Back in California!

Trevor and I traveled all day yesterday to California and we are so excited to be here! It's crazy to think that I'm back home, but with a HUSBAND this time! Ahh! :)

We haven't seen my family since the wedding and it's AWESOME to be back con mi familia!
It hasn't always been easy living so far away from my family, but whenever God gives us the opportunity to visit, I take it in a heart beat! We're so thankful to be here!

Life can get busy, but don't ever forget your family. I love mine so much! Still can't believe I woke up this morning in California! Today we're off to Yosemite National Park!

Woo hoo!!

-Sara

Summer Evenings

Trevor and I love taking Indie out for long walks in the evenings! Summer is here and we both love our gorgeous new neighborhood! There are so many awesome things in UpTown!

 Street Car Station...

 the Mississippi....

 and some limes Trevor picked up along the way!

 New Orleans has slowly become our new home! This weekend were packing up and venturing off to California to spend time with mi familia! Im too excited! Stay tuned for more pictures in California!!! 

-Sara

Oh Sunday Morning

Sunday mornings have been a bit different for us since we've moved to New Orleans....

Trevor and I have been helping out with set up team on Sunday mornings at 7 o'clock. I must confess,  I'm not much of a morning person, but in the end it's all worth it!

Since we are a church plant, meeting in a middle school gym, we have volunteers that literally transform the gym into a church every Sunday morning bright and early. Immediately after church they tear down, put everything back in the trailer and do it all over again the next week. It's pretty admirable

I have honestly fallen in love with the community within our church.

It reminds me of the book of Acts and how the church came together to help one another. We're all there for each other and believe in a greater purpose for the church. 7am on a Sunday morning isn't easy, but once you walk into that gym and see the volunteers from the church, theres a sense of awakening in the air. And you want to be a part of it!

-Sara

Teaching Team

I never really imagined myself as a preacher or even a bible scholar. When I attended Evangel University I excelled in my Communication classes but when it came to Biblical studies, I always struggled and somehow passed with a C-.  

Ask me what I am doing now?...…

                      I have the privilege of being part of the Teaching Team at Saints Community church, helping pastor prepare for sermons. God has a sense of humor.

 The Teaching Team is made up of 4 people (including myself) who assist pastor in the preparation of sermons for Sunday mornings. Sometimes, an individual from the teaching team will help present communion, welcome guests or preach on a Sunday morning.  It’s cool to think that I have been studying and learning how to effectively communicate, and now I get to use what I have learned in college to help communicate the gospel to people on a weekly basis!

Since we have yet to get internet at home, I go to local coffee shops to work, study and prepare for my meetings with pastor.  Today, I have two guests with me! My handsome bearded hubby…..

                                                                          and Indie!

This week we’re launching our “Discover” sermon series, based on Romans 12. We as a church will be taking a journey and discovering what our spiritual gifts are and how we can use our own gifts to help others. I can say, being a part of this team has really challenged me to read more books and study the scriptures on a deeper level.

(Below: design from the talented Trevor Mark Ekanger for the sermon series)

I've learned that if you think you're not good at something, try to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Try something new! It will make you a better person in the end. You may be better at it than you might think! :)

-Sara

Living in New Orleans!

In the midst of moving to a new state, unpacking and settle in to a new home and church; I do apologize for not keeping up with the blog! In my defense, Trevor sold our computer to purchase a new one and I finally got it! So it is kinda his fault ;)

Trevor and I have finally unpacked our last moving box and have officially moved into our new home! We live in the UpTown area of NOLA (New Orleans, LA) which is filled with boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops and beautiful historic homes. To our surprise, the weather is more humid and tropical than either of us anticipated. Trevor (raised in the snow in South Dakota) is still adjusting to the heat, but Im personally loving it! Overall, we are both loving the area where we are living and we're so thankful to be a part of this new ministry God has called us both to.
(picture above - we live on the right side!)

Saints Community Church has been more than welcoming! This church is already our new home! Trevor is the Creative Arts director and I am a part of the church's Teaching Team and Community Care Program. We are having an amazing time making new friends, getting to know people in the church and leaning our new roles. The pictures bellow are from our first Sunday at the church. We had a commissioning service that launched our small groups out into the community. Bellow you can see Pastor Wayne praying for difference public leaders in the community representing organizations dealing with, after school programs, pregnant teens, food shelters and many others! We are so excited to get out into the community and be Jesus to the city! More on all this to come in future blog posts!

