to those around you. Be intentional. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Don't lean on your own understanding, but have your mind constantly renewed by the Creator.
This is the ministry I am called to. If you'd like to partner with me, specifically financially, you can send gifts to:(Tuition: A little over $2,000 left to have my first year paid for!)
Atlanta School of Ministry
Att. Samantha Scott
PO Box 54532
Atlanta, GA 30308
Personal gifts can be sent electronically through my PayPal email: angelistic124@yahoo.com
Anything sent will be greatly appreciated and dealt with according to how you wish.
Thanks for reading 😊
~Samantha
One of the more well-known extracurricular activities here at ASOM is Travel. This group meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6pm to anywhere around 10pm at the latest. We learn and create stomps, steps, dramas, spoken words, and dances. We take what we know and divide into smaller teams and travel all over the U.S. going to camps, churches, and conventions. We perform these arts in front of people of all ages.
Since joining ASOM in September of 2016, more specifically the travel team, I've had the opportunity of traveling to Dexter, Georgia; Lansing, Michigan for Michigan Youth Convention; and more recently went to Talladega, Alabama for their Youth Quake retreat. It's this most recent trip I want to share with you.
It was a one-day travel trip. The day began with getting up early, getting out the door and on the road by 6:30am. It takes a little under two hours to get there. We eat a super good breakfast and head off to the morning session. In the morning we perform a dance and a drama about being unified. I get the wonderful privilege of doing the transition from the drama to the speaker. I've never done a transition before, but it goes relatively smooth despite it being my first time.
After the morning session, we head over to lunch. At lunch is when I meet this wonderful young woman of God you see pictured with me below:
When it came, we laughed and shared more about our lives with each other. Our time was cut a little short and I had to leave in order to prepare for the afternoon session with the rest of the team. Before I left the table, she asked me, "Will you sit with me at dinner?" To which I responded with a resounding, "Yes!"
After the afternoon session, the team and I hung out for a bit. We set up a target and took turns shooting at it with a bow and arrow (turns out I was a pretty good shot, though I'm not too surprised because I am pretty good with a handgun too). This went on until about dinner time.
At dinner, you can assume that I sat with Kaydence, and I did! She shared more with me about her family and thanked me for sitting with her. From what I remembered her telling me, she did have a few friends, but when a traumatic event happened in her life, her friends left. She thanked me for showing her what a true friend looks like.
She also let me know how good it felt to laugh again. Since that traumatic event, she hadn't laughed a whole lot. We then headed to the evening service, and seeing her worship with so much freedom and joy really touched my life. Before the team and I left to head back to Atlanta, she ran up to me and hugged me so tight.
Keep in mind I only got to spend not even a whole day with her! I wish we could have been there for all three days. But I really want to encourage you, the reader, to never underestimate the impact you can make in someones life in one day. You really do have the power to change their perspective when you make yourself available to what God wants to do.
Be encouraged, and reach out to those around you. Be intentional. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Don't lean on your own understanding, but have your mind constantly renewed by the Creator.
This is the ministry I am called to. If you'd like to partner with me, specifically financially, you can send gifts to:(Tuition: A little over $2,000 left to have my first year paid for!)
Atlanta School of Ministry
Att. Samantha Scott
PO Box 54532
Atlanta, GA 30308
Personal gifts can be sent electronically through my PayPal email: angelistic124@yahoo.com
Anything sent will be greatly appreciated and dealt with according to how you wish.
Thanks for reading 😊
~Samantha
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Entry #3: Australia?
Disclaimer: If you haven't read any of my previous blog posts, please do so! It will benefit you greatly in understanding what I'm talking about if you do.😊
Hey everyone! For those of you who don't know, every year for 4th wave at ASOM, there is such a thing called '4th Wave Missons'. This is where we set aside an entire wave (roughly about 6-7 weeks) to various ministries across the world and even here in the U.S.! We have teams going to Australia, India, Africa, California, Midwest, Louisiana, and there was a corporate team, but they decided to remove that option.
