UC Students Use Increasing Opportunities to be International Missionaries

Every day students give up the comforts of home to enter foreign countries and share the light of Christ with others. This may be through sports, feeding the hungry, bandaging a wound or simply sharing an encouraging word, smile or touch. Some go for weeks, some go for months and some go for a lifetime.

Generations ago, being an international missionary meant a lifelong commitment to live in a foreign land with limited access to the civilized world. The word “missionary” generated names like Lottie Moon and Mother Teresa – people who dedicated their lives to foreign missions.

While this is still one kind of missions, today those seeking to witness internationally are no longer bound to this long term idea.

Students from the University of the Cumberlands are included in this list of missionaries. When asked why they wanted to serve overseas, they offered various reasons.

“I went to Guatemala this summer through my church. We spent 10 days in a village outside of Guatemala City called Tabacal,” said sophomore Courtney Fout. “I’ve always had a desire to serve people in need, and God laid out an opportunity for me to go international this past summer, and He provided every need.”

Junior Katie Smith said, “I went to Trinidad this summer for 12 days…God has been developing a passion in me for international missions for the past several years. I began praying for an opportunity to serve God internationally at the end of the summer of 2008. When I was told about the trip to Trinidad, I immediately began to pray about whether that was an opportunity that God was opening the door to.”

Opportunities to students today desiring to serve overseas are unlimited. The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention alone sent 5,226 students on missions overseas in 2008. The various routes to international missions include but are not limited to: independent church trips, sports groups such as the International Sports Federation, religious groups such as Pioneers and Serving in Missions and medical groups such as the Center for Medical Missions. These groups organize teams of students to serve as international missionaries for weeks, months or years.

Because there are so many organizations sending students internationally, the doors to foreign missions have been opened wide to today’s generation of students.

To one UC student, junior Lindsey Jones, a two-week mission trip to Uganda this past summer was the realization of a lifelong dream. She had always wanted to go to Africa, and when she heard Amanda Walton, UC Admissions Counselor, speak at a Baptist Campus Ministries meeting last semester about her mission trip to Kenya with the International Sports Federation, Jones knew it was her opportunity to get involved.

Jones contacted the Federation, applied and was assigned to a team of strangers. After receiving multiple vaccines in the form of shots and pills and acquiring a passport, Jones joined with her team for the 28 hour journey to Uganda.

“I’m carrying Your hope to Africa…Wow, how long I’ve dreamed of this,” Jones wrote in her prayer journal during the first of many flights on the journey.

During her stay in Uganda, Jones’ team used sports as a tool to connect and share the message of Christ with children in schools and orphanages in many villages.

“It’s a lot easier to be passionate about something than to look your passion in the eyes,” Jones wrote upon her first experiences with the African people.

Lasting impressions were made on the people in Africa who were touched by the mission team. However, the mission team was impacted equally if not more by what they experienced.

Jones wrote in her prayer journal, “You are moved and filled with compassion when one young, sweaty, shoeless African boy calls out to You. You are moved when a country like Uganda seeks Your face when malaria, starvation, malnutrition, AIDS, pollution, political corruption and violence surround them. You are moved when a 20-year-old woman from the U.S. cries out to You on a tear stained pillow in Africa.”

UC students are learning that they can make a difference.

Opportunities to fulfill desires to serve on the foreign mission field are more accessible than ever before. However, these trips must be taken very seriously. Before entering a foreign land, participants must take whatever vaccines are necessary for the area they will be visiting. Often, missionaries still fall ill on the field, and medical care is not efficient or easily accessed.

Jones, for example, was sick from dehydration for three days of her trip. She was forced to spend that time in quarrantine in an African hotel, unable to call home.

Participants must also get a passport and raise enough funds for travel expenses, which can equal thousands of dollars. In addition, foreign missions often take place in areas where the Gospel is not accepted. Missionaries enter lands where Christianity is hated, war has swept over the country and disease kills millions, not to mention the physical and mental exhaustion that the missionaries endure.

Luke 10:2 says, “…the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Today’s generation of students are taking a risk and answering the call to become a worker for the Lord through foreign missions. Some go and return with the experience of a lifetime. Some go and realize their need to go back for a lifetime of experience.

“Play On” by Carrie Underwood Review

Just like my mother’s chocolate chip cookies, every good thing starts with a recipe and ingredients. In the case of 2005 “American Idol” winner and country singer Carrie Underwood, it takes a special recipe to create award winning albums year after year.

