Christmas

Friends,

As we celebrate this wonderful time of year I cannot help but to think about those who do not know of God's great gift to mankind, Jesus. As you gather with your families to celebrate Christmas please remember to pray for the lost who face eternal separation from God. Pray that someone will share the good news of Jesus Christ and they will have open hearts and minds.

Thank you for another year as partners. We love and appreciate you all. May the Lord bless you greatly during this season.

Chris

Trip to Uganda!

Hello to all!
I just thought I would write since I haven't in a while, and let you all know what's going on with me!
Well to start off I would just like to say that school is going pretty good. I got my report card today and I have all A's!! So I am very happy about that!

Another exciting thing recently is that I got accepted to go on a trip to Uganda this summer! I will be going with an organization called global expeditions which every year they take teens on trips all over the world to minister to people through evangelism, drama and just being a friend to people who may not have any friends.
In Uganda we will basically be ministering to kids that are in migrant camps, who have no one to turn to and they are orphans. We will also be doing street evangelism and drama!

I am very excited about this opportunity and I just ask that you guys would pray for me as I prepare for the trip and raise the money needed!!

Well that's all for now!
Jessie

China

Friends,

We had the opportunity to minister in the Yunnan Province of Southern China. It was a great visit with our friends. They are exploring the possibilities of working in a new city. There is much need of our message in this area.

The trip home was long but uneventful. Now I am trying to adjust my body clock back to CST. Oh yea, an extra hour to lay in bed awake tonight....

Thank you for being a part of this trip. It was very successful.

Hello from Thailand

Friends,

This has been a great trip to Thailand. We have exceeded our goals and expectations. We have spent time with Davelyn, a Filipino missionary who works with the Shan people. She has a good work with this people group. Many are refugees who have little to nothing but are open to receive the love of the Lord.

We have met with the Bianchi's who are wonderful people who work tirelessly to help missionaries stay on the field. They provide member care to many organizations here in Chiang Mai. We also visited the Phayao Girls home which is another area of ministry for the Bianchi's near the border with Laos. This home provides a place for at risk girls to keep them out of prostitution. While at the home they learn about the love of God and these girls have been transformed by the power of God into a mighty prayer force. They prayed for us yesterday before we left and there was great power in their prayers.

Tomorrow we are off for China. I will try to give an update about China after we have departed for home.

Asia Bound

Friends,

Chris will be off to Asia Monday for a 2 week trip to Thailand and China. He will be ministering in north Thailand to several missionaries who have a wide variety of ministries. He hopes to visit a refugee camp for the Burmese who have fled Burma(Myanmar), visit the house of hope girls home and spend time encouraging the missionaries.

In China he will be meeting with several missionary families and hopefully forming a church planting team. There may also be an opportunity to visit several smaller cities while there.

Please pray for protection, wisdom and great success in all we attempt to do.

Blessings
Chris

College Update

Hey to all out there!

This is a quick update from Aaron before he starts his English homework...

Today I have officially declared my major. For those of you who had been praying for wisdom for me, thank you very much. God has given me peace with this decision so far and I am looking forward to now having a goal in college. As I type, I think back over all the indecisiveness and uncertainty that I had been facing for a couple years. It was all part of God's process of maturing me and preparing me for what He has in store. I am excited to move ahead in His will, and continue to seek Him day by day. Hopefully, this was the correct decision, and if not, He is in control and will see me through it all! So now... the moment everyone is waiting for.... drumroll.......................

I have decided to pursue studies in International Studies. More specifically, a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with an International Relations focus. On the side, a Minor in Spanish and a Minor in Math.

Thank you all for your patience at this long-awaited decision! And even more appreciated are all your prayers, support, and friendship during this time. Blessings to all!

Aaron

Update on Jess, and a bit on the family...

