The Adventures of Lizz and Jenn

Episode 1: The Tasty Pizza Massacre

On a bright and cheery Sunday, Lizz and Jenn decided to bless their dear friend, Spencer. Spencer hadn’t eaten for a while, and the girls really wanted to make him something that he would enjoy. They decided on all his favorites. They started with breakfast, which included a cheese omelet, biscuits and jelly, and pigs in a blanket. Spencer heartily and happily ate his fill.

            After attending the weekly church service, the friends returned to their homes. Lizz and Jenn soon began work on lunch – homemade pizza! Pizza was one of Spencer’s favorite foods, and Jenn was excited to attempt creating it for the first time. Here was where the adventure began.

            It all started with the recipe. Lizz had gotten it from John, an incredibly talented chef, who decided to incorporate his silliness into the directions. “Give it a ten minute sensual massage (knead it)” and “With angry Italian vigor PUNCH it into the shape desired” were included in the instructions. Jenn made sure to follow the recipe as best as possible, to ensure nothing would go wrong. The recipe itself was the least of her troubles that day.

            Jenn called John to make sure she had the recipe exactly right, and asked Lizz about the instructions on cooking it. Jenn had already prepared the sauce the day before, and she made the pizza dough with ease. After this preparation, the time had come to assemble the final pizza. It looked magnificent. Every pepperoni was strategically placed, entirely smothered in mozzarella. It was a very large pizza, and Jenn wasn’t entirely positive on how she would manage to get it into the oven by herself. She called Lizz over to help her.

            “Why is it on the wooden cutting board?” Lizz asked.

            “You told me to put it directly onto the oven rack,” replied Jenn.

            “No I didn’t. I told you to put it on the lowest rack on a sheet,” Lizz protested.

            “No you didn’t!” Jenn exclaimed. “I asked you specifically if I was supposed to put it on the rack and you said yes!”

            “No I didn’t!”

            “Yes you did!”

            “No I didn’t!”

            Jenn sighed. “Lizz, I hate you,” she said sarcastically. “What should we do now?”

            “What if we took two cookie sheets and turned them upside down?” suggested Lizz.

            The girls got out two cookie sheets and stared at them quizzically. How on earth would they transfer this massive pizza onto them? Each girl grabbed two spatulas, and they started to lift parts of the pizza. It became clear very quickly that this would not work.

            “Okay, I’ll see if I can get my hand under it,” said Jenn. She inched her hand under the pizza until it entirely covered her forearm. They counted to three and hoisted the pizza onto the trays. Lizz let out a squeal as the once beautifully arranged mozzarella and pepperoni landed on many other places but the pizza. Jenn scrambled to pile more cheese and roll the crust in attempt to restore its original appearance while Lizz swept the cheese-covered floor. Half-satisfied, they lifted the trays together and placed them in the oven on the bottom rack. Lizz set the timer for fifteen minutes.

            “Crap,” said Jenn.

            “What?” Lizz inquired.

            Much to the girls’ frustration and dismay, one of the cookie sheets was too long for the oven. They pushed and pushed, but the oven would not stay closed. Lizz innovatively suggested bracing a chair against the oven door.

            “It won’t stay,” said Jenn. Sure enough, the chair would not hold the oven closed. Defeated, Jenn sat down on the floor, back braced against the base of the chair to hold it in place. She remained there uncomfortably for not fifteen minutes, but ten. She would have stayed until the timer beeped if it weren’t for the smoke beginning to seep out of the oven door.

It was surprisingly difficult to get the trays out of the oven, but the girls managed to free the pizza and place the trays back on the original wooden cutting board. They attempted to slide it off the tray, but discovered that they had forgotten to use non-stick cooking spray on the trays. The bottom edge of the pizza had burned and was securely locked onto the trays. The plastic spatulas made no achievement whatsoever, so Jenn grabbed a metal spatula and began mercilessly hacking away of the crispy crust.