Underwood released her third album, “Play On”, on Nov. 3, 2009. It was produced by Mark Bright at Arista Records in Nashville, with the majority of the songs being written by Underwood herself.

Underwood has been known in the past for topping the charts with her soulful love ballads and upbeat man-hating songs, and this album is sure to fit that mold.

So what are the ingredients for a chart topping Underwood album? A mixture of angry break up songs, family directed and inspirational songs and songs about leaving and loving are on the list. These ingredients seem to be present on each of Underwood’s albums, and “Play On” is just another slice of the pie.

The album kicks off with a sultry man-hating song about a man Underwood refers to as a “Cowboy Casanova.” While in her previous album, “Before He Cheats” warns the man to think before he acts, in the upbeat “Cowboy Casanova,” Underwood warns the females to look out for this suave deceptive man referring to him as a “drug” and a “disease.”

“Mama’s Song” is a song written to a mother from her daughter. It is a strong and heartfelt song that depicts a girl telling her mother that she has found the man she is going to marry. She encourages her mother to be happy because “he treats your little girl like a real man should.” This ballad is soft and gentle and sure to be a tear jerker for all of the listeners who are mothers. It sounds like Underwood is actually singing to her mama.

As always, Underwood tries to use her position to influence and inspire her audience. The song “Change” boldly challenges the thoughts that a single person can’t change the world. It encourages her listeners to take advantage of small opportunities in their lives to help out someone in need, such as giving change to a needy woman or sponsoring a child in another country. The strength of Underwood’s voice is evident as she belts out her plea that we can change the world.

A country album would not be complete without heartbreak. In the song “Someday When I Stop Loving You,” a broken romance has left the singer alone watching her partner move on. She claims she’ll move one just as he did someday when the “grass turns blue.” While the song is smooth and not “twangy” like classic country songs, the message of the song is country to the core.

“Look at Me” is a love song toward the end of “Play On.” It is a sugary sweet ballad in which the singer becomes completely transparent in front of her lover. She is brutally honest - hopelessly in love and cannot hide it. The song is slow and sappy, and just what you want to hear your significant other say to you.

While the ingredients in a Carrie Underwood album are capable of selling millions of records and winning many awards, the recipe is not unique to Underwood. Nashville produces hundreds of artists each year such as Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift who are criticized for this very recipe. The recipe is accused of being predictable and boring. However, I call it genius and just what the fans are looking for.

The fact of the matter is that “Play On” is not an album for the risk taker. It is poppy and predictable. If you are searching for the next big change in country music, this is not it.

But to me, the bottom line is that as a Carrie Underwood fan, it is exactly what I wanted. While outsiders may not enjoy the combination of love and angry songs with a few tear jerkers thrown in, to the Underwood follower, it is the perfect mix. There is a song for the broken hearted, the lovesick and the humanitarian.

To anyone who is a country music fan, Carrie Underwood fan or simply a lover of a strong, beautiful and pure voice, I highly recommend “Play On.” Once the timer is up, you will not be disappointed with what Nashville has popped out of their oven this time.

Lost in the Moment

As a requirement for class, I have been assigned to write four blogs on a single topic. My original plan was to write on chocolate, my love; however, later that day, my other love, Anthony, decided to pop the question.

I'm engaged.

I immediately found myself thrust into a whirlwind of bridal magazines and planning websites. While I am lost in the photographs, advice and opinions of others, there is only one person I am concerned about, my fiancé, who sits next to me, offering a single responce with a smile, "Whatever you want."

Hopefully you will find my posts informative and enjoyable as you follow me through the joys and stress of wedding planning.

Wedding Planning 101

Google the word “wedding.” What do you find? Words like dresses, venues, cakes, centerpieces, tuxedos, rings, vows, reception and decorations pop up, not to mention advice outside the online world such as books, magazines, parents, cousins and random people in the grocery store who want to tell you how to plan your wedding. The resources are endless.

While these are useful resources for someone who is planning a wedding, it can be extremely overwhelming to the beginner.

As with most anything in life, the best way to keep from being bogged down by the wedding information overload is to stay organized. There are many websites that provide interactive checklists or allow you to create your own including The Knot, Wedding Wire and Martha Stewart Weddings. These lists enable you to keep up with dates, appointments and deadlines, which lessen stress and lead to a more enjoyable engagement.

