Holiday Update

Happy Holidays everyone!

First of all, I want to say thanks Mom for making this Christmas superbly awesome.  I can't believe how great of mom you are!  Thank you Dad, Amanda, Abuela, Jacob, Anne, Phyllis, and everyone who was very generous to me this season.  You, my family and friends (and boyfriend <3), give meaning to my Christmas (and Hanukkah).  Jesus was born in April, trees are pagan-influenced, and fruitcake sucks.  But Christmas is a special, important, and beautiful Holy Day (holiday) because we gather together and use this time to celebrate the birth of Christ - also Hanukkah is super important because we celebrate God's awesome power and again, gather together in one accord.

God is so good!  Wow!  I can't get over how loving and kind he is, the amazing King of the Universe lowers himself as our Servant, washing the gunk off our toes and as the sacrificial lamb, dying a painful, lowly death all so we can be with him.  He knew that the Old Covenant was unable to suffice.  It was just a shadow of who he is.  And now we have a New Covenant, free from sin and bondage, free to be righteous in Christ.  Wow!

Since my last post, God has given me all sorts of visions and concrete goals for the next year - just in time for New Years!  He showed me in a vivid picture, that I will dedicate my time to teaching piano lessons to orphans in DC.  I will go to a foster home, pour into a few interested kids, teaching them music.  Then afterwards, I will have an optional Bible study.  This idea rests divinely on my heart, coming from the Holy Spirit - I didn't think of this myself.  It came to me so fast and vivid a couple months ago and began to gnaw at my heart.  Finally I surrendered and said "I will do it!".  I have been calling various Foster Organizations around DC, but I have had no luck.  I believe that God will open the doors that need to be opened for me to fulfill this dream.  Please partner me in prayer as I search for a foster home that will allow me to teach piano lessons to orphans.

Besides that, my other goal for this next semester is to get a job.  This is all in God's hands.  I applied to some really neat places.  However, I haven't heard back yet (I know, it's the holidays).  Please keep this in prayer as well as I go on a Job hunt!

Jacob also has something so cool he is doing this semester, a door that opened up completely supernaturally.  He got a call from a Rabbi in Tally asking him if he would help him start a Messianic Synagogue/club on campus.  If you don't know, starting a student org is very challenging!  Please keep him in prayer as he partners with the Rabbi and Yeshua (Jesus) on this journey to start a Messianic Jewish synagogue on campus that his joy may be complete.

This summer, I have an opportunity to go to Ecuador with a girl from school.  The details are not completely worked out, but I would be staying with her family and help her hand out books to the various libraries she has started in Central America.  What a fun and exciting opportunity!  Especially since I've always wanted to go to Ecuador.  It's on my top three list of countries to go to!  I'm really hoping it works out - pray for this as well :)

My other goal for the summer is to record all of my music, Jacob's music, and our joint written songs.  This is something I've needed to do for far to long.  The time is now.

Finally, I had an awesome picture of my future life.  I have no idea if this will be true or not or whatever, but it kind of felt like an epiphany... I love teaching, I love culture and history, I want to influence others, I want to be an activist and change the world.... SO... Wouldn't it be awesome if at some point in my professional life I switch over to become a professor/missionary?  I could so do that for the rest of my life.  Imagine... I'm a professor of International Affairs, writing awesome books & thesis, and a missionary during the summers.  I get giddy thinking about it.  ;D  God, let it be.  Amen.

Happy New Year!
Katrina Doyle



 

Balance

Just had afternon tea and cookies with my friend Alisia.  About to go see some jazz, go to The Well (Intervarsity's large group worship), and see my friend Emily's play!  (As soon as I finish studying econ - SNORE).  As I said in an earlier post, everything has been getting very hectic and busy as the work load piles on now that finals are here.  However, I've still been able to balance it all and chill with friends.  I even got a job today, working with Fojol Brothers, a food truck here in DC.  At the forefront of my mind are finals & my final paper.  Please pray that I do good on all of my tests!  I REALLY NEED PRAYER.

Thank you & God Bless!
Katrina Doyle

Voice Gospel Choir!

