Netherlands Pics

Upcoming Concert

I am SO excited to announce an upcoming event. Some friends have volunteered to help me with a Benefit concert to raise money for me!

Here are the details:

Worship Concert
When: On Saturday, February 20th
What Time: 7pm
Where: Life Assembly of God, 2409 Clearwater Rd, St. Cloud, MN, 56301

Cost: Free--- there will be a Free-Will offering taken.

Please come! Invite everyone and anyone- you will not be disappointed. The people that are playing and singing with me are absolutely phenominal vocalists and instrumentalists!

Blessings- Hope to see you there!!

If you have any questions, please email me: aliciathomassen@gmail.com

~A

Faith Promises

To get back to the Netherlands by the end of February, it will take: Faith, money, and prayer!

Financially, I need:


25 people who can commit $25 per month
35 people who can commit $20 per month
50 people who can commit $15 per month
60 people who can commit $10 per month
Will YOU be one of these people?!


Please email me at: aliciathomassen@gmail.com for more information -OR- read the preceeding blog about how to go online to sign-up. I need to get these faith promises in as soon as possible so that I can leave asap!

And don't forget- you are not limited by the amounts listed above- if you want to give more, or less.. that's wonderful!


God bless you. And I Love you!


~A

I like things to be easy...

Don't you? I think we all like something that isn't hard to figure out or do. Like bill-paying----- we all "get" to do that, and really, it's not all that fun. BUT.. I like the feature that some bills allow, which is direct withdrawals from your bank. That way, you're never late paying a bill, because it is always done for you. How easy is that?

Well, in honour of technology as we know it today, the mission that I work through has made it just THAT simple for you to support ME in my ministry! How awesome is that!? I know, amazing.. You can make your monthly donations online here, or you can have them take them out for you on a credit card. OR you can give random offerings anytime you please by going to this link:


https://secure1.ag.org/contributions/detail.cfm?LedgerID=f76e503a-c7d5-4a7e-87ab-06d2be661bbb

If clicking on it does not work, then you can copy and paste it into your web browser, and it should work just fine! Just make sure that my name is on the page!

OK, that's all for now.. I hope that I have made your life a little bit easier ;)

~A

FLU!

November 6th was just supposed to be a normal day. I had been at my friends' rehearsal dinner the night before. Friday was just going to be a relaxing day, preparing to sing 2 songs at their wedding.

I woke up, and felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on me. I was coughing, had a fever, my chest hurt with congestion.. just an all-around yuck that slammed me that morning. I stayed in bed all day, drinking water and tea, and sucking on cough drops, just hoping and praying that I would be able to sing at 5PM!! I made it to the church around 4:15. I sang the first verse of both songs for a sound check, and then stayed away from people as much as I could so that I wouldn't transfer any SICK to them!! The wedding coordinator was a gem- she brought me some hot water and 2 tea bags, and kept checking on me to make sure I would be O.K.! Other people in the wedding party and family of the soon-to-be-betrothed checked on me too. I wanted to crawl back home, but my friends were MORE important than sleeping at that point!

Somehow.. I made it through the service--- sang BOTH songs without coughing or sneezing or having to blow my nose in the middle--- and did a decent job of being on pitch too! haha. It was a gooooooood moment, and a good ceremony!

Afterwards, I said hello to a few people, then went straight home: Do not pass go, do not eat reception meal... only HOT lemon-honey water, cough drops, and SLEEP!

It was a miserable few weeks. I called the FLU hotline, gave them my symptoms and they said PLEASE STAY HOME, you have H1N1! SO I called a clinic for a second opinion, and they said the same thing. I don't think I saw anyone for 10 days because of that thing!

Eventually everything went away, except the cough. I still am getting over that, but it is FINALLY almost completely gone, hallelujah!

Unfortunately being out of 'commission' for 2 weeks served to put me majorly behind in EVERYTHING! So.. if you have emailed me or sent me a check/faith promise--- DON'T Worry! I have not forgotten about you, and I WILL get back to you SOON!! :)

That is all for now :) Hugs all!

~A

Stop Trying and Just Start.

One time I was in church, and my Pastor was talking about tithing. The tithe is 10% of one's income that the Bible talks about giving to the church. Anyway, he was saying how not everyone does this, but should, et cetera.. and he said something that has always stuck with me- basically he said: 'stop trying to make up for what you haven't done so far, and just start fresh from today..'.. this is loosely quoted, because this was many many years ago. However, the point being that instead of just trying and trying and trying to catch up with what we haven't done up until now, we should just start from right here, and do it right, and be faithful about it- from right HERE!

Now a quick little disclaimer is this: don't use THAT as an excuse to not do what God is asking you to do- if He is convicting you to catch up or make amends or whatever, then do so. Sometimes He wants us to do that, and instill more discipline and learn about consequences, et cetera..a

Moving on- I like to make things right. And sometimes I will spend all my energy trying to re-do everything I've done or haven't done, and make up for all that "FAILures" I've had.. and then I don't have time to do what I need to do NOW.. and then I get more behind, and bleh, what a big mess! I haven't kept up with this Blog the way I would like t0-- I haven't been exercising like I'd like to- haven't been doing this and doing that and reading this and writing that and.. and.. AND................

STRESS!! Why do I need Thee??

Oh.. I don't. I am a human, and I will fail sometimes. It's as simple as that.

From here on out, I am going to work at keeping up with my blog rather than trying to catch up, which I have been trying to do- and haven't been really successful at! :)

Now, I am going to bed! Blessings...

