Haiti Itinerary: Posted by Courtney's Mom

Courtney and her mission group met at 12 Stone this morning at 5:45am. What a wonderful group of young Christians she will be with on her journey. Below are some key events that will occur on her trip as they take the Gospel to Haiti. Mission leaders will maintain a blog about the mission @ http://12stone.com/global/category/haiti-blog/.

Saturday June 22

• Depart ATL & Arrive @ Port AU Prince, Haiti

Sunday June 23

• Team breakfast & devotion
• Community Tour - Cercady
• Meet with Leadership council

Monday June 24

• Team breakfast & devotion
• Relational activities w/ Haiti Youth
• VBS w/ children of Haiti

Tuesday June 25

• Team breakfast & devotion
• Relational activities w/ Haiti Youth & Leadership council
• Nehemiah training
• Relational activities w/ children of Haiti

Wednesday June 26

• Home visits and prayer w/ families of Haiti
• Continue Tuesday's activities

Thursday June 27

• Farming education for boys of Haiti
• Education on supporting role of females
• Relational activities w/ children
• Visit to market & farewell to community

Friday June 28

• Team breakfast & devotion
• Depart for Port AU Prince, Haiti

Saturday June 29

• Team breakfast & devotion
• Return to ATL :)

Haiti Mission Dinner and Final Preparations

Tonight we had our final meeting prior to our mission trip departure. This was an opportunity to review safety procedures, discuss the itinerary and simply bond with the mission team. I am so excited about the trip and know God will do great things through our mission team.

Haiti Mission Preparation

Thank you soo much for both your financial and spiritual support! This is an amazing opportunity and I'm so blessed to have people like you in my life to support me through it.

Just to keep you updated, about two or three weeks ago we had mission training. At training we had a man that works with the FBI come teach us what to do in all sorts of rare, but dangerous situations. It really opened my eyes and made me more aware of what can actually happen if I don't take this trip seriously. It also made me even more excited because I realize how much these people need to know God's love.

Last week we had another meeting where we discussed how to dress, what to pack and just little details like that. We also started sharing our testimonies with one another. Hearing the amazing ways God works in others’ lives inspired me even more to share the news of Jesus’s salvation.

I can't express how thankful I am for your donation and your prayers through this experience. I plan to use my USA Ambassador Blog to keep everyone updated. You can check for future updates at http://usajrteen.blogspot.com/.

Thank you sooo much again!

 

An Opportunity to Serve

The purpose of this posting is to share with you the great opportunity God has put into my life. I am planning on going on a mission trip to Haiti on June 22^nd until the 29^th and I would really appreciate your support.

                My relationship with Christ has grown tremendously within the past 6 months and I have chosen to follow His leading to go on a short-term mission trip led by the High School Ministry at 12Stone Church.  This would be my first mission trip, and I can’t express the excitement I feel when I think about sharing the Gospel and serving the people of Haiti. I can’t wait to see how God works in my life and the lives of the people of Haiti. This is an amazing opportunity for me to go and serve with a team from my church.

                Has your power ever gone out after it’s already dark outside? It’s close to impossible to see unless you light candles or use a flashlight. Imagine if this was an every night experience. There are still villages in Haiti which have no electricity at all. In fact, while in Haiti, we will be visiting a community populated by deaf Haitians that have no electricity, so when the lights go out, the community becomes void of communication. Haiti is one of the poorest and most dangerous countries in the world. As a result, many of these Haitians have little hope for their futures. What can just a few people do to help that? It’s simple, by spreading the love and hope that God provides: lives will be forever changed.
                Unlike usual mission trips, we won’t be building any houses or anything tangible. We want to focus primarily on building relationships and just bringing people to Christ. We will be visiting many communities throughout the week and spreading the Gospel. I am excited to get to do so and can’t wait to see what God has in store for our team.
                With this big opportunity also comes a risk. I need prayer partners that will begin praying for my success and safety in Haiti. I would like to ask you to pray for me as I prepare for the trip and pray for me while I am gone on the trip. Prayer is essential for the team, our safety and the success of the mission. Please subscribe to this blog if you are willing to support me in prayer during our mission

                Thank you!! I’ll keep you updated as to how preparations are going and tell you all about my trip and the wonders of God after I return! May God bless you and have a great day!!

