"He is not here; He is risen!" -Luke 24:5

This statement, is more than the climax of the Easter story. It is the very reason we live. I am so thankful for a day like today, to praise God for the gift of love and victory over sin that is saving the world. I can't even begin to wrap my mind around what happened at Calvary and yet, by His grace, He has given me enough understanding to change my life and give me something to live for. I pray that the power of His death and return to life never becomes dull to us but that it daily fills us with love, thanks and humility as it guides everything we do, think and say.

On that note, I can not even begin to say how excited I am about this upcoming summer but I will give it a shot! This past Friday night, the group of U of A kids going to Juneau all got together to hang out and talk about our upcoming summer. Sam, the other Arkansas girl going on project, and I cooked dinner for 5 of the 6 guys from our school who are going on the Juneau Mens' Project (Jacob, you were missed). Robert and Steven both went on project last summer and are returning as part of the staff for this summer's project. It was cool to hear stories about their experiences from last summer. One of the things I am looking forward to most and really hope to see is a whale bubble feeding. For those of you who have no idea what that is, I hope to capture some pictures that I can share with you. Preparations for the trip are coming along nicely. Through the generous support of friends and family, I have presently raised an even $500. There is still a ways to go before the cost of the trip is covered, but it has been so cool to watch God provide.
After much deliberation and strategizing about the best way to get from Dallas to Juneau, I settled on flying to Alaska and have booked a flight with fellow Razorback, Jacob Smith. I am grateful for a travel buddy to keep me company and Jacob, a first-time flier, is hoping I will save him from ending up in Russia, or really anywhere but Juneau!
Thanks again, for the encouragement through your prayers and financial support. I am so grateful for every bit of it!

Here is a list of the names of the U of A students traveling to Alaska this summer. Please pray for them also, as they are going to be a crucial part of my ministry this summer. They each appreciate your prayers the same way that I do.

-Samantha
-Robert
-Steven
-Caleb
-Chase
-Brandon
-Jacob