Gabi LeBlanc

So, I went to Florida this past week with my family and had a great time. Vacation was much needed. Haven’t posted in a while so I wanted to blog about something that would really stick with you. Perhaps this image of my overweight three-legged beagle named Cadee will stick with you?

Oh yes, thats an image that will be burned into your mind for a long time. Isn’t she so cute and fat? I love her. Even though she starts howling at 5 in the morning every morning. And even though shes not potty trained. And even though she eats her own poop, I still love her. (I am such a good person.) (Just jokin.)

After seeing that, how could you not have an awesome day?

Yes thats right…My ghetto fabulous little sister, Danielle, loves Jesus! Let me just tell you a little bit about my sister. She’s GHETTO. That pretty much sums it all up. Ok seriously, she’s beautiful and we both rock back and forth when we laugh. She thinks farting is funny and loves a good sound system, especially the bass. She doesn’t like mayonaise, mustard, or ketchup but let me tell you one thing she does really likes LOVES! She loves Jesus! She came to Submerge Summer Camp for the first time this past week and it became a week she would never forget. She’s always believed in God and said she was Christian but she experienced a breakthrough a camp. I knew that God had been knocking on the door of her heart for a while now and it would only be a matter of time until she had to make the decision to either let him in or close the door. On the last night of camp, she went down for the altar call. I walked over to her and started praying for her. All of a sudden, God broke her. In between cries with tears streaming down her face, she said “I need you Jesus. I need you Jesus. Help me Jesus. Listen to me. I love you Jesus.” I’ll never forget those words. Talking to her later she told me, “You know what G? I really think he was listening. I knew God was asking me to commit my life to him but I was scared. I cared what people thought and I was afraid I wouldn’t be as cool or keep the same friends. But I just have to keep telling myself it’s so worth it. Because it is. It’s so worth it.”

That night, I think my little sister realized the difference between simply believing in God and truly having a relationship with him and living for him. I think she realized that God doesn’t just want to be a part of her life. He wants to be her entire life. And it was an amazing experience for me too. It brought me back to the frst time God really broke me and I surrendered to him. It brought me back to when my faith and my relationship with him was simple and all that mattered was getting to know him more. Getting to pray with my little sister as she committed her life to Christ was the best moment in my entire life.

Here’s a little confession: I have never personally led someone to Christ before. That was always such a discouraging thing to think about because I thought something must be wrong with me if I’ve been a Christian for 4 years and never led someone to Christ. God is so amazing thought. He let the first person I led to Christ be my little sister! God is so good. And he does everything for a reason.

The next morning, I got to watch Jason Laird baptize my little sister and her best friend in the ocean. They’ll never be the same again. I am so happy for my little sister. She made some great friends at camp and is going to start coming to Refuge now. She was so upset that there was no Refuge this Wednesday because of fourth of july. And she wants to volunteer for VBS. We got home Saturday night and I walked into her room to tell her goodnight and she was reading her bible and the next day on the way to church she said, “I’ve never been so excited to go to church in my entire life!” I’m praying that what happened to her at camp would be more than just an emotional experience but it would be a life-changing experience that sticks with her forever. So if you see my little sister around give her a hug and encourage her. I love her! And you would too if you knew her!

So this past year, me and about fourteen other people were the luckiest people in the world and got to go on a mission trip to Africa. It was the most amazing experience in my life. I’ve been back for about two months now and I miss it more everyday. It’s always on my mind. If you get the chance check out Kristen and Charles Young’s blog and pray for them. They are two young missionaries living in Swaziland and they are THE COOLEST! I had so much fun hanging out with and getting to know Kristen and when I left I felt like I was leaving a best friend. I miss her so much! I can’t wait to see her and Zinti and Mary in February!

I miss the kids. I miss their smiles and the way they laugh. I miss the hugs! I miss everything about it!

I miss holding the babies.

And I miss the goofiness.

  If you’re reading this, say a quick prayer for Africa. Pray for the hurting people - that they would find Jesus. And pray for the missionaries over there who have sacrificed so much. Visit Children’s Cup to find out more.

Instead of it just being father’s DAY. I made it Father’s WEEKEND. Yep thats right. I, being the wonderful daughter that I am, decided to spend the whole weekend with my dad. Friday night, my dad, mom, and I took a trip back in time to when I was about 6 years old and we decided to watch Aladdin. It was so much fun. I forgot how funny that movie is. Abu is so cute and the Genie is so funny. On Saturday, my dad and I went and did his favorite thing — we played golf at the University Club. Let’s just say it’s been a while since I’ve played — probably since Christmas. I whiffed quite a few times.I want to introduce my dad to you. Here he is…

Isn’t he just great? Only he could pull off that hat.

His name is Roger LeBlanc and he is the biggest little kid I know. He has a huge heart and has trouble saying no to anybody (and just because I told you that doesn’t mean you can use that to your advantage.) He used to have a beard and a mustache but my sisters told him he looked older with the beard so he shaved it off but kept his awesome mustache. I wish I could grow a mustache like that (and so do you.) He does a great Donald Duck impression (he’s a very talented man.) And he’s an amazing dad!He’s also a great golfer…I love my dad. And if any of you have ever met my dad…you love him too. You just can’t help but love him.So in honor of him, I put together a slideshow of my dad. I love you dad!