Hi to all!
Well I decided I would write and say hey! No one has written in a while so I thought I would give you an update on what I have been up to.
First of all of course there's school like always the normal routine go to school, get home and eat dinner, do homework and if I have time check facebook and e-mail. Lately I have had a ton of quizzes and tests so that has been a challenge studying and trying to do the best I can. So far I am doing really good I think I have all A's!
Then Wednesdays is a bit different. I get home from school, I am kind of rushed to eat so I can go to youth group at 6:00. I usually have to take my homework to do at youth before we start the meeting, that way I don't have to stay up that late doing it after youth.
Just a few weeks ago I started teaching the 3-5 year old Sunday School class, so Saturdays that is what I do is prepare my class and get ready for that. The kids can be a challenge sometimes, but they are usually pretty good, and I love working with them so it is really a blessing to me being able to serve the church in a simple way.

Let me give you an update on the family...
Dad as normal goes to work every morning, except now he has Friday's off so he usually just does some work around the house on Friday's.

Mom has just recently started helping out at the library in Carmen's school, so Carmen is always excited when Mom comes and sometimes stays and eats lunch with her! She has also started working in the AWANAS program at church and is director of the cubbies group (which is the 3 -5 yr olds I think).

Aaron is doing good at Texas State and has already had a lot of writing projects to do (or so it seems). He is probably the busiest of us all, because on Tuesdays he works after school, then Wednesday is youth group, Thursday he works and has worship team practice, and Saturday he works so yup he is keeping up with everything pretty good, and I am proud of him!

Carmen is liking school and making lot's of new friends. She still has lots of time to watch t.v. and play after she does her homework! On Wednesday she has AWANAS so she is enjoying doing that again this year. Please be praying for her because lately she has been having her asthma act up again so just remember to pray for her!

Well I think I have said enough for now so until next time, you guys have got a pretty good idea of what's going on with the Briles Family!!
love,
Jessie

First Week of School!

Hey to all from an official 11th grader at Canyon High School!

Well I thought I would give everybody an update on how my first week of school went. I started on Monday and of course first day of school nobody really does anything except handout pieces of paper about the class and class rules, introduce themselves, etc. I had a good first day, all though I get out of school at 3:55 the bus didn't come until 4:40, so I didn't get home until a bit after 5:00, so that was the only bad highlight I guess of my first day/week haha! On Wednesday I saw a person at lunch who had a t-shirt that said: "I compete for the honor of Christ, the reputation of the Holy Spirit, and the glory of the One True God." That really stuck in my mind because it just encouraged and reminded me that I am not alone in this life long race.

Well after one week of school I already have 3 quizzes on Monday! I guess I have kind of gotten used to the routine and all at school, and I have all my classes and stuff memorized so that's good! Well I guess that's about all I have to say and just remember you're not alone and there are other people who are with you in this race!

Until next time
Love to all,
Jessie

The College Kid

Hello to all! Aaron here, sorry it has taken forever for me to post a new blog! I thought it was about time for me to give anyone out there reading a little update on my life!

During the summer, I continued working at Subway, and actually worked a few 30 hour weeks. The rest of the weeks it was fewer hours because of random days off for college-prep stuff or church ministries. Our family spent a night away in Houston, as we went to a Cardinals game! It was awesome to see a new stadium, and we got within feet of some of the Cards' players! I also spent a weekend at camp with the kids from church. We all had a blast, and got back safely, even if tired.

This week (tomorrow actually), I start school at Texas State U. in San Marcos, about 20 minute drive to the parking lot! I will be living at home and commuting, taking 16 credit hours spread over all 5 weekdays. History, speech, geography, english, music appreciation, and a freshman seminar are the classes I am taking. I am really excited for the opportunity to continue my studies, as well as to make new friends and be light to those around me. I am so grateful to God for providing the money for college! After applying for the FAFSA, and submitting my previous grades to school, I was blessed with a scholarship, as well as financial aid. Combined, all tuition was paid for, as well as a commuter meal plan and car-related expenses! I am thankful that God guided me in my college decision, as well as the blessing of not having to worry about finances for the time being!

