Lamplighter Guild – Beginnings

May 26^th-27^th, and June 1^st,2020

The Beginning

My family loves Lamplighter, and we have known about the Guild for a long time, however, we have always hesitated about going because of how expensive it is. At the end of December 2019, Daddy told me that there would be only one more Guild because Lamplighter was going to open a school. He asked me if I wanted to go and told me that I would have to pay for it. I wanted to go, however I did not want to use all the money that I had saved, and knew that even with that, I had a long way to go before I could pay for it. I talked to Mommy and Chloe about it, and Mommy said that both of us were going and that God would provide the money. I already knew which of the seven categories (Horticulture, Culinary Arts, Photography, Filmmaking, Visual Arts, Biblical Theology and Dramatic Arts) I wanted to be in at the Guild. Chloe and I both chose Dramatic Arts and then had to choose which part of Dramatic Arts we wanted to participate in, some of which are: acting, writing stories, and voice acting. I had only a few days to decide because we had to sign up before January 1^st in order to get a slightly better deal than others who signed up later. I struggled a lot with the decision, however God helped me pick the “story category” on December 31^st, and then He gave me this Bible verse: For He performs what is appointed for me, And many such things are with Him. -Job 23:14. And I praised His Glorious Name!

The Preparation

One of my friends wrote me a letter for Christmas 2018, and told me that she was praying the word “new” over me for the coming year. And indeed, new things started happening that year which I now see as God’s preparation for my journey to the Guild. I turned 15 ½ on January 29^th, and got my driver’s permit on the 9^th of February. Then I took lessons from a friend of ours, as well as practicing a lot with Daddy. In August, I started my first job, babysitting on Monday mornings for a homeschool group called Classical Conversations. I would drive with Daddy to his work, and then drive myself to the church where the homeschool group met. I would babysit from 9am to noon, and then drive back to Daddy and read school books until he was done with work. Then we would drive home together. I did that for 6 weeks, and then Chloe started coming with me. We had signed up to babysit for their whole school year, and so we were still doing that when we started working to go to the Guild. God was starting us off with baby steps, getting us ready for what He had next. It is so cool to look back and see what I couldn’t see then!

The Journey

Daddy thought of ways Chloe and I could make money, and then he wrote a letter for us to give out to people to let them know what we were trying to do. “The purpose is not to get a hand out, but to get a hand up,” he told us. “It is good to let people know about your fund-raising so that if there’s something you can do to bless them, they will let you know because they want to help you, and then it will be a win-win for everyone.” Chloe and I agreed to the letter, and then we gave it to people at our church, and a couple of the ladies at CC (Classical Conversations). We mailed it to others as well.

I am the treasurer and accountant for the two of us, and am enjoying it immensely. I am also the scribe, keeping the records of all the little “glory stories” that are making this trip happen. I am going to list them below so that you can glorify the Lord with us.

• January
• Grandma Tuten gave us a check.
• The Franks gave us a check.
• Chloe and I babysat for CC for 15 weeks (including the 12 weeks from 2019).
• I was a “Nannoto Kamoni”-Komoto nanny-for two weeks, three days a week.
• Chloe and I babysat the Komoto kids after CC at their home.
• February
• I babysat Kamela and Kaedan B. Johnson for a day.
• We made dinners for the Barton family three days a week for 2 ½ months.
• We helped clean the Hopkins’ apartment.
• We were the Barton girls’ governesses two days a week for 2 ½ months.
• We pulled the Prices’ weeds.
• Mrs. Abney was given a present unexpectedly, and passed it on to us.
• The Daukas’ gave us a check.
• Mr. N. Johnson asked if I would be interested in drawing the “Mighty Oaks” (their speech and debate group) logo for a T-shirt. I sketched out some ideas for him and he paid me.
• We swept and mopped Grantie (great aunt) Bonnie’s house for her.
• Papa Bob bought a Lamplighter book for Sydney.
• March
• Hosanna and Mercy gave me $2. (Mercy said,“It’s 1 and 1, Kendall, so it can be elesen (eleven).” Hosanna said, “It’s 1+1 so it’s 2, isn’t it?” I told Hosanna she was right. Then Mercy asked: “Will it help you go?” And I said, “Yes, Mercy, it will.”) Thank You, Jesus, for my little sisters’ two mites!
• Elijah gave both Chloe and I some of the tip money he earned when he went down a canyon with Daddy.
• April
• Papa Bob bought ten more Lamplighter books.
• Tirzah gave Chloe and I the last of her piggybank money-$1.80.
• Mercy gave me another dollar!
• We mopped Grantie Bonnie’s house again.
• May
• I went down a canyon with Daddy and was given a tip.
• Mr. N. Johnson paid me again for the “Mighty Oaks” logo I drew for him.
• I cleaned Grantie Bonnie’s windows for her.
• I struggled with believing that someone would remember to pay Chloe and I for something we had done, but God took care of it and the person reached out and asked if they had paid us yet. God is so good- even when I am faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself- Oh, I thank Him!
• Tirzah gave Chloe and I each another dollar on her birthday.
• Mrs. Abney paid me in advance for something I am going to do for her.
• Papa Bob bought “Jessica’s First Prayer” (another Lamplighter book).
• Chloe and I cleaned two cars in detail for Papa Bob and Mama Donna, and Sydney helped us. We also cleaned some of their base boards.
• We mopped Grantie Bonnie’s house a third time.

I want to say “thank you” to everyone who has been praying for us. We are very grateful for you coming alongside us in that way!

So far, we have raised enough for Chloe to go to the Guild, and we have a little over a third of the amount needed to send me. God is providing, and it is beautiful! Hallelujah! Amen and Amen. (And we found out today for sure that the Guild is still happening, and so we are still going! That is from God as well! He is so much bigger than I think He is! I thank Him!)