a world away

Our new home...

2012-02-12T01:28:00.000-08:00

Here it is! Our new home...
After months of waiting, expecting, maybe this week we will get it, maybe next, Perth city council finally came and said it's usable! We are IN!!! 9 Robertson is YWAM Perth and it open, livable, usable, and absolutely beautiful!

Thursday we got our official letter from Perth city and that night we were in the building dedicating it to the Lord with prayer, oil, worship, and leaders from the aboriginal community giving us formal welcomes onto the land and prayers for what God is going to do in this facility. It was such a incredible time together and with Jesus.

On top of all the excitement of the new base opening up, we are still in full swing in our school. Finishing up a week on submission and authority, we learned about God's anointing leadership and how to have submission in our hearts, not just in our obedience. It was powerful with lots of world views changed.
We are headed into week 6 of the school! Only 7 more weeks to go before heading out on outreach! We learned our outreach locations this week and drum roll please...I will be headed into London for the first 7 weeks then on to Hyderabad India for 4 weeks! I am leading different teams to both locations by myself and am soo excited. I have never experienced London and I am very familiar with hyderabad (this will be my third time to go!) so I am ready for the newness, challenges, and all that God is going to do in both places. I will be focusing on health care in India and will be working closely with an aids clinic that I have worked in and taught in during previous visits.

well i will leave you with a few pictures of my small group, and some school activities! We are taking the students camping this weekend (so fun!) and I have a small video post coming that you can be anticipating. I filmed my day in full the other day to give you a quick preview of what exactly do I do... haha in case you ever wondered! Be looking for it in the next week!

you are blessed to be a blessing

I drive this giant van once a week to take some of my students to volunteer at a pregnancy crisis center in the city - i call it the whale.

Some of us enjoying nice drinks for our small group!

The aussie teaching us how to do a tim tam slam!

Helping my housemate set up her new bed in her new house =( she moved out of out house into the new base...

My roomie erika!

Hayley and I making our students bday cake! It tasted great... didn't look as pretty as expected.. oh I have a lot to learn about baking!

coming together...

2012-01-17T04:38:00.000-08:00

We have started. 19 students from 13 countries. We are all gathered in one places for one purpose, to know God and make Him known. We are in the middle of week 2 of lectures and already people are making comments like " I feel like I am with family," "I have shared more with you guys in two weeks than with my best friends," "I knew this was the right place the moment I walked in the door."
So great how God works. He brings together all of us strangers and creates a family, a platform for growth, and a promise to meet with us.

We are a little off because our schedule is a bit different since we are still "baseless" ... the new building that will be our "base" is pretty much finished except for one minor detail.. and by minor I mean major! haha.. they forgot about turning on the gas... we are waiting for the building company and the subcontracted gas company to fabricate a special gas thingy (yes very specific) that we need to get the gas going in our beautiful new building so we can get approval from the city council and move in!! So I don't have a new expected move in date yet but the sooner the better.. please pray!!

I have been learning lately about depending on God. I mean, I guess we always depend on God but their are just times in life, when you really know that you won't make it through the day if you can't just have a quick moment in the bathroom or outside to take a deep breath and let God remind you that He has it under control. He is still good, and promises are still underway. I know it shapes us, times when we know we can't do things, but we can trust in Him. It kills me sometimes that I don't know what is going on in my heart but He does, and at that same uncomfortable, slightly sad and painful point, He is fixing something... it always comes out good in the end, and I always know it is worth it, it is the middle ground of laying at His feet crying that sometimes is hard to push through. Good thing He is in those middle moments as well...

I went to the pregnancy problem house this arvo with 4 of my students because they will be going out once a week to do "hands on compassion." Apart of the course where we practically get involved with a ministry that reaches out in the city. I loved it! Taking my students to something I am passionate about, and then hearing them share about how, in one afternoon, God was already speaking vision and getting them excited about future things He wants them to be involved in that relate to reaching out to women in need. It is a promise fulfilled really. Something God always speaks to me is to be a multiplier of people, and that I am called to raise up people into dreams, and desires for what they want to do with life. I felt that today when the girls where sharing. Give them the opportunity and God will speak and open their hearts and eyes to see the need they can fill! Love it!

Okay this is long... pictures coming soon!

you are blessed to be a blessing

2 cups a day...

