Adventures of the Past (Part 2)

"Goodbye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end. But in my heart's the memory, and there you'll always be." - The Fox and The Hound

I'm not one for unrealistically dramatizing my life stories, but nostalgia set in when I was watching The Fox and the Hound the other day, and I couldn't help but connect the above line with my current stage of life. Since I last blogged, I resigned from my job at The Oaks Fellowship, and packed up my life in Texas. Now I'm visiting family and friends on the East Coast as I conclude the final preparations for my trip to Argentina. I don't know where I'll end up after my adventures in Argentina, so I may be back in Texas -- only God knows at the moment! Regardless of where I'm going, the memories made and relationships built these last four years have forever changed me. That said, here's a reminiscent summary of my thoughts on each year:

The development of the OSL Logo. :)

I started Year 1 of college 1,200 miles away from home in small-town Waxahachie, TX, just south of Dallas. It was a huge leap of faith, as I didn't know much about the place, but I knew it was where I needed to be. Similar to what I'm about to do, I left everyone I knew, and started a new season of life in a brand new-to-me place. What I remember most about this year was the amount of information I received. My mind was blown by new concepts and perspectives taught in my classes. My heart was filled with all kinds of excitement as I engaged in friendships with so many people who had the same heart for ministry as I did. And my soul was matured during the countless moments of God speaking to me. 

The most epic OSL class ever. 

During Year 2, I completed the Oaks School of Leadership (OSL). At the time it was a two-year program built by a partnership between Southwestern Assemblies of God University and The Oaks Fellowship. I thoroughly enjoyed being in the close-knit family of maturing students and leaders. I'm still astonished by how strong the relationships were built between so many of us so quickly during these two years. We all embraced the concept of OSL being our family, which meant we did everything together, we accepted one another for who we were, and we encouraged each other to experience new growth every day.

He's so precious!

Year 3 was filled with surprises, and opportunities to live outside the realms of my comfort zone. I started the year with a precarious attitude. Seeing that my end goal was missions, I wasn't quite satisfied when I received a job as an academic and internships coordinator; at the time, I didn't see what that would have to do with my interest in missions. But, after a few months of working with the amazing OSL team, I realized I was developing skills which will help me when I am working in missions -- specifically the gift of administration, which was something I wasn't aware I possessed until this year. You see, God had placed a vision on my heart during Year 2: to make sure orphans like this one (pic-right), have loving homes via training married couples to be adoptive parents. At the end of this year, while on a missions trip to Honduras, all I had learned about myself and God's plan for me reignited my passion about that vision. As always, God had a beautiful plan for me all along, and it unfolded just as He wanted, in spite of my apprehensive tendencies.

(bottom left) OSL Weekly Hall Devo
(the other two are obvious) Graduation!

In the transition between Year 3 and 4 (aka - the summer), I stayed in Texas and worked as the part-time Administrator for OSL. When Year 4 started, my hours were increased to full-time, and I was still a full-time student. I was asked two questions quite frequently throughout this year: "What do you do?" and "How do you do what you do?" Managing my work life and college senior life was challenging, but through the combined experience, I gained confidence in strengths I didn't know I had. The whole year I was amazed, along with everyone else, at the high capacity in which I operated. It was only by God's grace that I had enough energy and time to get it all done.

Thanks for reading this very abbreviated version of my college season of life. I had fun writing it, so I hope you had just as much fun reading it. Feel free to post your thoughts; I'd love to read your comments. :)

Blog Title History

First of all, I'd like to celebrate God for a moment. His timing is perfect, and His blessings are astounding. This morning, having raised only $400 so far, I started worrying a little bit about how I was going to raise so much support in so little time. This afternoon I exceeded the halfway mark on my budget for Argentina! Which means I'll be purchasing my plane ticket tomorrow! God is so good at taking care of me; He's not leaving even the slightest bit of room for doubt about this trip.

Secondly, I will continue the Adventures of the Past saga after this post concerning the origin of my blog's name. I came up with this fun poem in the Spring, written by me of how I would view myself if I were my roommate back then. I hope you enjoy learning some of the lesser-known, more interesting facts about me.

My Crazy Quirky Nerdy Roommate (aka “Who Does That?!”)

*Dedicated to my roommate, Susie Clark, who has put up with all these things called me:

She drives a bright yellow mini-van, adorned with bears,

radio station logos,

and a license plate,

all from North Carolina.

She loaded a full-size couch into her mini-van,

and drove it from North Carolina to Texas…

even though she already had two couches.

She prefers her couch from North Carolina over any bed,

or any other couch,

or any other sleeping device…

simply put, she is her couch’s number one fan.

