Christmas Break

Aloha Everyone.

It's been a while since I've updated you all via Blogspot. Right now part of our team is on Christmas break since December 1st and the other part of our team is ministering at a prison in LA. I am very thankful that I was able to come home to Hawaii for my Christmas break. It has almost been a year since I last seen my family (except for my older sister I haven't seen her since January 2009). I've been able to get some rest and exercise in since I've been home. When I got home my sister had been in the hospital for 6 days. She is now at home and on her way to getting better.

I mentioned that a part of our team is still ministering. Here's a little info from our team director of what they are doing.

To give you a quick update on an adventure that we are about to embark on. We have been invited to the Louisiana State Prison (aka Angola or “The Farm”) to facilitate a four day conference. We have been invited by Awana Lifeline which God has used to make a significant impact in the lives of many of the inmates. Angola is the largest maximum security prison in the United States and houses just over 5,000 inmates. 4,000 of the inmates are serving a life sentence and those that remain average a sentence of 90+ years. What used to be the considered the most violent and dangerous prison in America is now considered one of the safest! Only one reason, God at Work! Awana Lifeline has started a program called “Malachi Dads” which is having the largest impact of any program that the prison has ever experienced, and they have asked us to come alongside and help continue on with what the Malachi Dads program has begun.

Then link below is for a video highlighting what is happening with the Malachi Dads program at Angola. The interesting thing is that it was produced by USA Today. I would encourage you to take a look at the video to get a glimpse of what has been happening that we have been given opportunity to be part of.

Video: Fathers for Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJNOu83tgts

Although I am not with the part of the team that went to minister at the prison I am still continuing with their ministry through prayer. God loves them just as much as He loves me. God is a God of love and forgiveness and the giver of hope.

Shawntay

Needed Support

This is my 3rd year traveling and I am still in need of $4,531.13 for my required ministry expense for this August 2010 to July 2011 season. If you desire to help please send funds to:

Life Action Ministries
PO BOX 31
Buchanan, MI 49107

and designate it towards Shawntay Celestino

Thank you.

A Call for E-mail Address

If you would like to get my e-mail updates please e-mail me at

smichic01@gmail.com

Thanks!
Shawntay

Beginning in Canada

We just finished our 8 day Summit in Wyoming, Ontario. Well it was supposed to be an 8 day Summit but God was doing such a work that we extended an extra 2 days. God is so good. Our team loves it here and we have been richly blessed. We were also told that we will be able to have the chance to return here at the end of our traveling season this year in May. We are all very excited. I have been able to get to know a lot of the kids in Base Camp, a few families and a girl from the college and career group.

The Lord has been doing a cleansing work here in Ontario. Many...and I mean many marriages have been renewed. I even heard one couple make the comment that it's like they are newly weds all over again. They thought that getting open and honest with each other wasn't going to be good but in the end it brought them closer together. Another family shared that one night their daughter came back and started asking her mom's forgiveness for how she had been acting. In Base Camp we also got prayer requests from the kids and one boy asked us to pray that he would obey his parents because he was having a hard time with that. These are only a few stories here and there of what God has been doing.

Of my 2 years and 2 months of traveling this is the most I've seen God at work in His people. I am excited to see and hear what God is doing and see the change in May. When I get some of the written testimonies from the church I plan to post a few on my blogspot.

Keep your eyes set on Christ and live your life pleasing in His sight!

3 Thirst Conferences

These are some pictures from the first 3 conferences.

Wilson, NC
Peace Church

Raleigh, NC
Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church

Loudonville, NY
Loudonville Community Church

My first 3 weeks as a Children's Minister have been amazing. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching kids and working with Evan, Rachel, and Brennan. We don't usually get a chance to find out what is really sticking out to the children we teach but at the end of one of our conferences a girl asked us to pray for her because she was having a hard time obeying her parents (We taught on Obedience as our first lesson). Another boy mentioned to us that he didn't think he knew how to pray but after our lesson on prayer he realized that he wasn't doing anything wrong. And one night I saw Evan and Brennan praying with one of the boys, I asked them what they were praying for him about and they said that they weren't praying for him but he was praying for them. Those were a few very encouraging things to me.