2012-01-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

It has started... I normally have a cup of coffee in the morning to get the day going, brings me joy as I listen to Jesus before the crazy day begins. I have now officially up'd my coffee intake to two cups a day as you do on DTS school schedule. =) one hot cup in the morning and one cold coffee usually in the arvo (as it is WAY to hot these days to consume hot beverages)

I thought I could make it until all the students arrived and we actually started class before I fully entered into my coffee drive.. how silly. We are in full gear this week preparing for 20 students from all around the world, and of all ages. They arrive throughout this whole week and Sunday marks the first day of their compassion 2012 discipleship training school.

I am already living the life of a dts staff... 5-6 hours of sleep a night, 2-3 coffees a day, baking scones for morning tea's, airport runs in the middle of the night, 15 things on my to do list to do in a few days, and the grace of God that surpass all of it!!

He is so faithful and it is so amazing to see how many incredible things He speaks about these students. He is pouring out words of anticipation for Him, intimacy with Him, about drawing near to them; so near that they can taste Him. I don't know all of these students yet but I already feel the love God feels for them. I already love them because of that, and am so ready to see what God has for them!

Six months of life. change. growth. pain. healing. stretching. love. uncomfortable. wholeness. glory.

you are blessed to be a blessing.

Winding down to wind up...

2011-12-29T23:52:00.000-08:00

I have officially worked my last few days of property. I retired my steel toed boats and hug up my fluro vest. I can't believe the things I have done in the past few months. I walk around the buildings looking at walls, ceilings, and different things that I have built. I literally made (with the help of others, of course). It is amazing the things God can call you into and see come to fulfillment! We have seen one of our three buildings come to fulfillment this past week! We had the city council come through and inspect one of our buildings and we got approval, which means it is a working, operating, you can move in building! YAH! Just in time too, because we have over a hundred students showing up in 8 days and we need somewhere to have class!

I have had a few days off to wind down from property work, and wind up for this coming school. I can't believe we are already starting a new season of students, lectures, busy busy schedules, and God rocking everyone's world.

I have been seeking Jesus and getting ready to wind up for this school and what lies ahead. I have been looking at this one verse in psalms 37:7 - Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
My Bible tells me the word 'rest' can also be translated into 'be still', and the word 'patiently' can be translated into 'longingly'.

SO be still in the Lord and wait longingly for Him.

I have spent the past two days trying to be still before the Lord. To get His heart and His perspective on several things. I can feel the longing in my spirit grow the more that I wait. I know He hears me, I know He is answering me and is growing me. The whole rest of chapter 37 talks about the Lord and how He prospers us when we wait on Him, obey Him, and show faith in Him.

So as life continues to whirl wind around me, I will be still. I am longing with every fiber in my being, and I will see the Lord. I feel so secure in that, and so thankful that I know this about Jesus. What would life be like in the whirl wind without the security of Jesus' presence?!

I welcome 21 new students from various countries and different ages next week. I am getting ready to staff a six month discipleship training school. It is going to rock my world, I love it!

Here are some pictures of the base and christmas....

you are blessed to be a blessing

12 gladstone.. our first building finished!

Breakie on christmas morning

Me making french toast on christmas morning...

Christmas tree..

Presents from roommates! Mexican cook book.. they know me to well! =)

Last day at work in the property.... i got to climb in a hole between the bathroom ceiling and the second story floor and sheet rock this little wall... great times!

life outside of construction

2011-11-25T04:57:00.000-08:00

Well one glorious morning a week, I get to actually take a shower and fix my hair! I volunteer at a pregnancy crisis center in the city one day a week, and have been able to keep up that commitment even through this crazy time of construction and moving!
So apart from my normal work clothes, steel toed shoes, and hard hat one day a week, I actually get to get dressed up! And by dressed up, I just mean my clothes are normal and they don't have white jip rock powder all over them!

okay enough about my wardrobe. The real part that I love about it is the women. It is this amazing organization that has been set up to help women who find themselves in desperate situation and feel like they have a "problem" ... they fell pregnant. The center offers free pregnancy test, non diagnostic ultrasounds (for all you americans.. this is something we can't do in the states), counseling, and an unlimited amount of resources from all sorts of places to help women continue with their pregnancy.

Often women are in tough life situations and see the unexpected pregnancy as the problem.. we are able to speak truth about their options, their life situations, and often the women find out that the pregnancy isn't a problem.. it is the easiest thing to put in order in their life and is often the very thing that is used as a catalyst to change lots of other areas of their life. Isn't that great how God can use the development of life, the baby, to actually impact people outside the womb. World changers before they are even born!