She immediately puts on pajama pants as soon as she gets home,

and bundles up in a blanket,

even if it’s 70 degrees outside.

She does many Christmas things year-round,

like drink peppermint hot chocolate,

and listen to Christmas music,

and give random gifts to random friends.

She has a favorite color is an understatement:

over half of what she owns is purple –

that’s probably an understatement too.

She enjoys cold things on cold days,

like frozen yogurt,

and Dairy Queen blizzards,

but she hates being cold.

She says she has a lot to do,

yet she takes 3-5 hour long naps…

every Sunday.

She works full-time as an administrator

of an ever-changing leadership program,

and is a full-time senior in college…

so she actually does have a lot to do.

She thrills at a request to edit a paper,

or grade a paper,

or write a paper.

She finds much pleasure in designing letterheads,

managing other people’s lives,

rearranging her calendar to-do lists…

basically she loves all the complex, tedious things.

Adventures of the Past (Part 1)

I plan on traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1 month, 2 weeks, and 3 days! If you would like to help me get there, please click here and follow the instructions, or write a check to The Oaks Fellowship and send it to Gabrielle Turley 777 S I-35 E Red Oak, TX 75154. Any amount you give will be greatly appreciated. Now, for a story from one of my previous trips:

It’s my birthday it’s my turn to shower. Before my body moved a muscle, these two thoughts smooshed into one and tumbled out of my mind as soon as the alarm went off at 5:30am on June 19, 2009.  As I struggled to gather my things for the shower I noticed it was quiet, but loud. I heard a rooster yapping and some hens fluttering around, and the sweet little El Salvadorian ladies fluttering around too as they cooked breakfast. Once outside, everything I saw was glazed in a haze of muted blueish-grayish. I finally made my way over to one of the two outside showers made available to our 50-person AIM (Ambassadors In Mission) team. Still to this day, I’m astonished at how we managed survival with 50 people and only two hygiene stations.

The rest of the day was jam-packed with praying and ministering to five different people groups. After quickly eating a late dinner, having a cake party for yours truly and another girl whose birthday was a few days prior, the team settled in to have our nightly debriefing. It started out as a brief review of the day, and turned into a lengthy discussion filled with us all sharing what was on our hearts. It was by far the most miracle-filled day of our entire, 10-day experience; it was no wonder why so many of us felt compelled to speak.

The last person to speak was our leader, Pastor Ashley. He first directed us to all stand in a big circle, then said, “Worship with your heart without thinking of how others worship.” It was at that moment I realized I had forgotten this profound truth. Worship is about expressing my heart for God while not caring about the ways in which it is manifested through my body’s language. With this realization came a compelling, overwhelming ball of emotions I can’t even begin to describe, but they were something along the lines of relief. So, I cried. For the first time ever, I cried in public, eyes closed, head up, a steady stream of tears free-flowing their way down my face. 

One of my close friends on the trip, Grace Sharrar, eventually turned to me and held me in a tight, comforting embrace. As she wrapped her arms around my physical being, Grace became the spiritual embodiment of God embracing my repent-filled, unwound soul. It’s remarkable now to think about the irony behind her name and what she did for me in that moment. One of the synonyms to Grace is “relief,” and bring relief is exactly what she did. 

After this intimate moment with God and the team, there was an interesting end to the day involving me, a spider bite, and lots of peroxide. But, it's one of those stories which is better told in person. So, next time you see me, feel free to ask about it. :)

Thanks for reading!

Gabrielle Turley

The Backstory to this Season

On May 2, 2014 I completed another season of life by graduating from Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU). In doing so, I have moved another step towards becoming a missionary to South/Latin America. I took Spanish language and culture classes all throughout my years in high school, as well as at SAGU. Those classes taught me a lot about reading and writing Spanish, and some about the Hispanic culture.

Now, I believe God has called me into a season of learning how to fluently communicate in Spanish. I’ve been given an amazing opportunity to study and develop my ministry for three months at Instituto Bíblico Río de la Plata (IBRP). This is a Spanish bible school in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is in session from September 8 to December 10. I’ll be living on the IBRP campus, learning from the students around me, and adapting to the culture of Argentina.


The cost for this trip is $3,500, and I need at least half of this total by Friday, August 1, 2014. If you would like to give towards my trip, please click here and follow the instructions, or write a check to The Oaks Fellowship and send it to Gabrielle Turley 777 S I-35 E Red Oak, TX 75154. Any amount you give will be greatly appreciated. Above all financial support, I need your support in prayer as I enter into this adventurous three months. Would you be willing to support me?

Thanks for reading! 

Gabrielle Turley