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

On Friday, December 21st my sister queens, the USA pageant director and several of the queen's moms delivered toys for some of the patients at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Most of the toys were donated by contestants of the Polar Express pageant, while others were donated by the queens themselves. I am so thankful to be part of a pageant system that uses the crown to help the community.

 

 

Letters from Santa

On Wednesday, December 20, 2012 I was able to help Santa out and deliver letters he wrote to a group of first graders at a local elementary school. While myself and several other of Santa's helpers were there, we were able to answer questions. We also helped the children read their letters from Santa. They were so excited and it was a joy to share this holiday experience with them.

12Stone Feed the Kids

On Saturday, December 15 I was able to offer community service through my church, 12Stone. The church provided thousands of low income and single-parent families food for the holidays. My friends and I helped with loading the boxes of food into cars. The people were so appreciative, and it was such a joy to have the opportunity to give back to my community. Although this wasn't done in conjunction with my crown, I wanted to share the experience because regardless of my title, I will always be a servant of Christ.  As a child of God, I will do my best to show others His unconditional love and endless grace.

Miss Autism Speaks Pageant

I had the opportunity to emcee the Miss Autism Speaks Pageant in Winder, Georgia.

The "Miss Autism Speaks" pageant is conducted to raise awareness and funding

for Autism Research and Treatment. It was a lot of fun watching the girls and encouraging them as I read their bios. Victoria, one of my sister queens rocked it on stage. Our pageant director and two other sister queens were on hand to help out and crown.

 

 

Staying Polished

To help stay stage ready, I participated in a fashion show for a rising fashion designer. A fellow model and friend, Sydney Stewart pulled together a fashion show to show off her designs.

Bravura Fashion Show

Today my sister queens and I were on hand to promote the upcoming Homecoming and Prom season at Bravura Formals at the Avenue in Cumming, GA. It was a lot of fun mingling with the models, customers and even the reigning Miss Georgia USA, Jasmyn Wilkins. It was an enjoyable day for all. The dresses at Bravura are gorgeous!

GA SPCA & Sadie's Place

USA's Pageant's, Inc.@ http://www.winthecrown.net/ is a supporter of the SPCA and as an Ambassador for this system, I hope to increase my support of our furry friends during my reign.

Today, I also had the opportunity to visit the Suwanee location and offer donations of dog food and housewares. The housewares were donated by Karen Alexander of Garden Works and other vendors from America's Mart. They will be used to raise money through Sadie's Place to help fund the GA SPCA. The Georgia SPCA is hosting a Benefit Bash on August 18 to raise funds for this facility. If you are interested in learning more abou this organization go to http://georgiaspca.org/.

I enjoyed visiting with the workers, volunteers and pets. I was pleased to see several adoptions in process during my visit. I even almost added dog number 4 to my family. I fell in love with a cute little german shepard mix named Spangle. Unfortnuately for me, when I went back with my dad to get him, a family was in the process of adopting him. Spangle is one lucky dog. He was cared for by the Georgia SPCA and matched with a worthy family. The Suwanee facility is so clean, and the dogs and cats are well cared for. If you are looking for a pet, be sure to check them out.

This is Spangle. I hope he enjoys his new home.

Ronald McDonald House

Today I had the opportunity to visit the Ronald McDonald House and deliver over 50 pounds of pop-tabs that were collected by my family and a Title I school in Gwinnett County. I enjoyed visiting with the manager and discussing the awesome service the Ronald McDonald house offers to families in need. She was excited about the donation of the pop-tabs that would be used to help fund the services provided by the Ronald McDonald house. For more information on the Ronald McDonald House, to volunteer, or to make a donation of your own, go to http://www.armhc.org/How_You_Can_Help.html

What a blessing that families who are struggling to cope with a sick family member don't have to worry about staying in a hotel, enabling them to focus on their child's health.