During the school year, I will continue being involved at church as well as at Subway. This first week, my boss has me down for 18 hours of work. As always, I will be continuing my service with the church worship team, and also with the youth group. I am happy to report that a new-generation youth worship team is underway! The group is excited to be able to worship together, and though is small for now, is trusting in God to raise up new leaders! Thank you Hannah, Vincent, and Jessie for your commitment so far!

Well, this will wrap up this post. Look for more down the road from me! And if I forget, just remind me!!!

Blessings to all!

Aaron

Registration!!

Hey to all!!
Well today I went to register for my junior year at the high school I will be going to: Canyon High School. Registration went well, I have 7 classes and 3 credit recovery classes I will have to do online at home. My counselor is very nice and she has handpicked my teachers for me, because she knows which ones will be best for me; from what she was telling me all of the teachers I am supposed to have are really nice and willing to work harder with me if I need it!

I am really excited to be going to public school again, since I was home schooled this past year. It is going to be a challenge at first, because I have never gone to an American public school before other than kindergarten, which I don't think really counts ha! I know God will help me through it and give me strength and wisdom.

I start school on the 24th of August which is exactly 3 weeks from today!! Like I said it is going to be very different from public school in Mexico, but I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me!! (Philippians 4:13)

Well I am done writing for now until next time!
God bless!!
Jessie

Graduation

Thank you for your prayers during my trip to Altotonga. Graduation went very well and the young people and their parents were blessed I was there. I visited with several families and shared meals with several others. The trip was a great success!

The photo is the Senior Class of 2006-2009. There were a few others who are not in the photo. Altotonga was rainy and cool, quite a change from Texas and our 105+ temps.

Press on friends and do what God has put in your heart to do. Until next time....

Heading South

Friends, it has been awhile since I wrote so I thought I would share some thoughts with you.

I will be heading to Altotonga tomorrow to be at the graduation of Morfin High School. This is the school I taught English at for 4 years. I have been asked to be the "Padrino" of the entire group, about 60 students. Friday morning will be the formal ceremony then in the evening will be a dinner. This is an honor and I look forward to sharing with you what all happens on this special day for this group.

On this trip I want to visit several other teens who graduated these past weeks from other schools. Three more of our teens graduated High School this past week. WOW!

Also, in between the visits I need to meet with the lawyer overseeing the transfer of the property to the church. The transfer process began more than a year ago............need I say more.

It will be a full trip as I return Sunday. I hope to have some new photos to share with you. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Chris

STL trip!

Hello friends and family!!
As most of you know our family took a short 2 week trip to St. Louis, MO to visit our friends and family up there. It was very short and I would have loved to stay longer, but because of Dad and Aaron's work schedule we couldn't be up there any longer. Even though it was short we were able to fit in a lot of things, including a doctors appointment for me, which went really well! The Doctor's goal was for me to reach 5ft and I have! Thank you God!! Next month I will stop taking the shots I have been taking for the past 6 years! As most of you know I have Turner Syndrome which basically means I don't grow on my own and that is what the shots are for; so when I stop taking them I probably won't grow anymore on my own, but I know God can always help me grow if he wants me to!

I really enjoyed my time there and it always amazes me how fast people grow, not only physically, but also spiritually. While we were there I visited my home church the two Sundays we were in town and it was good to see my friends from there and catch up with them and how they're doing! Dad was able to preach at two churches, one of them our home church "Gracepoint of Webster", and the other one "Oasis." I know Dad always likes to preach at as many churches as possible, but this time he could only fit in two.

Well I don't know what else to write about, so I guess this is all for now!
Until next time,
Jessie

Microwave dinners and dishwashers

Hey to all! This is Aaron blogging.