            By the time she had freed the pizza from its previous stationery position, only half of it resembled that which it was made to be. Jenn took a large knife and salvaged the best looking pieces for Spencer and Lizz to eat. Lizz and Jenn met Spencer outside, laughing the whole way, barely able to reiterate the story which you have just read.

I hope, by some measure, you have learned something through this story. There are many morals to be found here, or perhaps, just many laughs. I do hope you enjoyed this, as it was very amusing to narrate this account. This is the first recorded adventure of Lizz and Jenn, with hopefully many more to come.

I need YOUR help!

Greetings to you all!  My hope in writing this letter is to serve two objectives. 

The first is to send my eternal gratitude to all of you who have supported me, be it by prayer or finances,

on my many adventures on multiple mission trips overseas the past few years.

Some have been with me as long as my first trip to New Zealand,

where I had the opportunity to minister to hopeless, suicidal teens on the streets downtown. 

Others jumped on the boat for my return trip to the land of the Kiwis in New Zealand,

where I had the opportunity to be promoted in leadership, ministering not only to those teens in New Zealand,

but also to the teens on my team.

Some have also supported me in my most recent journey to the cities and mountains in Peru.

My second objective is to inform you of where I feel the Lord calling me to this summer. 

After much prayer and consideration, I have applied for two trips this summer,

and I am still waiting to hear which one I will be accepted for.

The two trips I felt the Lord leading me to apply for are to Uganda and New York.

Quite the opposite, aren’t they? Read on for further details on each trip and why I feel called to each.

Uganda

For decades Ugandan rebel groups have kidnapped hundreds of thousands of children

 and forced them to commit horrible atrocities as child soldiers. 

Although many have escaped, they are unable to face each day without haunting memories

of being forced to kill their friends and families.  I will have the opportunity to be a

part of bringing hope to ex-child soldiers as my team builds huts in the "Village of Hope"

where ex-child soldiers are undergoing recovery.  I will spend my days there teaching the children

and teens about God’s love through Bible stories, songs, and games. Besides that, I will spend part of my trip

at at univeristy in Kampala reaching out to college students through English classes, leadership seminars,

and a drama. My team will be based out of the city of Kampala. The trip dates are June 7, 2008 to July 5, 2008.

The total cost of this trip is $4200, which includes all expenses: airfare, accomodations, food, and training.

New York

Living in an urban jungle in Brooklyn's projects, many children and teens face a future of drugs, 

addictions, prison, abandonment, and even death.  They call abandoned buildings their home,

and the only family they have are fellow gang-members. I will be able to help bring hope to these

children as I join Metro Ministries’ sidewalk Sunday School program that reaches more than

20,000 kids per week. I will ride the bus that picks up children throughout the city and perform

drama with the Gospel message at Yogi Bear Sunday School. I will get out on the streets and be part of a

powerful children's program that changes kids' lives for eternity. My team will be based out of the city of

New York. The trip dates are June 7, 2008 to June 23, 2008. The total cost of this trip is $1500.

For each of these trips, I will have the opportunity to serve in a leadership position

of a Missionary Advisor, whose responsibilities resemble a camp counselor.  I will have a small group

of five to seven girls to mentor, and also lead a mixed-gender group of five to seven in day-to-day ministry.

Once again, I will be involved with an organization called Global Expeditions, a part of Teen Mania Ministries,

the ministry based in Texas which I have been interning at for the past sixteen months.  Several well-established

organizations, such as Promise Keepers, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and Billy Graham Ministries, are firm

supporters of Teen Mania Ministries.  Since 1987, Teen Mania has taken over 50,000 teenagers to dozens of

countries all over the world.  Teen Mania Ministries is totally dedicated to equipping the young generation in

America with the tools it needs to change the world. I cannot think of a better way to spend my summer break

than seeing lives changed, including mine. 

I cannot accomplish this task alone, so please join me with your prayers.  I am praying specifically that

I will raise all funds needed and that children experience the everlasting love of Jesus Christ.