Pop-tabs collected by students

All pop-tabs donated

Me & Ronald

North Georgia Humane Society Visit

Today the USA queens visited the Northeast Georgia Humane Society 

http://www.humanesocietyofnortheastgeorgia.org/ 

We were able to donate food, blankets and newspapers. We also had the opportunity to play with the pets that are available for adoption. USA Pageants ( http://www.winthecrown.net/) loves our furry friends.

I would've loved to bring one of these precious pups home to play with the 3 dogs I already have, but Mom wouldn't go for it. If you are in the market for a pet, the Northeast GA Humane Society is an awesome facility for adopting a new member to your family.

2012 USA State Pageant - Burd Center, Gainesville

The girls at the pageant were so sweet and beautiful, I just had to share more pictures. I look forward to our year together. Participating in appearances and doing community service with my USA sister queens and pageant director, Lisa Phillips are always a special experience.





Orientation



2012 USA State Pageant - My Farewell & New Title

Today I helped with the state pageant and relinquished my title of Junior Teen Miss Georgia. As I reflected on the last year, I realized how much I have grown as an individual. Not only have a gained self-confidence, but I have also realized how important it is to give to your community. My appearances have helped me gain a heart for public service, and I am thankful for the opportunities my title and my pageant director, Lisa Phillips, gave me to be more involved.

At the pageant I was crowned USA's Ambassador for 2012, so I will be able to continue to represent the pageant system through community service in the Suwanee and surrounding areas.

I enjoyed being the emcee for the Junior Teen division and congratulate all of our 2012 queens. I also want to thank all of my sister queens from 2011 who made the year both enjoyable and memorable.

Courtney Carlan, USA’s Junior Teen Miss Georgia

Final Walk Speech

Being a part of USA Pageants has been a wonderful experience that I will surely never forget. When I first entered the pageant, I wasn’t expecting to make such an impact on my community. Being Jr. Teen Miss Georgia gave me the opportunity to make a difference. During my rein I made many appearances that I will never forget. One of my most memorable appearances was my visit to the PACE Center, an alternative school for girls, where I had the opportunity to talk to the girls about bullying. Throughout this year, I have learned so much and have met so many people who are now like my family. Even though my rein is over, I will always consider Lisa and Victoria and the other reining queens a part of my family.

I would like to thank the pageant director, Lisa, for giving me this opportunity and for always making me feel like I was a part of her family. Also, I would like to thank my mom for always taking me to my appearances. Finally, I would like to thank my Dad, brother, Wesley, and close friends for believing in me and always being supportive of everything I do. I am so blessed to have been Jr. Teen Miss Georgia 2011, and I wish the best for the 2012 queens! Remember to use your crown to make a difference.

A special thank you goes out to last year's ambassador, Kasey Marshall who introduced me to the USA Pageant system, partnered with me in many appearances, and continues to be an amazing friend.

2012 Walk Now for Austism Speaks: Georgia

In elementary school, I was in a classroom that included students with high functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome. These students became my friends and some are still with me in high school. These friends are the reason I decided to walk in Atlanta's 2012 Walk Now for Autism Speaks to raise money for autism research.

Visit my team site at http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=997071&lis=1&kntae997071=2409E383AAB8454AA28458EF57D33141&team=5054749&tlteam=0.

Kasey and I had planned to walk together, but unfortunately she was ill and unable to walk. My mom joined me for the cause, along with several teachers who walked for some of their students.

Special Olympics Opening Ceremony

Kasey and I had the pleasure of attending the opening ceremonies for the Atlanta Special Olympics. While we were there, we met some of the amazing athletes and discussed their upcoming competitions. It was a joy to hear them proudly tell us about their training and confidently express their talents. This appearance reminded me how God has blessed each of us with our own gifts. I am so appreciative of those that shared theirs with me. It was easy to keep a smile on my face around this group of athletes.