I had the privilege to meet a women who was having the opposite problem of most women that we met. She was trying to conceive and she wasn't able to. She was worried because of previous decisions that she had made, that it was effecting her ability to conceive now. She was gripped and chained by fear. I could see it and hear it in her voice. It was great to give advice and resources for fertility clinics in the city that are christian based, but also to just open her mind to how her whole body needs to be taken into consideration for why she may not be getting pregnant. I know that sounds silly but because of where she was from and the world view of that country, then it felt like God wanted her to know that He cared about her emotions, her stress levels, and that He wanted her to be free in knowing she was okay physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He was shaking her thought that emotion and spiritual wasn't a factor, that it was all just physical. Just speaking truth to her about how she needed to process things emotionally, and talk through past things and release herself from any guilt, or hurt was so exciting. I love how God pursues us and desires to free us all.

You are blessed to be a blessing.

a time to work...

2011-11-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

The scripture in ecclesiastes was read out to us working on the property the other morning. "a time to mourn, a time to be glad, ect.." The encouragement was that this is a time to work... and work we have.

We are seeing amazing transformation come over the three buildings that we, as ywam, are rebuilding. Our due date for finish is next week, the 30th. We are working as hard as we can, and long hours and lots of prayer is going into the final bits of the project. This time working on this building project has been so great for me. I love physical, hard work and this has been nothing short of that, but it has also just been so refreshing for my spirit. It really does break away the stereotype of what is secular or spiritual in working. Get someone saved, or build a wall.. we are seeing God's kingdom brought in both ways. These building are being built into our future classrooms and offices... we are going to see thousands of students come through these 14 class rooms and get changed by the power of Jesus and his words. We are going to be able to set up proper offices for our accounts and registration, to see hundreds of miracles God will do to provide money, or provide visa's to get people here. I guess being more of a literal person it is really fun to see the literal kingdom of God built through a building that will house His presence and work.

It has not come easy or without a cost.. but we are seeing God continually provide strength, supplies, and resources we need to keep working on this building. Please pray for these next three weeks. They are pretty crazy times for all of us on base. We move out of our current building ("base") next wed. and will be baseless for three or so weeks. Our main building is being built by a construction company and they are working hard as well. they have pushed back the due date a few times but are hopeful to be complete and moving in by christmas. So please pray quickness on that, and just help for us during transition. We have over 300 people that we are housing, feeding, and continuing class around the area, at staff houses, and local churches. Needless to say all of our regular schedules are off... what is a regular schedule?! =)

I am amazed to see all this happen and be apart of this. We have seen millions of dollars donated to build this new base, a surplus of supplies, and people who are willing to come and build for free! We have testimony after testimony of calling supply stores, trying to find specific wood and not only finding it but after sharing what it is for, having them either give it to us for free or discount it at unbelievable rates! We have had two electricians, two sheet rockers, 2 plasters, and a carpenter all fly over from the east coast of australia, america, canada and volunteer and work for free to see this project complete.

I was reading in Job this morning in chapter 26 verse 14 it talks about "these are but the fringes of His ways..." Can you imagine... just the fringes of the work of God... If you imagine what that means is possible with Jesus. We all need to be running out in faith and truly believing in the impossible! What has God spoken over your life that looks impossible at the moment... move towards it. believe it can happen. Keep praying for it! Like peter, when Jesus was walking on water, get out of the boat! Even if you sink, the Lord in His grace and mercy will reach out and lift you up, and lead you into a great place full of the promises He has over your life!

Here are some pictures below... ( i promised one of me in all my work gear! haha.. although now the guy I work with insist that I wear this enormous tool belt that hangs down to my knees... so this isn't a true representation of just how "great" I look! =)

You are blessed to be a blessing

Yes these are steel toed shoes!

This is the first building we worked on....

This is the same building two weeks later! Praise the Lord... just needs some paint!

This is the first successful column put up by quenton and myself... the new jip rockers!

This is my team.. picking on joe as usually! Love my jip rockin' boys!

This is the second building... sry no before and after shots.. but it is looking good!

A time to transition

2011-10-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

Here we go... after 10+ years of ywam perth being located in one building, we are up and moving. We have been in the process of building a brand new building for the past year and it is now time to start to count down... T minus 44 days and we will have transitioned out of the old "base" or building and hopefully straight over into the new building (if it is done and approved by the city counsel on time). If not we may be getting a bit creative on where we hold classes for a few weeks!