Indie is doing well too!
As soon as our moving truck pulled into the city, Indie popped his head up and wagged his little tail. He knew this was his new home.

Indie had his "manly" surgery last week and is still recovering. He is not a big fan of his "Cone of Shame", but he is a trooper and has high hopes of getting well soon.

Trevor and I are so thankful to have been given this opportunity to become part of this church and reaching out within our own community. We are so grateful for our friends, our supporters and our family in South Dakota, California, Missouri and across the country. We love you all! Please know that your prayers and support mean the world to us! We wouldn't be here without you!

We are so amazed how smooth this transition has been to New Orleans and we know that only God could have orchestrated it. We have only lived here for about 3 weeks now, but there are moments that Trevor and I still look at each other, smile and say, "I can't believe we're living here!" :)

If you are interested in supporting us or you are already supporting us, an easy was to give is online through our PayPal account!  Just click the link SUPPORT and it will take you directly there! 

All donations are tax deductible

If you have any questions don't hessitate to contact me at sara.gabriellas@gmail.com 

The Newest Addition To Our Family - Indie!

Hello everyone, this is Trevor writing! We would like to introduce to you the newest member of the Ekanger family, his name is Indie! He is a 7 month old Cockapoo who's past time is sleeping and cuddling with Sara.

Sara and I have been talking about getting a dog now for several months and when presented with the opportunity to meet this little guy came, we jumped at it.

Here is the backstory on Indie - He was the biggest of his litter, and the lady who gave him to us says he looks like his dad. Previously she had given him to a family when he was a puppy, but unfortunately that family mistreated him. She went to go just check on how he was doing and found that they were keeping him in a little kennel all day and on that particular day she saw him he was being rained on.  She convinced the family to give him back and said it took several days for him to warm up to people again.

When Sara and I first heard about him we were in the car driving back from an amazing weekend in South Dakota. As we were driving the conversation about getting a dog resurfaced.  We both agreed we would love to get a puppy for this next season in NOLA.  We had just come to the conclusion that a Cockapoo would make a great addition to our home. Suddenly Sara's phone lit up with a text message.  The text was from a dear friend of ours who said "there is an add on Craigslist with a Cockapoo, I think you should check it out" , and so "reluctantly" we did! (insert sarcasm)  The lady said he was potty trained and he was free to anyone willing to love him and give him a good home.

I don't know if the text message was a sign from God to get a dog, but the timing was uncanny. I know the next few months will be that of change, adjustment,  and faith but we are so excited that this little doggy gets to be part of it too! 

So when you are praying for the Ekangers don't forget about little Indie! He loves to cuddle, he likes to stick close to Sara and he is slowing warming up to the both of us. It is so fun to see his little personality come out!

We love you all, thanks for your prayers and support. We are looking forward to our move this coming Tuesday (April 30th) and even more excited for what God is going to do in New Orleans!

T H A N K F U L !

This past week, Trevor and I drove up north to South Dakota to visit friends and family! I'm originally from the San Francisco area in California...so I was pretty much out of my comfort zone with the cold and snowy weather. However the people in Aberdeen, SD  made me feel right at home! 

It was a privilege to have met many people who have played such an influential role in Trevor's life growing up! I am thankful for each and everyone of them! From the nurses who took care of him when he battled cancer to the friends in his home church who love him so dearly; I wanted to express my gratitude towards all of them! 

Since Trevor and I are moving to New Orleans next week, I must confess that these past two weeks have been pretty overwhelming raising support and packing all at the same time. Then I felt God place this verse upon my heart:
                 "Fear not, for I am with you. There's no need to fear for I am your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold a steady firm grip on you." -Isaiah 41:10 (MSG)

When you hear God's voice telling you to pick up and go, just go.
There's no need to worry about anything else. God's word is enough.
Trevor and I are slowly seeing how God has already paved the way for both of us into this new ministry and we are both thankful every step of the way.
To all of our friends and family who are reading this:
T  H  A  N  K     Y  O  U  !

-Sara
ps: If you want to support Trevor and I click on the "Support" tab on the top of the page. Thanks!