the Zocolo in Mexico city....and some hot nuts.

our first day in Progreso.

My new aquisitions to my collection.

a Mexican burger joint...delish.

a day of scouting

sights around progreso and merida.

did you know if you leave airborne tablets out in a humid climate they spontaneously start to dissolve...and get very sticky.

See ya next week!

I wanted to share some exciting news in the life of the Ministry I am a part of. The GYFM was interviewed in World Magazine! For those of you who may not know World Magazine is the evangelical christian version of Time Magazine. It comes out weekly and talks about current issues in our world from a christian perspective.

Here’s the blog post we wrote about the article and where you can download or read the article.  This is really exciting for our ministry.  Will you pray with us that this article will be used in advancing the kingdom?

Mindy Belz from World Magazine interviewed our own Eric Larsen & Jonathan Taylor about what we call the “10/30 window”. What’s the 10/30 window you ask? It’s the largest unreached people group in the world.  This group is not bound by nationality or geography, but made-up those from age 10 to 30 years: tweens, teens and twentysomethings.   By God’s grace, GYFM is equipping men and women to lead the global church in engaging the emerging generation with the gospel.  Check it out in the January 14, 2012 issue of WORLD.

You can download a pdf of the article here or head over to worldmag.com and read it there.

Will you join us in reaching the largest unreached people group in the world?

   His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He..pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
 It’s exactly what he promised, 
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.

Today is the day we celebrate God fulfilling his promise to send a savior. One who was anticipated for years, who’s mercy is overwhelming and who’s grace is beautiful.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope and pray you have a wonderful day with your loved ones.

if you’d like to download my Christmas card you can click the link below.

 Ruthanne Christmas Card 2011. 

I must preface my first picture with this….I can’t tell you how excited I am that I have this first picture. The possibilities of it’s use are endless. It’s of one of my favorite people in the world doing something so out of character for them…thus…making it HILARIOUS! Are you ready?

I told my dad he needed to fix his hat...so he did this.

holiday lights at the botanical gardens

these trees and balls changed color to music that was playing. it was really cool!

My awesome friend Krista gave me this ring for Christmas! It makes my sausage fingers look a little less manish.

attempted to get some color in my hair yesterday....turned out to just be a $40 straightening...you can't even see the color. oh well.

Merry Christmas Friends!

I got to see The Civil Wars play last weekend. An amazing show in a really pretty venue at Agnes Scott.

It was such a stripped down show but was soooo good.

I'd been on the hunt for some red twine for Christmas wrapping and couldn't find any....so i decided to dye my own using crystal light! 15 minutes later I had some very fruity smelly red twine!....and a red wooden spoon. But it turned out great and was super easy! .

I'm making a creepy face but I'm really excited that my new prayer cards came! Let me know if you want one!

Mitch and Seth were twins for the day...i think mitch was feeling the love a little more than seth was.

brown paper packages tied up with string! Love how my christmas wrapping turned out!

See ya next week!

I love the season of advent. It’s so fun to me to think about all the characters that where around when Jesus was born. The shepherds, wise men, Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary & Joseph. All waiting in anticipation of the arrival of someone. Their savior. What do we wait in anticipation for during this season? The parties, the time with friends and family, the presents? But are we living in anticipation of our Savior coming again? Our Savior came as a baby to die for us. And now we are waiting in anticipation of Him coming again! Shouldn’t everyday be advent? Waiting and longing for our savior to come again. When he is going to make all things new. Oh how I can’t wait for that!

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GYFM Retreat

December 1st found me on a plane heading to St. Louis and our first ever GYFM Team Retreat was on the books for that weekend. What a wonderful time we had. We spent some great times visiting, worshiping and vision-casting together. I count it a huge blessing that I can say I work with some of my best friends and brothers and sisters in

Christ. It was truly a joy to be there! We had a lot of fun and got some work done as well. One really exciting thing that came out of the retreat is we are “meeting” weekly as a team! Every Thursday morning at 7am (with coffee in hand) we are meeting via skype to pray with each other, encourage each other and work together to move the ministry of the GYFM forward. It’s really exciting and such an encouragement to me to gather with my team even as we are spread out over 7 states! Thank you Lord for Technology!

Mexico Project

Things are moving along well with the Mexico Missions Trip project. I’m looking forward to going to Mexico in January to see Merida for myself and iron out many of the details for the trip. If your church or your church’s youth group would be interested in serving in Mexico this summer please let me know! We have a great opportunity for you!

Taking a Breather

I’ll be taking a little break over the Christmas holiday. All of my mom’s sisters and their kids will be coming to the Atlanta area the week between Christmas and New Years and I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone. I’m also looking forward to taking some time to rest after a really busy fall.

I got my Christmas Cards in the mail a week or so ago! So far only one has been returned! Hooray!! If you’d like one please send me your address. I’d love to send you one. You can also download a e-version of my Christmas Card here.

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Thank you to all of you for your love, prayers and support. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

By His Mercy,

The weekend started off with dinner at some friends house....I was introduced to these delightful little treats. My world is forever changed.

On the way to the retreat we had to stop at this little gem.

Lindsey...trying on some of the merchandise...I think we have a winner.