During the next few months, I will be working very hard to raise the finances to go on this mission trip. 

I am asking you to prayerfully consider being a part of this mission trip by supporting me financially, investing

in my life and in the lives of the people I reach, either in Uganda or on the streets of New York City. Since

I am still in the Teen Mania internship, there is little opportunity for me to organize specific fundraisers, so

I am praying that the majority of the money I need comes through answered support letters. 

Regardless of which trip I am accepted for, fifty percent (50%) of my trip funds are due by April 28, 2008

(that is, $2146 for Uganda, or $750 for New York).

Any amount you give will be greatly appreciated.

If you would like to donate with a credit or debit card, please go to www.honoracademy.com.  

Look at the bottom of the page, just under the video screen and click on “Donate,”

then follow the instructions.  If you search by ID, my ID# is 2345430.

If you would like to contribute with a check,

please make all checks payable to Teen Mania Ministries.

In order for you to receive a tax deduction for your donation, please do not write my name on the check. 

Instead include a note with my name and ID number on it, or include my ID# on the memo line. 

You can send all donations to Global Expeditions, PO Box 2000, Garden Valley, TX 75771. 

All donations to Teen Mania Ministries are tax-deductible. 

Donations are non-refundable and non-transferable regardless of any cancellation circumstances. 

If you have any questions or comments,

you can email me at jenniferlynnehudgens@gmail.com. 

Thank you so much for your consideration.  Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated!

God Bless You,

Jennifer Hudgens

“Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession.” (Psalm 2:8)

Currently Listening Taylor Swift By Taylor Swift Teardrops on my Guitar see related

Flowers

That's all I want for my birthday.

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“Proximity isn’t everything, but it comes close.”

I have a new friend named Justin “Walter” Sprueill. He has a very similar sense of humor to my two beloved friends, which makes every conversation… somewhat awkward, yet entertaining, to say the least.  Walter is a unique individual, which is evident in the wearing of his sporran (pouch that goes on the belt, over a kilt), the eloquence of his speech, and the quick wit with which he spars very well.  He makes a very worthy opponent, indeed. 

I discovered today that I have successfully turned my father into a Demon Hunter fan.  This discovery was rather interesting, to say the least.  I played a few songs for him when I was at home for Thanksgiving, to which he replied, “They’re not bad.”  Today, I was listening to “Fading Away” from the new album, and it turned out he knew almost all of the words.  As I gaped in disbelief, he told me that he had downloaded that song shortly after Thanksgiving.  He asked me if I had any of their music with me, and of course, I have all of the albums on my iTunes, but the CDs themselves are in Texas.  He ripped the newest album from me and now wants to acquire the rest of their discography from my music library.  Who’d a thunk it?  My 47-year-old father listens to Demon Hunter.

I miss talking to my beloveds very much.  I will cherish the day (Wednesday, to be exact) when I am able to speak to them again.  Thus far, this has been a good experience, fasting from communication with them, though it’s not something I want to practice regularly.
 

“Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves.” – Blaise Pascal

Currently Listening Storm the Gates of Hell By Demon Hunter Thorns see related

Lyrics that I happen to love very much...

Sister, don't sleep through your own euology
Don't sever what you are for what you couldn't be
You'll find it in the veil of night
where solitude is born
In the emptiness of broken flesh
At the mercy of the thorns

[Thorns - Demon Hunter]

So if you see me losing sight
of all the death in life
You'll find peace
in every time I failed to see the death in mine
Will you carry me down the aisle that final day?
With your tears,
and cold hands, shaking from the weight
When you lower me down,
beneath that sky of gray
let the rain fall down and wash away your pain

[Carry Me Down - Demon Hunter]

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling.
And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.
Need you by my side.
'Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static.
And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky.
Can't you hear my heart beat so...
I can't let you go.
Want you in my life.

[Everytime We Touch - Cascada]