Upcoming Events!

Hi all! I know I have been a little slack on my blogging lately...Fall has me baking and playing with the girls outside:) Oh, how I love my ministry as a mom! It's my favorite.

But, I do have a few events coming up soon that I would love you to pray over with me:

November 3rd - Ladies Night Out at Church of the Hills; Johns Creek, GA

November 9th - Georgia Baptist Convention Minister's Wives dinner; Woodstock, GA

November 12th - Fall Luncheon at North Metro First Baptist Church; Lawrencevill, GA

Tuesday evenings - GED facilitator at Atlanta Union Mission (My Sister's House)

Thursday afternoons - Christian Women's Job Corps in Clarkston, GA

Thank you for continued support and prayers. Life is always an adventure and many days it just seems to fly by, but I pray that you are taking time to enjoy a hot cup of tea or coffee and curl up with God's Word!

Ahhhh...there's nothing finer...and you'll find me there every morning too!

Thrive!
Frances

Hands of Hope

I have had the joy of being a part of the ministry in Clarkston, Georgia for the past few months. Clarkston is a refugee resettlement area that houses thousands of refugees from all over the world. This past summer along over 1500 new refugees were settled in Clarkston from places like Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, the Congo, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and more. But, it seems that so many of us living right here...only miles away...have no idea this area exists!

About 3 months ago I met Terry who is a Missionary Service Corps worker with North American Mission Board and she began to share about Clarkston. We walked the apartment complexes and in one day I was able to visit in the homes of countries like Nepal, Sudan, Burma, the Congo, and Afghanistan...in ONE day! It's reaching the nations in one afternoon!

Recently, I have had the honor of being asked to serve on the Advisory board for Hands of Hope which will be the new ministry reaching the refugee women of Clarkston. We will work to provide job skills, life skills, mentorship, and Bible study weekly for these women. They come to this country with literally nothing and many can not speak English or drive! We want to help them to not only learn to survive in this new culture...but to meet Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

We had a meeting this past weekend and it was wonderful to see and hear all that God is doing! We enjoyed a time of fellowship and then we began to talk and dream about what God would allow us to do in His Name in Clarkston.

Continue to pray for God's work in Clarkston. Pray that He alone will be lifted up. If you are interested in working with refugee women in Clarkston...please let me know! Email me and we can discuss what all God is doing! Frances@desertflowerministries.com

Thrive!
Frances

Last week, my friend Paula and I got to help lead a conference for the new ministers' wives in Georgia. We had SO much fun (we had gotten to do another conference the week before too!). The ladies were so sweet and open.

Mary (in the red) is our Georgia Baptist Convention ministers' wives consultant and she is such a wonderful resource for all the wives in Georgia. I just love working with her! Katie ( in the cream) is the current President and Paula (in the green) is the upcoming secretary. I am so honored to work with these women! Amy (who could not be there) will be the upcoming Vice President. We all are looking forward to our year of leadership starting in November!

God continues to bless me with the opportunities to serve the women of Georgia...alongside some awesome wives! We talked about ministering in our spiritual gifts. We had lots of yummy goodies, enjoyed some get to know you games, and got some groovy bags. Mary ALWAYS gives out wonderful bags.

So, if you are a minister's wife in Georgia...let me know! We have an amazing retreat we are planning for you in January. Please let me know so that I can give you all the details.

PS...what's with me looking pregnant...do you think it's the adoption:

Appalachian Vision Trip...Recap

I wanted to take a moment to share about the wonderful time we had together on the Appalachian Vision trip with the Georgia Baptist Convention! This precious group of ladies were some of the most amazing women I had ever gotten to know! They love the Lord...and they LOVE their neighbors (no matter where they live, what they look like, or what they have done) as themselves!

We traveled many hours on the road each day. We traveled through West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. The scenery was beautiful and we learned so much about the needs of this region. There is so much poverty and yet so many wonderful ministries truly reaching the needs of their communities.

I do not have all the photos from the week, as we mainly had one photographer in some of the areas where we visited. I know that shocks those who know me well...I'm always wanting to take my OWN photos. But, it was such a full week...I enjoyed just living it!

This was my roomie for the week...Stephanie! She was so cute and we loved talking each night until all hours about church life, being a minister's wife, and our passion for the lost. I miss you Stephanie!

The women on this trip were just awesome! We had a group of 11 women...and not for ONE moment was there ever a sense of disunity!!! I can honestly say I have NEVER been a trip with that many women...for that long...where there wasn't at least one crazy moment of hormones, lack of sleep, or fleshy stuff. Not ONCE I tell you! That is such a tribute to the way these women dive into the Word and allow the Spirit to lead them all. I LOVED it!

We also saw some amazing scenery. We spent so many hours in the van, that we had times where I could put on my ipod and enjoy looking out the windows and praising God! This was just a breath-taking view of this bridge that we actually got out and enjoyed seeing.

I will post more photos when I get them! I thank each of you who prayed over our trip and God truly answered those prayers. It was such an honor and a blessing to have met these women, those who are ministering in the cities we visited, and getting the opportunity to see God's work in Appalachia!

A New Journey!

Our family will be embarking on a new journey to adoption from Uganda! Please feel free to follow the adventure at our family blog:

www.theworthingtonjourney.blogspot.com

Thanks for lifting us up! We can't wait to see all God has in store...

I'm Pregnant...

...PAPER pregnant!!!!!! For those who don't have any idea what that means...we have been officially APPROVED to adopt a precious new little Worthington from Uganda!

We are in a state of shock...and JOY unspeakable! It has almost been a year since we began this journey of adoption with doors shut time after time. But, on Monday our new Worthington journey began. A journey that will lead us to our precious Africa...and to our little one.

We don't have any more information at this time. We just know that for once we have been OFFICIALLY APPROVED! We will be adopting from Amani Baby Cottage in Jinja, Uganda. Oh, what a precious group of amazing Christian people work there...and here in the States to bring orphans to their forever families.

Our hearts overflow. Our lives are taking a new turn. Our God is so good. Our joy is in His timing.

But, you just gotta see a glimpse of where our little ones lives and thrives! Grab a tissue and smile as you see God's love for the orphans....it's the call for ALL of us in some way. You can pray, you can give, or you can bring one home forever. But, you can't ignore and do nothing...how could you after seeing this?

Appalachian Region Vision Trip!

This week I will be traveling with the leadership of WMU of the Georgia Baptist Convention on a vision trip through the Appalachian region. I am thrilled to minister and serve along with this amazing group of women!

I will be posting my prayer requests on my personal blog each day...so you can visit that sight to pray for our team as we travel, serve, minister, learn and experience all God's work in the Appalachian area.

My personal blog is: www.theworthingtonjourney.blogspot.com.

Thank you for traveling alongside me on this trip! I covet your faithful prayers!

Thrive!
Frances