A second tip on how to keep from drowning in a sea of wedding trivia is to keep all of your information in one place, according to the Bridal Association of America. Once you begin acquiring photographs, receipts, cards and brochures, it is best to file them by category so they are not lost and are easily retrieved when needed.

Finally, the planning of the wedding is often left up to the bride and her friends and family, while the groom sits back and waits for the big day. According to The Knot, “the best way to get things done” is for both the bride and groom to share the work load. This can be done by simply dividing the to-do list in half – each taking what he or she is interested in doing. By doing this, the work load is not only lightened, but the groom becomes involved in the planning experience.

These tips can help you stay afloat in the world of wedding information. Happy Planning!

Wedding on a Budget: Going Cheap Without Looking Cheap

The average cost of a wedding in America now exceeds $20,000, according to Sell More Weddings. This huge price tag put on such a special day can be intimidating and a bit depressing for a newly engaged couple.

When I mentioned this to my fiancé, Anthony, he expressed that guys can feel a bit trapped in this situation. Fifty-eight percent of weddings are paid for by the bride’s family, according to the Bridal Association of America. Because of this, the groom may feel like he doesn’t have an equal say in the planning.

To avoid this, it is important to set your priorities and decide together where you can make cuts.

According to The Knot, there are many ways you may not think of to cut the budget and still have a classy wedding. Some of these ways include:

· e-mail save-the-dates prior to your invitations to let guests know your date early
· use more greenery than flowers
· have a small cake with a larger sheet cake hidden in the kitchen
· use larger tables at the reception so fewer centerpieces and tablecloths are needed

In addition, do-it-yourself decorations, invitations, and food projects are becoming increasingly popular, and there are a multitude of websites dedicated to these projects including Do It Yourself Weddings, DIY Network, DIY Bride, and My DIY Wedding Day.

Just because you are on a budget, does not mean your wedding has to look cheap. Shop around for the best prices. Get an early start and enlist friends and family to do as many homemade projects as you can.

The Wedding Planner

Today, many couples are choosing to hire a wedding planner when they get engaged. According to Wedding Approved, a wedding planner is in charge of the details and organization of a wedding. He or she deals with vendors, reception sites and time lines.

There are many pros and cons to hiring a wedding planner.

The Pros:
The main benefit of hiring a planner is the peace of mind in knowing that you have a professional helping you plan. According to Associated Content, a wedding planner is skilled in giving you the dream wedding you have always wanted because he or she is familiar with all of the resources in your area.

A second benefit is the time saved by hiring a planner, according to Wedding Approved. A planner can lift the planning burden from the couple and allow them time to enjoy themselves.

A third benefit, according to Wedding Approved, is that a wedding planner can get the cheapest rates from vendors.

The Cons:
One disadvantage of hiring a wedding planner is the additional expense. According to Event Planner, a wedding planner generally charges 10-15% of the overall wedding cost.

A second problem, according to WeddingeXpress, is that planners may make decisions that you do not agree with. Since the planner is the professional in the situation, he or she sometimes forces the couple into changing their plans or picking things that they do not want.

A third disadvantage, in my personal opinion, is that planning a wedding is part of the wedding experience as a whole, and hiring a planner ruins that. As I begin to plan, I look forward to making decisions with my fiancé, not a stranger.

The decision to hire a wedding planner or not comes down to the couple and what they feel will be the most comfortable and beneficial for them.

Wedding Registry

Traditionally, during the planning process, an engaged couple begins registering at various stores for wedding gifts. This is a way for friends and family to help the couple furnish their new home. With such a big job, where do you start? There are many tips to help you register for your big day.

A couple should register early, according to Your Wedding Place. By registering at least six months prior to the wedding, plenty of time is allowed for guests to purchase items.

When questioning what to register for, The Knot recommends you register for whatever you want. Of course, there is no sense in registering for things you don’t need. You should pick out things that you will use on a regular basis. Also, include items in every price range to give guests options.

If possible, you should allow guests to have the option of buying gift cards instead of gifts, according to Money Smart Life. By doing this, it gives engaged couple the ability to buy whatever items are still needed after all of the gifts are received.

According to Money Smart Life, register at a store chain that is local and available for all of your wedding guests. JC Penney, Dillard’s, Sears, Macy’s and Kohl’s are among some of the top places to register, according to Brides.com.

As you begin receiving items, according to The Knot, it is important to update your registries to keep from receiving duplicate items.

Remember, keeping your registry practical is the safest way to go. The point of registering is to help you create a solid foundation with all of the necessities.