The selection process started with each student writing down their top three choices of where they felt God was leading them to go. These papers were collected and prayerfully considered by all of staff. A few weeks later, the teams were formed. Each student was given an envelope with their name on it and a colored square in it. This colored square led to a picture on one of the walls in the sanctuary. On the back of the picture was the name of our location.
I received my envelope with my name on it. I began opening it with my best friend Jordyn next to me.
"It's blue! Your color is blue!" She said.
"What? No way.. There's no way it's blue." I denied because I knew what that meant. I didn't want to believe what that meant. What it meant was something scary to me. You'll know why as you keep reading.
I opened the envelope. Inside there was exactly what Jordyn said; a blue square. I looked to where the blue card meant. It was a picture of water taped to the sound booth in the back of the sanctuary. And there stood Becca, a girl I knew would be leading/co-leading the trip. I'm not sure what to feel. I feel overwhelmed and as if I'm about to pass out. This trip by no means would be cheap.
Five of us gather around the blue picture. At the count of three we're allowed to turn over the image and be clearly revealed where we are to go. One... Two... Three!
Yup, that's right, Australia. You probably won't be able to see it on my face, but behind that smile, I'm really unsure of what to feel. I knew it meant I'd have to raise almost as much as my first year tuition, which was daunting in itself, and now this on top of that? What the heck?!
Now, I know my God is the true provider. I know $4,000 is pocket change compared to the mega banks He owns, but for little me living in Atlanta, and not having a normal job to help pay for this tremendously generating some serious fear. After a while I accept the fact that if this is where God wants me to go, He will provide. I rested in that. I reminded myself of that.
However, because I don't have my first year paid off quite yet, I've been informed of a new opportunity. The Corporate Team was added back and I was now selected to be a part of that. Let me tell you... I struggled so hard to maintain a good attitude about being taken off Australia (trip of my dreams) and moved to staying state side. I told God over and over again that I wanted to have a genuinely good attitude towards this change. After all, I'm in love with God and whatever He wants me to do, say, or go, you better believe I'm going to do just that.
On the flip side, I did get a little upset at this news. I thought to myself, "Man, what the heck, God? First you call me to a trip so impossible and now you take it away and send me to work until my feet don't want to be feet anymore. Why did you do this?" I realized I began to become almost bitter about this. And this behavior was not something I wanted to rule over this situation. God gives AND takes away. But that doesn't make Him a bad God.
I soon repented of my bitterness and asked over and over for Him to create in me a spirit that was happy about this opportunity. That I now get the chance to stay somewhere super nice (from what I'm told), work closer with people who need to hear about Jesus in the workforce, pay off my tuition, and, if I'm fortunate enough, make some tips so I might continue living this missionary life. Also, if I pay off my current tuition, the funds raised while working will automatically go towards my next year of school! Not only that, but this doesn't cost anything extra!
The more I focus on that, the less I focus on what I want. I'm sure I'll go to Australia one day, but for now, I'm content with going wherever the Lord says, "Go."
Thanks for reading this post and being a part of this journey with me!😄
~Samantha
Hey everyone! For those of you who don't know, every year for 4th wave at ASOM, there is such a thing called '4th Wave Missons'. This is where we set aside an entire wave (roughly about 6-7 weeks) to various ministries across the world and even here in the U.S.! We have teams going to Australia, India, Africa, California, Midwest, Louisiana, and there was a corporate team, but they decided to remove that option.
The selection process started with each student writing down their top three choices of where they felt God was leading them to go. These papers were collected and prayerfully considered by all of staff. A few weeks later, the teams were formed. Each student was given an envelope with their name on it and a colored square in it. This colored square led to a picture on one of the walls in the sanctuary. On the back of the picture was the name of our location.
I received my envelope with my name on it. I began opening it with my best friend Jordyn next to me.
"It's blue! Your color is blue!" She said.
