5k, Thanksgiving Day Run, Niles, Michigan

The race went really well for Joanna and I. We finished together. Our time was 31:22, yes both of us got the exact same time. Josh ad Reuben ran the 5k as well Josh's time was 25:28 and Reuben's time was 24:31. Susanna ran the 10k and her time was 47:59. She didn't do as well as she wanted to but came in less than a minute after the person she was trying to beat.

The team I traveled with showed up to the race before they headed to their Thanksgiving Day meal at our Team Manager's house. It was awesome. They didn't see us start because they were late, but they saw us at a corner and I think it was about half way. Joanna and I were really tired so it was a big encouragement. Especially to me. They ended up going to another corner and some of them even ended up running with us a little bit. Well toward the end of the race Reuben ended up running with Joanna and I and pushed us to finish strong and at a sprint. Well Joanna and I got to finish really well.

Joanna and I took a walk around the YMCA to warm down and then we rushed off to try to get back to the finish line to watch Susanna finish. Joanna and I waited for her before the finish line and then we ran with her till the end. Joanna ran on her right and I on her left. We pushed her and encouragement her till we could run no longer with her because of the chip timers we were using.

Susanna and I now have goals for next year's Thanksgiving Day Run at the YMCA. I want to run the 10k with her so we have a year to train. Our goal is to train for the top of her age group. To come in first for Susanna's age group, we need to run the 10k at 42:15. As a long term goal I jokingly said that we should do the Honolulu Marathon one day. Who knows it could happen. God has been making my dreams come true so why not dream big. My grandfather has run in marathons before so I have it in my blood I just have to find it and train it. :)

PS- One of the big things that God is still teaching me is: When I become who God wants me to be, everything else will fall into place.

Jesus Loves Me This I Know!

So this week was AMAZING because God is faithful and never changes. He truly is the lover of my soul. Tonight we just completed our last week of conferences for 2009. Well this week God showed Himself strong and surprised me in the process and caused me to be overwhelmed. I was really missing my family this week. Which is unusual for me because I'm pretty used to being away and am content with where God has me. Well I was having an extremely hard time with not being able to see my family for Christmas. I asked my team to pray for me because I knew I was going to Wisconsin because I had no money to go home. My plan was to look forward to trying to go to Hawaii in the summer if I had the money. Well my team prayed for me.

I was able to keep focus during our services but every once in a while during the day it would just hit me how much I missed my dad and sisters. Well as much as I put my focus on God and asked Him to give me the grace to get through this I was still really struggling. My heart felt like it couldn't be calmed as much as I wanted it to. Well...God had a reason for that. On Wednesday when we were packing up all our stuff our team Revivalist sat us down for a meeting. He wanted to read some testimonies from people at the church. He read how God had changed them in the course of 4 days. Then He thanked us for our giving. We wanted to help the widows in the church financially and we raised hundreds of dollars within our team. He said that as a "dad" he was proud of us. He said not only had we been giving to the body of Christ at the church we were ministering at but were giving to each other. Then Ryan said Shawntay, I want to let you know that your team wants to send you home for Christmas. My eyes welled up with tears of joy. Now I saw why God wouldn't let my missing my family go away. And God let me see how much my team loves me.

So I'll be going home to Hawaii a few days after our team's missions trip to El Salvador. I'll be going to Wisconsin to touch base with friends there and then I'll head home for a few weeks. I'll go back to Wisconsin and then head to Michigan at the beginning of January. I'm stoked to see what God has in store for me. He has been refining me and changing me to be more like Him. I'm learning what it is like to live a Christian life with freedom and joy and not in bondage of this flesh.

I love God and I'm glad He is the lover of my soul. I love talking to Him in prayer. Its better than any conversation on the cellphone.

One BIG thing God is teaching me is: to be who God wants me to be.

Update for October

In the month of October I sent around 130 support letters out for my missions trip to El Salvador. Along with sending an e-mail to a bunch of people and posting it on my facebook. I needed $1,000 by October 31st. Well today being November 2nd the $1,000 is supposed to be in. Well God did like only He can do. He provided "exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think". In the month of October I had around $1,800 come in. I knew God would be faithful. It's been neat to see God provide for me through the years.

Although I'm done with raising support for my missions trip, I'm still having to raise funds for this year's expenses. This year I needed $1,500 for El Salvador's missions trip, $3,000 for my ministry fees, and $3,000 for health insurance. Currently I need a little less than $3,000 to cover for the rest of this year.

Some of you know that I also have to raise personal support. I haven't wanted to really mention that yet this year because I had so much I had to raise in order to be traveling with Life Action. Well because we have a break in December I know I'm going to be needing some money. Since I've been traveling the Lord has used host parents to provide cash for me to get things I need personally. Specifically on my birthday my host parents ended up getting a card and having a bunch of people from the church sign it and they had given money to me too. That was such a huge blessing because I was running quite low on cash.

I also need to mention a change that was made this summer regarding our support raising. Previously we were able to raise money for ministry support and personal support. We are not able to do that separately anymore. Now what is happening is that all the funds that come in go directly to my personal ministry support. After I raise my ministry support I am able to receive a stipend. The stipend is determined by how much excess in funds I have. But I will only be able to receive up to $300 a month. For example, when my ministry expense is paid off if I have $50 in excess I will get $50. If I have $400 in excess I will get $300 for that month and the next month I can get $100 more. I hope that makes sense it is kind of confusing.

They have advised us that we can raise personal support and just ask our supporters to send it directly to us. So if you would like to send me some personal support and help me make it financially through December you can send it to me at

Shawntay Celestino
PO BOX 31
Buchanan, MI 49107

You can also send me letters through this address. At this PO Box they collect all the team's mail and send it on to the church that we'll be at.

There's so much more that I'd like to say but I'd have to save it for another time. I have to get ready for my day.

I hope you all have a God honoring day.

Serving Him,
Shawntay Celestino

My Most Recent Mass E-mail and Facebook Note

Most of you know that I'm traveling with Life Action Ministries. Last year we had the opportunity to go to El Salvador and minister to a children's home and put a well in at a local village. Previously they were getting all their water from the stream which was very dirty.

We have the opportunity to go back and help at the Children's Home and at a church near last year's well site. We leave November 28th and will be there for about a week. Our team consist of 15 single aged team members and 3 families. All the team members will be going but not all the families will be going.

We have been asked to raise $1,500 each and they have asked that $1,000 be in by October 30th. Will you please consider supporting me on this mission trip?

Serving Him,
Shawntay Celestino

Make checks out to Life Action Ministries with a note designating the funds for Shawntay Celestino otherwise it will go to Life Action's general fund.

Send to:
Support Development Department
Life Action Ministries
PO BOX 31
Buchanan, MI 49107