As some may know, my parents are in St. Louis and have been gone for almost a week. With them went my sisters, leaving me behind. This worked out ok for an AP test that I had to take Thursday, plus the added work responsibilities I have had at Subway as of late. So, I got a week to try my hand at the bachelor's life. And well... it went well, with only two exceptions.

Being home alone since last Tuesday has been an experience. For starters, my diet changed. Instead of sandwiches for lunch, and Mom's home-cooking for dinner, I got into the routine of a very late breakfast of cereal, then snacks at work, and something small for dinner. This worked ok for a few days. Saturday though, was an adventure. After getting to work slightly late because of an alarm clock mishap, I had an overall good day. I got home and killed a few hours, then got hungry. I took a Salisbury steak frozen dinner out of the freezer and cooked it up. The meat itself was good, but the side dish didn't taste so good. About two hours later, my stomach agreed. I fell asleep on the couch "watching" TV, and when I woke up, was sick. It was around 8:30, and I called Mom and Dad to let them know I was sick and going to bed. I am glad to say that before I even fell asleep, God had healed me! I felt fine. I set my alarm correctly to go to music practice at church the next morning.

Sunday at church was awesome! Both first and second services worship was real. God was moving and touching lives. Phil spoke a good message on wisdom, and the time in Romans in sunday school was good, even if with many rabbit trails. That afternoon, a couple from church (Jerry and Vickie Williams) invited me over for a true home-cooked, Texas meal. It was delicious! I spent a few hours with them, just talking and visiting. Jerry and Vickie run Home of Family Warmth, and I have been able to get to know them and have many sisters-in-Christ thanks to the great work they are doing.

Then today was get-ready-to-leave day. I did the yard work, and was amazed when I got it done before noon. Thank you Lord! Today it was in the 90s here. I had done everything remaining on my list except the dishes. I remembered them as I was watching a movie, so I put in soap and started the washer. An hour or so later, when the movie was over, I got up to get a drink, and was greeted by a lake of suds on the kitchen floor. Thank God that it didn't make as big a mess as it could have! Also, I am thankful that I remembered an old shop-vac. I found it in the garage, plugged it in, and it worked! I vacuumed up the suds and water as best I could, then finished cleaning with a mop, rinse water and a bucket. The dishes have been rinsed again and are now drying. The floor is clean, and I have 3 small things on my to do list that can only be done tomorrow morning before I leave. Oh yeah, I fly out tomorrow from San Antonio to catch up with the rest of the family. So for tonite, these have been my adventures of the week, and I am signing off!

Learning something new every day.

Aaron

CONGRATULATIONS!

Hi to all!
I just wanted to say to my big brother Aaron, CONGRATULATIONS!! He finished high school, and graduated from "Briles Home Education." He got his diploma (made by Mom) and is looking forward to going to Texas State University in August. Well Aaron, you did it, you graduated! The day everyone had been waiting for finally arrived hahaha!! Well I know from all of the family we are proud of you and once again Congratulations for finishing one phase of your life! I know God has great plans for you in the future and that you will do what he guides you to do! Love you Bro!!

Well I don't have much else to say - just that for whoever is reading this, don't forget to send him a card or an e-mail or you can write to him on facebook if you have one ha!

Until next time!
-Jessie (and also from the rest of the fam)

Happy Easter!

Hello friends and Family!
First of all, I hope you all are having a great Easter! I have been thinking today a lot on what Easter really means. It's not all about getting candy, and having awesome church services and Easter egg hunts. I just wanted to remind all of us what it really is about. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in all the candy and stuff, that we forget what it is all about. It is about a prophecy being fulfilled! Ps 68:18 "When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you. Now the Lord God will live among us there".
That is not the only prophecy about Jesus' resurrection, there are many more! For me this is the greatest day in the year! Jesus is alive again!!
A friend pointed out something to me earlier, because I had made that same reflection on my facebook status. She commented on it and said: He's alive and reigning in glory in heaven, but is He alive and reigning in our hearts? This really struck me because it really makes me think how many people know that He is alive in heaven, but don't really have him alive in their hearts. Another friend made another reflection by saying how most of us have him reigning and alive in our hearts on Sunday mornings, but the rest of the week he gets the back seat... Whoa! that is really deep now! I know all of us are guilty of that! So next year on Easter, remember the true meaning of it all, and that He is alive and that we should be giving him our best, not just on Sundays, but all the time try to give him our best!
Well that's all for now!
'Till next time,
Jessie