"What? No way.. There's no way it's blue." I denied because I knew what that meant. I didn't want to believe what that meant. What it meant was something scary to me. You'll know why as you keep reading.
I opened the envelope. Inside there was exactly what Jordyn said; a blue square. I looked to where the blue card meant. It was a picture of water taped to the sound booth in the back of the sanctuary. And there stood Becca, a girl I knew would be leading/co-leading the trip. I'm not sure what to feel. I feel overwhelmed and as if I'm about to pass out. This trip by no means would be cheap.
Five of us gather around the blue picture. At the count of three we're allowed to turn over the image and be clearly revealed where we are to go. One... Two... Three!
Now, I know my God is the true provider. I know $4,000 is pocket change compared to the mega banks He owns, but for little me living in Atlanta, and not having a normal job to help pay for this tremendously generating some serious fear. After a while I accept the fact that if this is where God wants me to go, He will provide. I rested in that. I reminded myself of that.
However, because I don't have my first year paid off quite yet, I've been informed of a new opportunity. The Corporate Team was added back and I was now selected to be a part of that. Let me tell you... I struggled so hard to maintain a good attitude about being taken off Australia (trip of my dreams) and moved to staying state side. I told God over and over again that I wanted to have a genuinely good attitude towards this change. After all, I'm in love with God and whatever He wants me to do, say, or go, you better believe I'm going to do just that.
On the flip side, I did get a little upset at this news. I thought to myself, "Man, what the heck, God? First you call me to a trip so impossible and now you take it away and send me to work until my feet don't want to be feet anymore. Why did you do this?" I realized I began to become almost bitter about this. And this behavior was not something I wanted to rule over this situation. God gives AND takes away. But that doesn't make Him a bad God.
I soon repented of my bitterness and asked over and over for Him to create in me a spirit that was happy about this opportunity. That I now get the chance to stay somewhere super nice (from what I'm told), work closer with people who need to hear about Jesus in the workforce, pay off my tuition, and, if I'm fortunate enough, make some tips so I might continue living this missionary life. Also, if I pay off my current tuition, the funds raised while working will automatically go towards my next year of school! Not only that, but this doesn't cost anything extra!
The more I focus on that, the less I focus on what I want. I'm sure I'll go to Australia one day, but for now, I'm content with going wherever the Lord says, "Go."
Thanks for reading this post and being a part of this journey with me!😄
~Samantha
Entry #2: Atlanta School of Ministry
How did I hear about Atlanta School of Ministry (ASOM)? This question goes back to summer of 2015. I was volunteering at Lost Valley Bible Camp in Gaylord, MI as a Junior High Group Leader. A team from ASOM was there representing their school and performing arts before the daily services. I thought they were cool, but I didn't think they had what I was looking for. The first couple days of the week long camp I walked past the booth barely looking at what they had to offer. Then one day I saw a banner that listed all the different arts they do. I took special notice of the fact that they had a worship program.
At the next meal I decided to take a closer look at what they offered. Here I met a student named Alix. We became good friends and I filled out an information card, hesitant on checking whether I wanted them to mail me information about the school. He encouraged me to look up the school online, and when I got home at the end of that week, I did just that. What I read on the website amazed me. What amazed me the most was how low the financial cost it was to attend a school so far away!
With this information, I consulted my parents. Let's just say they weren't the most ecstatic about it😅. I allowed this to dictate that maybe I shouldn't go to the school. After a bit of thinking this, I began having dreams about being at ASOM. I felt in my heart that was where God was calling me to go. I noticed on the website that there was a thing called Campus Days. I decide completely on my own to sign up and visit the school. I save up some money, purchase a plane ticket, and decide to not inform my parents on any of this. I write on the calendar the date I'm leaving and leave it at that.
November comes around, and finally my mom sees what I wrote on the calendar. At first, my parents were very upset that I did this without informing them. I am sorry I did that, but I didn't want to be talked out of this. I had to see if this was really what God was calling me to or not. My dad reminded me that I'm not going down there to sign up for classes, just going there to check out the school. I agreed to this and when I got to ASOM, I looked around and thought, "Really, God? THIS is where you're calling me?" I'll leave it at that my thought was not one of shock and awe like it later became. It became that way through the times of worship I got to participate in.
