Back in Action

I guess it's about time that I start this thing back up! 


The past few months of my life have been so awesome. There have been many ups and downs, but the Lord's hand has been at work. My family has been a huge part of the roller coaster my life has seen this past year. After being released from the hospital last year, my mother remained sober for almost 6 months. This was a huge accomplishment. Over the summer, my mom, Mark, my brother and I would get to spend time together and relationships were being rebuilt. I was astonished at how much progress she had made. Halfway through my first semester this year, things started taking a turn for the worst. I began noticing her behavior was reverting back to her addict personality and I knew something wasn't right. Within a period of 3 weeks, she was back to all her old ways and so was Mark. Our relationship started going back downhill and it was really hard not to be angry with her and Mark. My brother and I spent Christmas with our grandparents and the rest of the family. After dinner with the family on Christmas night, I got a call from my neighbors/best friends that there was an ambulance at my house. Within 5 seconds, I was out the door and at my moms house. We spent the rest of the night in the hospital and the next few days. After being detoxed and receiving fluids, she was released and went home. It wasn't long until she was back at the alcohol and drugs. Within 2 weeks she had landed herself back in the hospital and this time things were not looking good. Quite frankly, her liver is pretty shot. The lifestyle she has been living will not allow her to live much longer if she continues. Those days she was in the hospital were not easy for her. The last time she was in the hospital, she was unconscious while her body was shutting down, but this go around she was awake for everything. Her experiencing all the pain and realizing what was going on has led her to where she is now. She no longer wants that horrible lifestyle. She is currently living with my grandparents while her body fully regains its strength. Once she reaches that point, she will going to a 3 month christian rehab facility in Alabama. Praise God for His faithfulness and continuous comfort through this journey. I am so proud of her for the decisions she has made and am praying that she has the strength to follow through with all that she says. But enough about the sappy family drama..


I cannot believe I am in my second year of college. It seems like yesterday that I was entering my senior year of high school! I absolutely loved my classes last semester, especially anatomy. It really reassured me that I am pursuing the right career path. I am still involved with Cure at UGA and YoungLife at Cedar Shoals High School. YoungLife has been so much fun. I love getting to hang out with the high schoolers every week and going to Sharptop Cove with them a few weekends ago was definitely a highlight of this school year. Cure at UGA has opened so many doors for me, including a 7 week internship at the hospital in Kenya this summer!!!! God has been so faithful through the entire process. I was able to meet some of the Cure International staff when I went to a conference with them in Atlanta and through an exchange of a couple of emails, I got the internship! Getting to go back to Kenya brings me so much joy. The children at the hospital are not only getting physically healed, but they get to hear about a Savior who loves them regardless of their imperfections and died so that they could spend eternity with Him. I cannot wait to be apart of this and see how the Lord plans to use me while I am over there. 


If you are interested in finding out more about Cure International, go here:

If you would like to help me get to Kenya, you can go here: 

Or checks can be made to: 

CURE International 

Memo line: Haley Sanders

Please Mail to: 
701 Bosler Avenue
Lemoyne, PA 17043

Please do not give if you do not feel compelled to. I do not write this blog because I want your money, I just want to share how the Lord is working in my life.  Thank you for reading :) 

Update on my life.

I realize it has been quite a while since i've updated on my family, life and school. So here it goes..

I am absolutely amazed with how much God has transformed my life and my family in the past year. There is seriously a night and day difference compared to this time last year. A little over a year ago, I found out what a REAL relationship with God is supposed to be at Crooked Creek and my life since has not been the same. With my family, relationships that I never thought would EVER exist are starting to form. Mark and my mom are doing so so so good and it is amazing to see how the Lord is continuing to do work in their lives. This time last year, i was cussing him out and telling him how much I hate him. Now we sit together at church and at dinner, talking about everything. Yes it is still a little weird, but we're making progress. Building relationships takes time and I'm willing to be patient. My brother and I are still living with our grandparents and I will be starting my sophomore year of college in 2 weeks. It's really freaking me out how fast we're growing up. The thought of school really stresses me out, but I am so excited to get back and to see how the Lord is going to work through Young Life and another organization called Cure that I am apart of.

and that's about all in my life that would be remotely interesting..

No time on my hands!!

I have so much to blog about, but i NEVER have time anymore. Hopefully i'll be able to catch up sometime tomorrow.