Spring Break

It is now one week into April, well, maybe two...
The family got back from a week long trip to Mexico on Tuesday evening. We left on Tues. the 29th of March, and spent Wednesday afternoon thru Saturday morning visiting with the people we used to live with in Altotonga. After that, we spent Saturday afternoon thru Monday morning in Coscomatepec, where our friends now preside and serve. On Tuesday at 7:30, we were back home. So on Wednesday of course, it was back to work for Dad and myself, and back to school for all accept Dad. Our time down south was very good. I enjoyed the time we were able to spend with friends - the people I grew up with. Being able to spend time with the teens was awesome, and I laughed the most I had since being in Altotonga in November. The short time we had in Cosco was just as good. It is very encouraging to see what God is doing in that small little town. The church there is now about 50 persons. Incredible growth for being only about 2 years since the first house meetings started. Praise God! Overall, the time was awesome, even if short. God encouraged me and reminded me how great He is.

Through God's unbelievable peace, I realize a new chapter has started in my life. The time in Altotonga reminded me that we are no longer there. No matter how long we are away though, we still love the people there and have them in our prayers. We know that we will never forget them, and they will never forget us. Still, we know that God has plans for us here. He has plans for me here. And now I believe I am ready for them. Before, it seemed Altotonga was still at the forefront of my mind. Now though, I have peace. Now, I am ready to say 100%, "here I am Lord, send me."

Blessings to all!

Aaron

Stressed, frustrated.... Peace!!

Hey everyone!!
I just thought I would share a little of what has been going on with me.
These past couple of days I had been stressed out for multiple reasons. One of the reasons is that I am in the process of getting everything I need into the public school for next year. I had to give them my 9th grade report card so they could see how many credits I have, but they won't give me credits for homeschooling (I'm homeschooling 10th grade), so I just had to go with the credits they gave me for my 9th grade year. I had to have 10 credits in order to be a junior in high school next year (11th grade). So I got the results back and I had 8 credits which is really good!!
I still need to get 2 more credits though which will require either testing out of some class, or going to summer school, or also do a credit recovery class during the school year. I had just been completely frustrated about what to do or if I would even be able to get those credits I need.
Yesterday at church Pastor Phil talked about how God fights for and with us and that there is nothing that is to big for him. I just felt that I needed to give all my stress, frustrations and emotions over to God because he is in control of everything. After I did that and trusted 100% that God was going to take care of everything... I felt an incredible peace!!
Philippians 4:7 says "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
I just wanted to share this because I know all of us have a point in our lives where we get so stressed out, and worried, but God gives us peace just like Philippians 4:7 says! So remember that whatever you're going through God is in control!!
Until next time!
Love,
Jessie

Acquire the Fire ---> From Aaron's perspective

Hello to all!

Wow! It's been forever since my last post. Sorry to all of those waiting for more! Thank you for keeping tuned in.

As Jessie said, Acquire the Fire was in San Antonio this past weekend. It was an amazing time to spend with the teens from our youth group, worshiping God and learning more and more about Him together. Friday started in the evening, and ended the day with a Sanctus Real concert. It was awesome! That night was spent imagining Jesus living in our modern times, born in 1976. It truly made us stop to think more about the way people accepted or rejected Him, even 2000 years ago.