"Aloha! My name is Shawntay Celestino I'm from Waianae, Hawaii. This is my 3rd year traveling and I'm a Children's Minister in Base Camp." Every Sunday night is introduction night for our team. This was the first time I did not say "Finch's Family Assistant." God has other things for the Finch family. They will be working at our ministries camp and Jimmy will be heading up the music aspect of camp.

This morning we had almost 70 kids in Base Camp and 56 returned for the evening service. Please pray for us as we teach these kids. It was a rougher night but God gave me the grace through out the night. Also pray that we would be able to figure out ways to make Base Camp run smoother.

1st Sunday morning at Peace Church in Wilson, NC

Base Camp was lot of fun this morning. It is amazing to see how things can flow smoothly. Evan, Brennan, Rachel, and I taught the kids for about 3 hours today. For me it felt like it flew by. We did lessons, a skit, a song, games, and snack time. Thankfully we also had some extra help. Sasha and Tyler are in our worship team and came to help with the kids along with Austin one of our speaker's kids. The church also provided 2 helpers for the Sunday School Hour and Morning Worship Service. We definitely had more than fifty 2nd through 5th graders, I forgot to look at the list at the end of Base Camp.

Rachel taught about Psalm 24...Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in His holy place.?....we need to have clean hands, a pure heart, to not lift up our soul to what is false, and not swear deceitfully.

I taught about Obedience. Obedience is doing what I'm told to do, when I'm told to do it, with the right heart attitude. We did it in the form of a skit so that the kids had a better picture of what obedience looks like. In the skit I get wet because Jeeneva is upset and gets me a cup of water, but instead of giving it to me she throws it on me. Eventually Jeeneva obeys correctly and I get a cup of water to drink.

I gotta get some rest before tonight's service. Please pray that God would do a work in these children and that they would become more like Him.

Year #3

This year I will be traveling as one of 6 children ministers on the White Team. For the past 2 years I have been the family assistant for Jimmy and Christi Finch. About 2 and a half weeks ago I found out that they will not be traveling anymore, but will be transitioning to a position at our ministry's camp in Buchanan, Michigan. Of course I was sad to hear the news but am glad for the opportunity that God has placed in their lives. They will be leading music for our camp.

God is and will always be in control. Little did I know that when I decided to return as a children's minister that God was already working to place the Finch family at our camp. God is so good and I know He will use this family in many ways at Life Action Camp.

Our training camp for this next year is currently in session for the next month. Life Action's 3 road teams are all here and it's been nice to meet the new members of our teams. This week we are having some classes and next week will be our ministry wide revival week. I will be missing part of the meetings because of a funeral in Washington. I'm glad for the opportunity to go and for a family member helping me get there. On Sunday I shared with a friend what had happened and they prayed that God would allow me a way to get there. God answered that prayer yesterday night. It was so exciting to see God work things out and then be able to thank Him for it.

Well I got to go for now.

I'm just in the midst of mailing my update and thought about my blog spot. It has been a while since I've wrote something here. I always forget how much work it is to put out an update letter....writing it, copying it, addressing envelopes, folding, stuffing, etc. I'm thankful that the church from Pearland, TX helped me out with getting addresses on most of my envelopes. I am thankful for this blog though because it has saved me some time and money in having to send my updates through the mail.

Right now I'm enjoying the time off from the road. I'm try to refresh and refocus for another year of traveling. I'm going to church in Kiel, Wisconsin and have been encouraged with the nearly completed church building. After 2 year of building they are working on the finishing touches and will have their first VBS there. I will be able to help in one of the classes and am currently working on tracing, painting, and cutting stars for the decoration. This year our VBS is Operation Space, a curriculum through Answers in Genesis.