So everyone has been giving me a pretty hard time for not blogging while I was in Africa or blogging since I’ve gotten back. I, too, have felt bad about it. It’s not that I haven’t wanted too. Trying to put words to something thats indescrible is intimidating. I feel like words will limit what it really was. I’ve been left speechless by my experience in Africa. I’ve thought about it for a long time and I’m finally just accepting that no words will justify what Africa is. Words just don’t do it justice. They cant’t begin to describe what its like and what it means to me. I will say that it was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had. I’ll never forget it. So since words won’t even come close, I’ll leave you with some pictures. These are only a few of the 1,000…

The other day, my little sister and I were leaving the Target shopping center on Seigen. We were stopped at the red light waiting to turn onto Seigen and we saw a homeless guy and his dog standing on the median. When I see that it just breaks my heart.

But, I admit that several times I’ve just ignored the homeless people and tried not to make eye contact because it’s awkward and you don’t know if you give them money if they’ll actually use the money for something good yada yada yada. Until I had an epiphany and decided to start keeping granola bars and pennies in my car to give to any homeless people I see. Well we saw this guy and he was holding up his cardboard sign which read - Vision: Cheeseburger. He had a huge smile on his face. It made me smile. So I rolled down my window and I said, “Excuse me sir, I have some change you can have.”
He walked over with the biggest smile on his face and introduced himself. His name was Johnny and his dog’s name was Cheeseburger. He said, “I named him Cheeseburger because I really like cheeseburgers.” We talked for a little bit and I was so excited to be having this great conversation with this homeless guy. He had so much joy. And he was normal. It wasn’t wierd or awkward, it wasn’t even uncomfortable. He was a normal person, just like me, just like you. He had a great sense of humor. He made me laugh for a while and then he got really serious and said.
“Before I take the money, I need to ask you one question….”
He paused for a moment and looked at me and said “Do you know Jesus?” I smiled and it made me really happy and I said yes I do know Jesus.

He replied, “Good because that’s all that matters. Even though I don’t have anything I still have him and that means I have everything.”

I was amazed at this man. I couldn’t believe this homeless guy who has nothing, not even a place to lay his head, was saying this to me. He was so cheerful and so sincere. I just can’t describe it.
I asked him, “Do you ask everybody that question?”

As if this question had really confused him he looked at me and said, “Well yes of course I do….Don’t you?”

I was left speechless. It was the simplest concept to him. He knew Jesus. And he believed in what he had and that it was worth giving, worth sharing. He couldn’t help it. He knew thats what he was supposed to do and what he wanted to do. It was so simple. If you know Jesus then you tell other people about him.

I knew the answer to his question was no. I don’t ask everybody I know if they know Jesus. I’m a full-time intern at the greatest church. I have a family who loves me, friends who love me, and I always have food to eat and a bed to sleep in. And I can barely even gather the courage to ask someone if they know Jesus. I actually have to pump myself up to do it.

Here was this homeless guy who had nothing. No material possessions. No great prospects for the future. But in his eyes, he had everything. He had Jesus. He had hope. He had the most sincere, genuine, pure, bold, childlike faith that I have ever encountered.

God really moved on my heart because of what happened and because of the question he asked me. Why don’t I tell more people about Jesus? What holds me back? Why am I so afraid?
Barton Pickens made a really good point this morning. He said, “It all comes down to this - Do you really believe what you have is worth giving?”
That question has been on my mind all day. Do I believe what I have is worth giving? Yes of course I do. I do believe it’s worth giving. God really challenged me to step it up. My prayer is that every believer would have such a great passion for Jesus that they just can’t help but tell others about him. That it just becomes normal to them like second nature. Because that is truly how its meant to be.
So, if you see a homeless guy named Johnny and his dog Cheeseburger around IHOP on Seigen stop for a minute and talk to him. Let him know he is not forgotten. Maybe even buy him a cheeseburger.

Hillsong’s latest album - All of the Above - is amazing! The first song I heard from it was a song titled “Hosanna”. The lyrics are incredible. They have become my prayer and my hope. Check them out:

I see the King of glory
Coming down the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes, the whole earth shakes
I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing, the people sing

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what is yours
Everything I am for your kingdom’s cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

The girl who wrote the song, Brooke Fraser, continues onto a different track and she starts to quote different pieces from Hebrews 12:1 which says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Then she starts to sing the words below and every time I hear it, I get chills.

For those who are to come
For those who are to come
Every generation
Every nation
Every tribe
Every tongue
They will sing
They will cry
With one voice they will sing:
HOSANNA!

I can’t wait for that day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Until then, I have to continually keep my eyes focused on Him, the author and perfector of my faith and pray that he will give me the heart and the strength to do it all for those who are to come.