I had my YoungLife interview last week and i got the call yesterday that i will officially be a YoungLife leader TOMORROW!! I am seriously so excited. i could not fall asleep last night just thinking about how blessed i am. Last summer, I went to camp with my YoungLife group from home and the Lord used that week to radically change my life. I was not living for him in my senior year of high school and when everything started to fall downhill with my mom, I continued to run from Him. After that week in Colorado, my relationship with Jesus has not been the same. He has seriously made some major changes in my life, He has given me a purpose for my life and He has changed my views on a lot of people in the last few weeks. It has been totally awesome to see how the Lord has worked in my life this year. I AM SO BLESSED. The Lord used YoungLife to radically change me and now i get an opportunity to be apart of this ministry. AHH words cannot describe my excitement.

I still have lots to tell about my mom, Mark and everything that has been going on lately. Really good things, not bad at all. The Lord has been changing my heart and the hearts of others in my family and i cannot wait to share with everyone what has been going on!

also, random fact about my life, i have started running a lot more lately and i will be running in the Cooper river bridge run this saturday! im super stoked that i can actually run 6 miles. NEVER ever thought that would happen..

Quick thought before studying and bed..

I love seeing how God has absolutely transformed me, but i what makes me even more in awe of Him, is seeing Him work through other people. It is so awesome. My God is Huge. I love it.

also, please keep praying for me and my family, God has the power to heal and transform everything. I will not underestimate Him.

I'm beginning to love change.

It's been a while since i've been posting, school literally takes over my life when i'm here. Over the past few weeks i've just been beginning to notice the life change i have experienced. It's amazing to look back and see the difference in the lifestyle i want to live. God is the only reason that is happening. I am just so thankful for the different things He is doing in my life.


For anyone who hasn't been updated: my mom is out of the hospital and back and home. She is still struggling to walk and having to use a walker, but she's home and functioning. Miracles are possible and God will not fail you. This is just one example of how He has blown my mind in the past few months. Prayers please for her mindset. Addiction is a sickness, its something that anyone can struggle with and it's something that is very hard to over come. I continue to pray daily for her to just pull through this and find the strength to get to the brighter side of things. It's going to be tough for her. Satan is surrounding her life and trying to make it easier and easier for her to fall back into things, but God is going to pull her through this. He has the power to do anything, she just has to be willing. 


Also, please pray for me. I hate being away from home, but honestly the thought of having to go home for Christmas break and to deal with everything thats going on there stresses me out to the max. I like being at school where everything seems to be normal and seems to be okay. being away is a good break, but going home can be insane. 


Other things that have happened, me and my roommate started looking for apartments for next year!! so exciting, i feel so old. It's going to be nice to have our own place and not a 10X10 square with furniture in it. 


I dont think things could get any better right now, I've had an awesome weekend, I'm blessed with some amazing people in my life and in 4 days i will be done with finals. SUCCESS. 

school..ugh.

Welp, back at school and studying my brains out for Chemistry, this blog is my little break. I came bath to Athens on Sunday and my mom is still improving. God is constantly and steadily  working in our lives. He may not be seen as much in the little things, but He is definitely still there and fighting for us. 


Yesterday my small group leader from high school text me and reminded me, don't be too strong for the Lord, he has this all in His hands and that being upset, tired, mad, etc is okay because HE wants to be my strength. I constantly feel like i'm putting on a front for some of my family and it was so good to be reminded that God obviously doesn't need a front because He knows everything and I don't have too pretend. My weakness is just a way for me to continue to build my life on Him and become stronger in my walk with Christ. 


Just a verse to share:
"Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God."  John 21:18-19


I really felt like this verse pretty much sums up everything I have been going through. We will be lead into places we do not want to go, but they are for God's glory and we must not forget that.


A quick confession, i've just been feeling really down lately. I guess with all thats been going on I'm just mentally and physically exhausted and i really dont feel like i've been myself in these past few days. I hate it. In the back of my mind i find myself wishing for everything to be back to the way they were years ago, before everything started going insane, but i know this is where i need to be. I know this could be a turning point for my family, so i just keep praying for everything to work out. God's got this.

Why do these types of things happen?