Oh...and now that I'm thinking about it I need to remember those of you that have supported me. There was a change that was made concerning my personal support. All money that is sent in through Life Action Ministries for me will be applied to my Ministry Expenses until I have reached the amount needed for the travel season. After my ministry expense is reach I will be able to receive personal support if there is any leftover. This past year I wasn't able to receive any personal support because I am still $142.55 short for the 2009-2010 travel season. But the Lord still provided what I needed throughout the year through host families and teammates. If you have any questions please call me or e-mail me.

8 more conferences till Summer

Since January 2010 we have completed 8 Thirst Conferences and we have 3 Summits and 5 (possibly 6) Thirst Conferences until we end our traveling for the 2009-2010 travel season.

It is amazing to reflect on the opportunity God has allowed me to embark on. I've been traveling on the road for a year and a half. It is a dream come true--traveling on a ministry team. But it has opened my eyes to truth. I will not be satisfied by my circumstances or find lasting value in the things I do. Yes, circumstances and being valued are enjoyable but will not fully satisfy me and bring me joy. My joy must be rooted in Christ. Around Valentine's Day I was pondering the fact that sometimes we say "That made my day." Usually when that is said nothing can rob them of the happiness they have, even if someone is rude or unfair to them. It seems that they are just plan happy. But why do we look to things happening to us to experience that happiness? When our joy or happiness is rooted in the Lord shouldn't that "Make our day"? He is the rock, the sure foundation!

Well...along with that our conference's message on Substitutions is a continual challenge to me. Where is my joy being satisfied and am I looking to things other than God to satisfy me. I'm thankful for messages that stick with me to challenge me. There isn't something every day that I God challenges me with but I know God wants me to obey the truth I already know. The Christian life is a challenging one but one that will be worth it in the end. I can't imagine my life without the Lord.

I'd love to hear what you are being challenged with as well. I hope to write more later (like always).

Shawntay

Moving, Moving, Moving

Wow. Conferences are flying by. We are currently in Columbus, MS. It seems as we get to know people we quickly have to move on. But that's the path that God has placed me on. And what a journey it is.

Last week we were in Waycross, Georgia. While there I got to know a number of children in our children's club. It was a very neat group of kids and very eager to be there. I also enjoyed the chance to get to know the Pastor's family. One of the blessing from last week was walking through Wal-Mart and hearing my name. It was the pastor's daughter with her mom doing some grocery shopping. I realized how normal it had become to go into a store and expect that no one would know you. But oh how refreshing it was to hear your name called and it was someone you knew.

God is good. And He blesses in BIG and small ways. He LOVES us and ALWAYS will.

Snow was another bonus. We traveled through snow in Alabama. I love seeing snow because it reminds me how God can transform things in ways we can't imagine and how He washes our sins away and makes then whiter than snow.

This is our 6th conference of the year and it starts tomorrow!

Health Update

I thought I'd get to this update sooner but life on the road is fast paced. Well over December I had a number of doctor's appointments. I have e-mailed an update on my health that is more detailed than what I will post here on my blog. So if you'd like the e-mail please let me know your e-mail address and I will add you to my e-mail update list.

I had laryngitis/hoarse voice that was caused by an esophageal reflux. I was also told that I have degenerative arthritis in my neck.

Please pray for me as I'm back on the road. As a team we are trying to exercise more while trying to last through a 9 conference stretch. We actually are booked for conferences until the end of May/beginning of June with the exception of one week. But the 9 conference stretch is 9 THIRST Conferences back to back which basically means that we will be arriving at a new church every Friday and setting up on a Saturday to start Sunday and then pack up Wednesday evening.

The Lord is my strength. He shall supply for all my needs. The Lord is the lover of my soul. These are some of the things that I try to frequently remind myself of.

A verse that I have frequently thought of so far this year is

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.