After one of the sessions, Dan Palmer came over to me and shared with me what he saw the Lord speaking to him. I was greatly encouraged by what he said and then I came into agreement with God that this was certainly where He was calling me. Since getting home from that, my parents were still not sold on the idea of me going to Atlanta for school. I'm saddened by their lack of support, but am still encouraged by Alix to come to the school. I decide to work towards going to ASOM in the fall of 2016.
Pulling myself up by my bootstraps, I work with endurance towards this. I send out support letters asking friends and family to join me in this wonderful journey the Lord is taking me on.
I can't tell you how absolutely happy I am to finally be here. It feels like I've wanted to be here for years longer than reality. Is it everything I thought it would be? No. It far surpasses that. Here I am learning so much about who I am as a person, who God really is, God's Kingdom, and my place/role in His Kingdom.
I want to extend to you an opportunity to join me in this journey. I'm just a little over $2,000 away from having my first year completely paid off! If you'd like to partner with me in this way, you can mail checks to: Atlanta School of Ministry, PO Box 54532, Atlanta, GA 30308 and put the name 'Samantha Scott' in the memo line.
Thank you for taking the time to read this entry and being a part of this wonderful journey!
~Samantha 😄
At the next meal I decided to take a closer look at what they offered. Here I met a student named Alix. We became good friends and I filled out an information card, hesitant on checking whether I wanted them to mail me information about the school. He encouraged me to look up the school online, and when I got home at the end of that week, I did just that. What I read on the website amazed me. What amazed me the most was how low the financial cost it was to attend a school so far away!
With this information, I consulted my parents. Let's just say they weren't the most ecstatic about it😅. I allowed this to dictate that maybe I shouldn't go to the school. After a bit of thinking this, I began having dreams about being at ASOM. I felt in my heart that was where God was calling me to go. I noticed on the website that there was a thing called Campus Days. I decide completely on my own to sign up and visit the school. I save up some money, purchase a plane ticket, and decide to not inform my parents on any of this. I write on the calendar the date I'm leaving and leave it at that.
November comes around, and finally my mom sees what I wrote on the calendar. At first, my parents were very upset that I did this without informing them. I am sorry I did that, but I didn't want to be talked out of this. I had to see if this was really what God was calling me to or not. My dad reminded me that I'm not going down there to sign up for classes, just going there to check out the school. I agreed to this and when I got to ASOM, I looked around and thought, "Really, God? THIS is where you're calling me?" I'll leave it at that my thought was not one of shock and awe like it later became. It became that way through the times of worship I got to participate in.
After one of the sessions, Dan Palmer came over to me and shared with me what he saw the Lord speaking to him. I was greatly encouraged by what he said and then I came into agreement with God that this was certainly where He was calling me. Since getting home from that, my parents were still not sold on the idea of me going to Atlanta for school. I'm saddened by their lack of support, but am still encouraged by Alix to come to the school. I decide to work towards going to ASOM in the fall of 2016.
Pulling myself up by my bootstraps, I work with endurance towards this. I send out support letters asking friends and family to join me in this wonderful journey the Lord is taking me on.
I can't tell you how absolutely happy I am to finally be here. It feels like I've wanted to be here for years longer than reality. Is it everything I thought it would be? No. It far surpasses that. Here I am learning so much about who I am as a person, who God really is, God's Kingdom, and my place/role in His Kingdom.
I want to extend to you an opportunity to join me in this journey. I'm just a little over $2,000 away from having my first year completely paid off! If you'd like to partner with me in this way, you can mail checks to: Atlanta School of Ministry, PO Box 54532, Atlanta, GA 30308 and put the name 'Samantha Scott' in the memo line.
Thank you for taking the time to read this entry and being a part of this wonderful journey!
~Samantha 😄
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