This week started off awesome. My grandmother, nana called to inform me that one of my distant cousins donated money towards my trip to Africa and they also wanted to support me in my college education and are sending me a scholarship to help with tuition. God is continuing to open my eyes and bless me.
However, yesterday I found out that my mom is back in the hospital. Prayers are very much needed. It really sucks being at UGA and not being able to drive up to the hospital and figure out what is going on. I've been getting multiple different stories from everyone and I still have no idea what the full story is. I feel horrible for not being able to go home and support my family during a time like this, but from what everyone has been saying things are looking on the better side. 
PLEASE KEEP HER IN YOUR PRAYERS.


On a lighter note, Africa is almost one week away. SOOOO EXCITED!! 
My next week will be super hectic, packed with a chemistry exam, a history paper, and a swahili project. talk about thrilling. 


There's not much else to say in this post, but please keep my family in your prayers!!

A day at home

It was nice to be home today. last night I had my meeting about the Kenya trip and then i spent the evening shopping for the trip. I dont really know why, but right now i am on a roller coaster of emotions when thinking about this trip. I am already dreading the day we have to leave the villages, the thought breaks my heart. I know God has amazing things planned for this trip and i am so stoked to see what God is going to do in us and through us.

Today, I was able to see my family which was very nice. I am so thankful for my grandparents. literally, joe, my brother and i would not be able to live without them. Long story short, we moved in with them this past year. Our dad passed away when I was 11 and our mom is an alcoholic. We are so blessed to have a family that cares as much as they do. The love we are shown by them is so amazing. My grandmother on my dads side has worked her butt off in helping me raise money for the trip and today she informed me that one of our other relatives is now promising me a scholarship for my next 3 years of college. God is blessing me in so many ways.

The song, Blessed Be Your Name has been on my mind literally all day. "you give and take away, you give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be your name". God is good. Yes, he does take away and no it is not easy to deal with, but God is our Father. He is here with us FOREVER. We may not realize it now and it may be something we never understand, but in the big picture, His plan for us is so much bigger than we could ever imagine. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of my father and there is not a day that goes by that i dont wish my mom could just be clean and that my brother and I could be back in the same house with her; but everyday i see the way God is changing and shaping me into the daughter of Christ that i need to be. My faith in Him and my love for Him have dramatically increased. Even when i dont have a father here on earth and even when i cant talk to or see my mom, I have a heavenly Father whos love for me is NEVER FAILING. that is all i need. 

I'm really not good at this blog thing, but here goes nothin..

Like i said, im really not good at this blog thing. I'm definitely a beginner, but at least im trying. to be honest im not really even sure why im starting this, nor do i even know if i will keep it up, but for right now it seems like a good idea. 


So..over the past few months i've been adjusting to the lifestyles of a college student, minimal amounts of sleep, dinner: cafeteria style, and not to mention the amazing luxury of the lofted, x-long twin sized beds. It has been quite an experience. Moving away from Anderson to a different state has been strange. Only knowing one other person from the start was a challenge, but it is absolutely amazing to see how God has been shaping my life through this experience. Starting off, i didnt have many friends. There were people i saw everyday and could say "hey" to, but no one there to be a best friend (like someone i could run and talk to about anything and everything), just simply acquaintances. this situation gave me a chance to FULLY rely on God. He has become my best friend. He has become the person I can run and tell everything to. He has become my passion. 


Around a year and a half ago, I applied to go on a trip to Africa with NewSpring Community Church in Anderson. A few months later, i was accepted to go on a trip and the dates of November 17-27, 2010 were set. THIS IS SOON. Literally one week from today I will be in Nairobi, Kenya. WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE MY EXCITEMENT. This past week has been full of emotions. I found out on Tuesday that i will get to meet the child that i sponsor, an amazing opportunity in itself, along with serving hundreds of Kenyans and teaching them about the love of Jesus Christ. The passion that God has set in my heart for Africa is unbelievable and i cannot begin to express to you my excitement about this trip. Please pray that we will have a safe journey (17 hours on a plane is a long time). Please pray for the hearts of all of us that will be on the trip. Pray that God would work in everyone's life, the Kenyans, us as the servers, even the people with 410Bridge. Pray that we see life change. God is unstoppable and anything is possible with Him. I pray that we fully experience His power on this trip and i pray that His light will shine through us in ways we never even thought possible. This trip will be a starting block of my future. This could be where God tells me to be, i pray for clarity from Him. My life is His.