Oh man did God's spirit fill that place!  There were people doing jives in the aisles, a choir member getting slain in the spirit, five choir members crying, and half the audience raising their hands in surrender to God.  Demarcus, our Choir Chaplain, even started preaching toward the end!  Here are a few videos of the award-winning Voice Gospel Choir, #1 a'capella group in GWU, and ministry group of worship warriors at our Winter Concert.  (I'm the one white girl in the gold skirt at the front)

The Blood Still Works: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=1640750698621&set=o.83242555390&type=2&permPage=1
I will Bless the Lord: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=1640779819349&set=o.83242555390&type=2&permPage=1

Since I Laid my Burdens Down: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=1640804899976&set=o.83242555390&type=2&permPage=1

I Shall Wear a Crown Part 1: http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=1640847341037&notif_t=video_tag

I Shall Wear a Crown Part 2: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=1640858181308&set=o.83242555390&type=2&permPage=1

Holy Spirit: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=1640836540767&set=o.83242555390&type=2&permPage=1

;)

You wish you went here

I'm getting back into the swing of things since I returned to DC after Thanksgiving Break. Getting back into the daily grind was scary for me because finals are coming up, and I knew that as soon as I came back there would be tons of presentations to make, homework to do, and tests to take. However, God took this fear away, without me even asking specifically. I asked him to help me in this time of stress and he responded. I thought every day this week would be a nightmare. But it's turning out to be quite the opposite. I have found more than enought time to get the things done that I needed to get done. I have been blessed and found favor with my teachers. I even got to skip 2 classes this morning, as they were cancelled. And because these 2 classes were cancelled, I was able to stay up all night worshipping on the piano in the piano lounge in my dorm, singing and praying for the lost. God really pinned it on my heart to pray for those who do not know him yet. And so I did. And I even wrote FOUR songs. All last night! It was great. Despite the massive amounts of homework, exams, and presentations this week, many great things have been happening!

For one, I got to see a band that I had been following for years - Jukebox the Ghost. They performed at the 9:30 club, and were completely incredible. I have a rekindled love for them, as I had always loved their music but never knew that they were incredible live musicians as well. They really engage the audience in their music and it's no wonder that they are finally gaining a huge following. I really really enjoyed seeing them, as they are a band I have loved for a long time, but I mostly enjoyed spending time with Liz. Liz was supposed to be my roommate, but her assignment somehow got switched. We met completely by accident (or by God), that same night I met everyone from Campus Outreach in that first week. We've been hanging out ever since. And last night was an amazing night with her! I was so glad she came. We had a blast, we talked forever, and I trully got to hear her heart.

Another great thing hapening is the Voice Gospel Choir concert coming up on SUNDAY. I am so excited to sing all of the songs we have been working so hard at. There were 4 scheduled practices this week, but it was awesome! My friend even texted me today saying that she heard about it from a poster, and that she was totally going to be there! Im so stoked to sing,

Today, I baked cookies and brownies with my rooommates. DELISH. That was my lunch/supper. For dinner, I went out to Dupont Circle with Isaac, my friend from high school who lives here as a Marine. Afterwards, we met up with two of my friends, walked to the top of the Kennedy Center building and saw all of DC from one terrace! BOOYAH.

More cool stuff: Obama, Clinton, Bush, Bono, and Alicia Keys all came to my school yesterday to sign for funding for the fight against HIV/Aids, supported by ONE - Bono's nonprofit that I am a member of.  I did not get to see or meet them because the event wasn't open to the public (or students I guess).  In fact, rumor has it that only 10 students were allowed in.  Either way, it's pretty freaking cool.  I mean seriously, YOU WISH you went here.  I swear, yesterday was celebrity day. Not only these superstars, but also Cornel West. If you don't know him, no worries. But he is a pretty important speaker. ALSO: I got to see Jukebox the Ghost.  AND my roommate went to an afterparty for Nick Muhler.  I swear it was famous people day.

It's getting colder for sure! But I have a newfound love for winter. I thought I would HATE it . But instead I am enjoying the coats, hats, scarves, crispy cold, and hot beverage kind of weather.

More news: Instead of eating out for every meal as I had been doing since I lack any sort of kitchen in my entire dorm, I have been cooking dinner almost every night. Whether I did it with Franny, my fellow frugal freshman who lives in a dorm with one communal kitchen, or I did it with Donna, who of course has a lovely kitchen + pots + pans + spices + everythig, I ended up making a cheap delicious meal that saves me lots of money. So with this new lifestyle, as I've given in and asked to use other peoples' kitchens, I could definitely use some pots, pans, spices, tools, etc. (Hint Hint, Mom and Dad).

I can't wait for CHRISTMAS.

Love,

Katrina