At the beginning... (Prayer letter from 6/14)

Hello again :) This was the very first prayer letter I sent out. If you would like to be added to the e-mail list, simply let me know. :) And without further ado...

Dear all, If you are receiving this e-mail, you have been added to the prayer list I will be maintaining during my experience at the Focus on the Family Institute. Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement thus far in the process. Two weeks ago, almost one year to the day that I decided God was leading me to go, I sent in my acceptance paperwork and tuition deposit to Colorado Springs. It was very nerve-wracking for me to hand over that package. Somehow, the idea of actually going to Colorado in the fall did not become entirely real until those papers left my hands. I probably still will not totally believe it until my mom and I set foot on our plane in August which seems so far away yet isn't at the same time. God has blessed me mightily this past month. On May 1st at 1pm, I received a call from Jeremiah Callihan, the Assistant Director of Admissions at the Focus on the Family Institute, telling me that I was being offered full acceptance to the institute. I laughed, cried, jumped up and down, and wore my cell phone battery out that day. Since then, it's been a flurry of activity between filling out forms, booking plane tickets, and working out logistics. Getting the paperwork in this past week was only the beginning. To give you a brief idea of the timeline: Mom and I will be flying out to Denver on Friday, August 31st. We will have the weekend to explore Colorado Springs before I have to check in on Tuesday, September 4th. Mom will have her Parent's Orientation the same day while my orientation will last all week. Mom will then fly back to Maryland on Wednesday, September 5th. I will be home in Maryland for Thanksgiving November 17-24. Graduation at the institute is December 11 and I will be returning December 12. Some things that you can be praying for in the coming weeks are the following: 1. The financial situation. My parents have agreed to split the cost with me, but the cost of attending is still high. I will be using all of my paychecks from WeatherBug this summer to help cover my portion. A good friend reassured me that where God leads, God provides, so now I'm excited to see how God will work in the coming months. 2. Logistics. Between airline tickets yet to be purchased and paperwork that was filled out, a lot has been going on. My mom will be joining me for the first couple of days in Colorado before I have to check-in at the Focus Institute apartments. However, the day she flies back, my dad will be leaving with my sister for Black Rock with her school, so we are working on making sure my mom's daycare is covered so she can avoid having to close for the day. 3. Mental and heart preparations as I get closer to leaving for the Focus on the Family Institute. The semster in Colorado will be intense emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Please pray that God would begin to work in my heart starting now. Thank you so much for your support. I will also be maintaining a blog to chronicle my adventures along the way. You can find it at http://morrepic.blogspot.com. The first entry is already up. All of the prayer e-mails will be posted there, along with additional stories and pictures. Feel free to forward this e-mail to others you think might like to receive it or let me know if you think someone should be on the receiving list who is not. Thank you! I can't say it enough. God bless and have a wonderful weekend! In Christ, Meghan Orr Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Welcome

Welcome to my world! :) This is the blog where I will be posting my adventures before, during, and after my semester at the Focus on the Family Institute. Right now, updates will not be as frequent, however, I hope to update weekly once I reach Colorado Springs in September. I wanted to take a moment to explain the meaning behind the name of my blog. The actual title is written out in the original Greek letters, but the English spelling is koinonia. I like the way that Wikipedia speaks of the word. It states: "The word has such a multitude of meanings that no single English word is adequate to express its depth and richness....Koinonia is a complex, rich, and thoroughly fascinating Greek approach to building community or teamwork." (If you want to read more, you can find the article here.) Koinonia is also the name of the once-weekly dinner at the Focus on the Family Institute where I will be eating with other classmates in order to invest time in each other, get to know each other, and build community. I also wanted to share some verses with you where the word "koinonia" is used (in italics). Acts 2:42 "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of break, and in prayers." Romans 15:26 "For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem." 1 Corinthians 1:9 "God [is] faithful, by whom ye were called until the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." Philippians 1:3-5 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in ever prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." Hebrews 13:16 "But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." 1 John 1:6-7 "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." So once again, welcome to what is sure to be an amazing adventure. I can't wait to start the journey with you! :)