On Saturday, we covered the topics all teenagers need to hear. 1) guy-girl separate workshop, focusing on relationships with the opposite gender. 2) the need to have a passion for extending God's kingdom through missions. 3) the challenge to attack the Bible, reading, memorizing, and living it. 4) learning to relate better with our parents. Those were the main things talked about that day, but curiously enough, God chose a different way to reveal what I most needed to hear that weekend...

On Friday night, both at the event, and even driving back to New Braunfels, I felt God putting something on my heart. I didn't know exactly what to think of it, but I knew it was something I needed to figure out. On Saturday though, God revealed it more and more to me, and I realized that it had truly become an uneeded burden for me. Throughout the day, I couldn't stop thinking of it, and what God was trying to do with my heart at the time. After dinner, we went back into the building from the van where we ate, and started the most amazing time of worship ever. Some of our group went down to be on the main floor for the time, while the rest (including myself) stayed on the 2nd level of the seats. During the worship time, not a single knee of our youth group was unbent. All of us, regardless of where we were, were bowing down, worshiping God, loving Him, receiving His love for us. It was sensational! I myself heard God speaking clearly to me, and later wrote it all down in my notebook using a borrowed cell phone for light. Needless to say, he revealed what was to be done. It wasn't over yet though!

A little while later, after worship, there was a call for us to write down things that were keeping us from getting to where we wanted to be with God. I thought about it first, and then started writing down a couple things.... amazingly, seven things later, I was nailing them (quite literally) to a cross set up on the floor. Even though it was symbolic, I knew God had lifted these things from between us, swept them away. All it took was for me to humble myself and acknowledge them. One of these things was the burden I had discovered the night before. To sum it up, I must say: how amazing and great and powerful is God? He who can reveal a burden, break my heart of it, and have me lay it at his feet in 24 hours is truly an awesome God!!! praise Him!!!

Yesterday in church, I shared a little bit of what God did for me, as well as listened to a couple others give their account of what God taught them. It was really neat to feel closer and closer to God through the weekend. When I look back on it, not only did it draw me closer to Him, but God also allowed me to feel more and more a part of the group than before. I feel like I belong. Thank God for his never-ending mercy, wisdom and love for us. I also thank the church family at Dayspring Christian Fellowship for opening their arms to my family and myself.

God loves us, has a purpose for our life, and will never hesitate to touch us when we need it. The last thing I will mention is the fact that after nailing the paper to the cross, all my barriers were lifted except the one. That one was lifted 5 minutes later, when I lost my focus on all else, and was completely absorbed in God. Never lose your focus, put it where it belongs, 100%, and God will relieve your soul.

Thanks for reading,
Aaron

Aquire the Fire Weekend!!

Hello friends and family!!
Well this past weekend I had the opportunity to go to a youth event called Aquire the Fire. All I can say is WOW!!!!
First of all I thank God for providing the money to go and just for his amazing love!! He gave everything up for us!!
It was the best weekend of my life, spending in it the presence of God and learning more of him!
One thing that really stuck out to me was how much we need Jesus. I mean sure we want him when it's convenient, or when we're in trouble, but what about when everything's going great, or when we "can do it on our own"? That is the wrong attitude!! We need to transfer Jesus from our "want" list to our "need" list!!
I know I returned from that event on fire for God and my life renewed to him again and realized how much I need him. Honestly I had been spending way to much time on the computer and things and just it distracted me and I decided to make Jesus the center of my life, my priority and not let the distractions get in the way!!
I pray that God will keep the fire burning in me and all the teens that went. Well there's so much that I learned this weekend (I don't have time to put it all in here), but it's time to put them in practice and live them!
Remember make Jesus the center of your life!!!
Love to all!
Jessie

Back from Asia

Hello Friends,

I had a wonderful trip to Indonesia and China. It was great to be able to minister to our fellow co-workers who sacrifice so much to share the good news. 2008 was a tough year for many but after our get together in Indonesia everyone left refreshed and re focused. Thank you for your support in all aspects. The family did very well while I was gone. Aaron split his head open the night before I left (see other blogs) and Carmen missed her dad but did ok. Jessie likes it when her dad is not around.......