The Lake of the Ozarks is pretty.

This was in the lobby of the hotel we were staying at....open firepace surrounded by couches. Every hotel needs one of these.

ummm....drew....i don't think you are supposed to eat that.

Our worship on sunday morning was beautiful!

Love panera's christmas marketing this year.

All the kids asleep in the van! you can call my mom from here on out.

Not the gum-drop buttons!

This was what I won in our white elephant gift exchange....so excited about my giant hand/finger pointer...it also made walking through the airport hilarious!

Here’s the two pics I’ve taken this week!

My GYFM family. love them!

Beautiful sunset last night...reminded me of the line from a song..."He paints the sky for me to see...His majesty is why I sing."

See ya next week!

Purple tights! - Am I allowed to be thankful for tights? Oh well! I have this one pair of purple tights that I love to wear and i just feel snazzy in them!

Days off - It’s nice to take a day off every now and then isn’t it. To get to sleep in, make a big breakfast and not have to rush through the morning to get anywhere.

My Mom & Dad – Thanksgiving day marked my parents 33th anniversary. I can’t tell you how many people tell me how awesome my parents are and I have to agree with them. I can’t fathom being together with someone for 33 years but they have done it with grace. It’s fun to know they are just as in love as when they got married. Love them both so much! You’ve been stuck with me for 28 years…thanks for putting up with all my shenanigans!

My Sister – I don’t say it enough but I’m so thankful for my sister. She puts up with a lot of my crap on a daily basis…a lot of which she shouldn’t have to. She’s given me so much and I’m so thankful for her.

City Living – I love living in a big city. Traffic and all there something to be said for the hustle and bustle…It always feels alive! *Someone needs to remind me of this next time I’m driving to church during rush hour*

The Season of Advent – I love the start of the Advent Season. Filled with anticipation as we look towards the birth of our Savior! It’s may favorite part of the liturgical calendar.

My boss - I have an awesome boss! I don’t get to see him often as he lives in St. Louis but when I do (which is more often than not in a foreign country!) I always leave encouraged in my life and ministry. I’m so thankful he asked me to be part of this ministry.

Being busy - Yup! I’m thankful for the busyness of my life. I was sitting at my desk earlier and lamenting the fact that I was going to have to miss hanging out with some of my friends from church because I was going to be on my GYFM team retreat this weekend. But then I started thinking…I am going to be hanging out with some of my best friends at the retreat! Why am I sad!? I am so blessed with good friends at church, good friends at work and am awesome team of people that I call friends…all whom I want to spend time with! How’s a girl to choose!? For someone whose struggled with finding community in the past all this community I have now is wonderful! I’m so thankful for it!

My super talented friend Bobbi-Jo's photography is on display at the Genema Gallery at Christ Church Buckhead. She had her opening last friday!

pretty centrepieces at the art show.

My other super talented friend Steph's band (The New Empires) played at Bobbi-Jo's show. Steph's the drummer!

Some friends and I from church got together and decided to celebrate the fall season by having a pumpkin cooking extravaganza! It was so fun and sooooo good. Here’s some of our dishes and some of the fun we had.

Proscuitto Bruschetta with Brown Sage Butter and Pumpkin Marscapone spread - DELICIOUS

Chilled spiced bourbon cider!

Kate eyeing her pasta in the oven.

Dinner TIme! Salad with Candied pumpkin seeds, curried pumpkin soup and stuffed shells in a pumpkin cheese sauce

And for dessert...Pumpkin cupcakes with Maple icing and Pumpkin smoothies!

Somehow, after dinner arm wrestling ensued.

...then finger fencing

My dad made a guest apprearance...via Skype!...at my d-group to answer some questions we had about the book of Jude.

Under the boughs doing some Christmas tree maintenance at my parents house.

Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad! They celebrated 33 years on Thanksgiving Day! So thankful for them.

My Cousin-in-Law out did him self this year! Smoked Turkeys! Best Turkeys ever!

best way to end Thanksgiving Day - sitting around the fire pit with family.....then we had pie.

What a great week!!

I can’t remember a trial or a pain he did not recycle to bring me gain. I can’t
remember one single regret in serving God only and trusting his hand

This is my anthem, this is my song, the theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long.
God has been faithful, he will be again. His loving compassion, it knows no end.

“He’s always been faithful to me” – Sara Groves

Thank You

Support

As you think about your year end donations would you consider giving to the GYFM? Your donation means reaching youth all over the world and encouraging missionary kids and their families.
My monthly support pledges are at 56%. Part of my job now is to continue to raise new support and cultivate the supporters I already have.
I only need 40 more people to give at $50 a month to be fully funded. Or 80 people at $25 a month. Or 20 people at $100.

If you are already a supporter would you consider raising your pledge $10 – $20 a month? If you have been thinking about supporting me monthly and just not had a chance to do so or have any other questions please don’t hesitate to let me know.

MTW now has Online Donations! You can donate online at www.mtw.org
OR
send a check to MTW
PO Box 116284
Atlanta GA 30368
Please include my name and account number #10660 in the memo line.
You can download my prayer card here!

I’m so thankful for all of you. Your prayers, encouragement and financial support are blessing from God. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

By His Mercy,
Ruthanne