~A

Window-with-a-View? Coming right up!

Yesterday, I had my second official "church window" in Wisconsin. I'm still getting the hang of this whole itinerating-on-my-own thing. The main thing that I'm focusing on- technically speaking- is talking slower. I'm not really nervous talking in front of people, unless it's to people that I really know and haven't spoken in front of before... that's the most nerve-wracking. But yesterday I was at a church that I've been to many times, I am comfortable with the people, and I know them well enough not to be nervous! I don't get it, but that's how I am. . . Anyway, someone gave my parents some advice for me a couple weeks ago that I should take a deep breath, and slow down when I'm talking.. So I've been working on that- and not just when I'm standing up in front of a crowd- but also in my every-day life!

Anyway, I think it went well- at least I can sing and make people happy with that, hehe ;) I sang a song that I really felt LED to sing, but I wasn't sure it was really missions' oriented.. but turns out, it was! Talked about not going somewhere without God-- and not the idea that He isn't Omnipresent, because He is.. but rather that I want to be where He wants me to be--- because ultimately, I know He has the best plan for my life.. so I choose to seek and find that.

So that's what I'm learning :) And the Pastor (oh, he's my Uncle!) gave me some pointers that I think were good, so I'll keep on refining my "windows" and keep sharing when opportunities arise!

Speaking of opportunities.. Did you know that I am planning to go back to the Netherlands for more of a long-term "assignment".. and that I can't do that without your prayers, and without financial support? And that I'm willing to receive both from you!? :) So.. please think about investing in me and the ministry God has called me to do! And don't get trapped in the thoughts that "___" amount of money won't make a difference.. EverY.. yes, EVERY Bit Counts... Contact me anyway you'd like ok. Here, or "regular" email: aliciathomassen@gmail.com .. no matter what, You Are A Blessing To Me, and I Love You For It :)

Peace be upon you.. =)
~A

Prayer Cards Are Here!

This morning I woke up, and my Dad handed me a box that had come in the mail.. and in it were my business-prayer cards! That was quick! They look awesome, I'm quite happy with them.

I'm in shock though, looking at them.. it seems surreal. Not exactly sure why, but it's weird. And not in a bad way, it's just--- different! haha.aa.a. :)

I'll be speaking at my Uncle's church on Sunday- I've been there before, and they are such a welcoming church, and supportive in every way! I'd appreciate prayer for all of that, as I'm preparing, traveling there, for them to hear what God wants them to hear.. et cetera :)

OK, that's it- gotta keep goin'! Hugs allemaal :)

~A

This and That

I've been working on designing some prayer cards, and finally put the order in. My parents ordered something from the company, and I wanted to see how it turned out before I ordered anything- and their stuff turned out great! I'm glad to have that done with. Now just to wait- they'll be about a week in getting here..

Another thing that I've been working on is gathering paperwork for applying for my visa into the country. I have no idea how long of a visa I can get- and I know that it can be a challenge to even be approved for a visa! So please be praying as God leads for that!

I've been hearing great reports from my friends in NL about different activities the churches have been putting on- so very exciting to hear about! And somehow, my heart aches to be there and be a part of all that..

Yet, Isaiah 40:31 is a good reminder to me that God's timing is perfect, "Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary". (NASB). I know that my time here in the States is important in many ways, and I am so glad to be here. One reason that I am here is for refining- I think Hebrews 12 says it well, verses 10-11, "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it". (NIV) I'm not ashamed or embarrassed to say that I have been undergoing some discipline here in these past few months- rather, I give glory to God that He sees it worthwhile to spend "time" on me, to invest in me so that greater things can come from all this! I am so thankful for His grace and mercy- and strength!

Blessings and Love to all. Be encouraged wherever you are at right now reading this.. that God is there too, even if everything around you says that He isn't. Hugs :)

~A

Finally!!

I know, you are saying "finally, an update"! I agree, it has been WAY too long, and WAY OVERDUE! So here I am, for a quick update on life.

In April I was in the middle of my second 3-month term as a MAPS worker in the Netherlands. I was thinking about my future, and whether I should make it a more permanent commitment or not. I decided to do the old "walk through the door until God closes it" and see where that would take me. I would apply to come back for a 1-year commitment, and see if I was accepted and approved.

I talked to my missionary couple that I work with, and they were excited and on board with the idea. So I emailed some people and started applying... Long story short, I was accepted and approved after about 5-6 weeks of paperwork, et cetera. Woohoo!

June 1st I came back to the States and was in Minnesota for a little less than 2 weeks. I left June 13th and drove down to Missouri with a fellow MA (Missionary Associate, my new, official title) for 2 weeks of training, and one extra week of visiting. The next 3 weeks were incredible: I met and made many new friends, and had a great experience connecting with people that were experiencing many of the same things I am at this time in my life. I was also priviledged to visit several family, as well as several people that had been over to NL for missions' trips (2 different trips, 2 different groups of people from Missouri!). All in all, it was a wonderful trip. My parents and I drove back to MN together- making a stop in KC to visit my cousins, and then in ND for a town celebration and 2 church services. We got back to MN pooped out, but full of a wonderful trip!

So.. here I am, working on raising funds to go back to NL. God has continually opened doors for me, and I know He is preparing me to go back. I can't do it alone! I need your prayers and financial help to do this! With God leading us, we can all achieve what we were put on this earth for.. :)

Hugs to all my friends and family.

~A