China is an very interesting land. 20% of the worlds population lives in this restricted and brutal country. Please do not fall for the lie they like to show the world, they are hostile towards believers. I was in a modern city that does not show the reality of the Chinese people. Please remember to lift up our brothers and sisters to the Father.

Thanks again for your love and support.

Chris

Stitches... gone.

Hello to all.

This is just a short little post to let everyone reading know that: my stitches are out! After getting them put in at 1:30 AM last Saturday, today at 11:30 they came out. I still have felt no pain, and when taking them out, there was one small drop of blood. Praise God! I feel so blessed and fortunate to serve such a great God that can make something good out of something that appears to be so bad.

Blessings to all!

Aaron

Head Protection

Greetings to all!

Of course, once more, Aaron blogging here, but this will be a long one. I warn you in advance, long and possibly overly descriptive, but because of what happened, I must write it all out!

Let's see, where to start. Start with the basics. Myself and Jessie went to an all-night youth lock-in at our church here in New Braunfels. Plans were to eat, have a time of worship, then go broom-balling in San Antonio. Broom-balling is basically street hockey, but with a ball instead of a puck, and on a rink instead of a frozen street. Anyways, the whole thing started with pizza and dodgeball. After that, we had an awesome hour or so of praise and worship. At 10 PM, we left for the San Antonio skating rink, about half an hour away, with my Dad as one of the volunteer drivers. Praise God for that, as the story will later tell! We got on the ice at 10:45, and eventually started a massive game, with about 20 or more people on each team. At say maybe...11:11, I slipped and fell.

Of course, those who saw me say I did a flip, but I just know that I fell too fast to remember, and my head hit the ice... hard. When I got to my knees, I saw a red waterfall coming from my forehead, and all I could think was uh-oh... Mrs. Gracie (one of the youth helpers), took off her sweater to wrap around my head in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. I walked off the ice, supported by two others. There at the ice-rink, I got a couple butterfly bandages to help curb the bleeding by drawing my skin back together. It was quickly decided, unanimously, that I had to go to the emergency room. We got to a nearby hospital within 15 minutes, and checked in decently quick. I was conscious the whole time, and in good spirits. I owe that to my dad, sister Jessie, and youth helper Mike. Thanks guys! They were all worried sick about me, and were with me the whole time in the hospital. Through it all though, we joked and laughed and tried to relieve the tension in the air.

Ok, time to backtrack a bit. I was later told I lost around a quart of blood on the ice. I was astounded. The whole time, from hitting my head, to as I write this, I have been pain free. The only burning sensation came when they cleaned it with water and soap at the hospital, and quick shots of pain as I realize certain facial expressions are not advisable to make yet. Also, had my Dad not been a volunteer driver, I wouldn't have gotten into a hospital room until he made it there from New Braunfels, 45 minutes away. God be praised! Ok, let me get back on track. At the hospital, I learned that I would need stitches, and everybody seemed amazed that I wasn't dazed at all. A couple needle pricks with a local anesthetic and 8 stitches later, we were basically free to go. After the required paperwork and clean-up, my Dad, Jessie, Mike and myself walked out of the hospital. It was only 1:45AM. If you don't believe that to be a miracle, how much more do you want?

The whole time, I had remained as cheerful as I could be, hoping it would be contagious. Besides, how not to be cheerful knowing that God had very easily just spared my life? God was with me in such a powerful way that whole time. Not once was I nervous about my head, except when I learned there was to be needles involved in the anesthesia. God gave me incredible peace, and for some reason, stuck the song "Break Free" by Hillsong United in my head all night. The whole time, Mike insisted on my going home after getting out of the ER, but I was only going home if I was tied hands and feet and forced to go! By the time we got back to New Braunfels, Dad had given his assent to my staying at the lock-in as long as I drank lots of water, took it easy, and it was ok with our youth leader Keith. We stopped by Walgreens to get tylenol and an ointment to put on the stitches if needed. When we got to church, it was 2:30. I was allowed to stay! yeah!

Soon after, worship set number 2 began. Keith let me play bass with one condition: sit down to play. OK! As long as I can play! haha. The set was really good, and after TJ (drummer) had to leave, David (worship leader) and Mike played and sang acoustic worship for more than an hour. Everybody who was asleep by that time missed out. God continued to work and minister the way he had the whole night. Towards the end, I asked David to teach me "Break Free", since I still had it in my head! To this hour, I still don't know why that song... hmmm...

By the time Dad came to pick us up at 8, it had been a really awesome time. I was one of about 8 who stayed up allllllll night, and enjoyed it so much. As soon as my head touched pillow when I got home, I was out. I was awakened at 11 or so that morning to take Dad to the airport. He was leaving for Asia! oh yeah! A drive to the San Antonio airport and back gave me lots of time to continue to think about what God has done for me. How great He is! When we got back home, I promptly fell asleep again, until 5:30, when I got up to get ready for one of the Jymmi's (one of the youth) 16th birthday party. I got to bed at 10 Saturday night, and awoke at 6:30 on Sunday to get to church for music practice at 7:15. Church went well, worship was awesome, as God once more came to meet us, and the message from pastor Phil spoke powerfully. Now, it is 6:29 PM on Sunday the 18th, just 43 hours after my fall, and I have yet to experience any pain other than an obnoxious bump on my head! Praise you, Lord!


This whole incident has left me (instead of speechless) without enough opportunities to tell the whole story. It takes time to describe it all, but the main factors were God's protection from serious injury, his plan for Dad to be there, his pain-relieving hand, and his never-ending peace. He is awesome, mighty, powerful, amazing, wonderful!!!! Words cannot describe what he has done the past 48 hours in my life.

That will be all for this post, it is humongous already, and I hope people will take the time to read it! I will post a picture soon of the stitches, then will erase (maybe) this sentence (or maybe not). All I can say for certain is that God is great and his protection and love never cease! As I remember more small details that need to be written, I will include them in future posts. Keep your focus on God, no matter what the circumstance, and keep praising Him!

God bless all!

Aaron

January busy-ness

Ok, so this is being written in the midst of our media-fast. All I can say is: "what peace and quiet we seem to have!" This fast has been awesome! Instead of spending time watching TV, cruising the internet, or playing video games, our family has used the time to spend together. In the evenings we are all home, we play table games, and lots and lots of Bible Trivia. Family devotions each night draw us together more and more, as well to God. I have started working about 20 hours a week at a Subway 3/4 mile from our house, and have enjoyed it very much.

Dad leaves on Saturday for a 2 week sojourn into southeast Asia. He will be visiting Indonesia and China, much like his visit to Vietnam and Thailand three years ago. He is excited to be able to see the work God is doing in these countries, although he is far from being sold on the idea of a 15-hour plane ride. We are praying that God continue to use him as a blessing to other missionaries in that part of the world.

Well, that's just a little update on what has been going on. To God be the glory forever! Blessings to all!

Aaron Briles

A Challenge

A belated Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year to all our readers! I know it has taken a long time to write this next blog, but it will have to be short. This month of January, our family is doing a media fast along with others from our church here in New Braunfels. For us, that means that we have no TV, video games or computer for the whole month, unless related to school or work. For those of us with e-mail, we have 1/2 hour each day to read and respond. The purpose of this fast is to 1) draw closer to God, 2) draw closer as a family, and 3) realize how messed up our priorities can sometimes get. In the next month, I will post more little blogs about how that is coming along!

For the rest of you reading out there, we encourage you to do the same. Take time away from your normal, everyday, unnecessary routine activities, and use the time to spend with God and family. We have big goals for our family over this month, and also for the year. What about you?