Some of the great things about being in our new base will be 1. It will be our own. We will own it! No more renting! 2. We will have double the capacity than we did in our old building. We are doubling our classroom numbers from the 7 classrooms that we had to 14 classrooms! 3. We will have our own cafe in the building! (can anyone say cappuccino! Yes please! ) 4. The building faces the downtown city of perth. Almost like a lighthouse to the city. We are being used just as much in this city as we are in the nations! Praise the Lord! 5. Well it will be a beautiful building... =)

We have professional builders working on our new property but we also have two other properties behind the new base that we are renovating. So hard working ywamers, like myself, have been spending countless hours tearing down, and building back up again. (Just thought I would clarify - I just joined the building teams, so I haven't done any tearing or building of any kind yet! haha)

Starting tomorrow though, I will officially be on a building team. We are going into crunch mode, trying to get all our properties done by our deadline. So every free staff member not staffing a school is being put on property teams to help sand, paint, tile, grout, dry wall, and so much more! So I have taken a safety test and been given an official "white card" saying that I am aware of safety on a construction site (you can't work in the buildings without it) and tomorrow I will go buy my official first pair of steel toed boots! I mean I love shoes and I have bought lots in my life, but never a pair of steel toes before! I will be sure and post a pic as soon as I start styling these boots!

I am super stoked to get to work! I love hands on stuff and the opportunity to be apart of such an epic move in the history of ywam perth is exciting! God has spoken dreams, and I am apart of seeing them come to pass! The opportunity to serve people from the nations, the city of perth, and go out into nations from this new building will be monumental!

So here are a few pictures from the last few months! Enjoy...

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Spring time is here and the trees are blooming!

The new base!!

My roommate and I doing some gardening at our house!

Being creative in the kitchen for lunch! Tuna sandwich anyone!?

Roommate lunch!

My roommate and I at a park for a picnic!

Time is flying by...

2011-10-04T06:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already October! I'm afraid my season are still all messed up in my head... I feel like winter is on it's way, but in reality my life is heating up... summer is coming and I welcome it! We are mid spring here in aussie land and I was loving last weekend when the sun was out, and the shorts and tank tops came out!

I am moving at such a normal pace these days that I almost feel like I don't have much to write about. My schedule is set to working in two different ministries on base. I spend two days a week working in the kitchen.. cooking to feed the masses for lunch and dinner... (by masses I mean around 350 people) then the other days of the week then I work with a ministry on base called trio. I volunteer at a pregnancy crisis center and love it. I get to do a lot of nursing work, which always sparks my interest, like pregnancy test, ultrasounds and some health care teaching. Then we also provide lots of resources to women who need it and provide lots of counseling. The center has a program set up to help women learn how to be a mom and all the changes their body and life will go through during pregnancy and once baby is arrived. During it they earn play money and get to buy all the baby gear they will need before the baby is born. It is such a neat system and really teaching the women so much!

Even though the pace of my day is normal, God is still in full gear speaking and teaching me. I have gone through some intense past few weeks with different life issues that I had to face.. physically and emotionally. I am never ceased to be amazed at the love Jesus gives us.. me. The promises that God has been speaking over my life are getting closer and some have even come to pass... I just feel the movement forward in my relationship with Jesus. It is great because you know God loves you to much to leave you where you are at, and we are always able to move closer to God - He is dynamic, made us to be dynamic and loves when we lean in, cry out, speak to HIm to become closer but every once in a while you can tell when that big step forward has happened in the relationship. Or maybe when something has broken and the comfort level is greater with the relationship. That is what I feel like and I love it. I just sit back some days now and soak it up.

Well the building that we (ywam) calls "base" is officially moving. We have been trusting GOd for finances ..seen Him provide, and are now building a base of our own.(we have been renting facilities for the past 25 years) It is an exciting time and a crazy time... in the next 8 weeks... we will uproot and move multiple schools, lots of ministries, and 350 people into a new facility (praying that it is finished on time!) So I will keep you updated on how that goes! It will be crazy, gong show type fun!

You are blessed to be a blessing

This made me laugh...

2011-09-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

This cracked me up....A little insight into the YWAM world....

You know you are A YWAMer.
your vocabulary consists of an unlimited great many multitude of acronyms: YWAM, DTS, SOS, SOFM, SOE, KKI, ESL, SOPA, SBS etc. and only you and every other YWAMer on the planet know what they mean.

you never cease to be amused by acronyms like these:
Young Women After Men
Yes, We Arrange Marriages
Youth With A Meeting
Youth WithAut Money
You Will Always Move

your goal in life is to “TO KNOW GOD AND MAKE HIM KNOWN!”

you think it’s perfectly normal to drop what you’re doing to go to another country without exactly knowing why because you know that is where God wants you.

you give away something you need because God has led you to do so.

you are quite happy to accept that your future husband/ wife is probably in a different country.

you need time to “process” everything.

at the airport you set your bags on the waiting room chair and sit on the floor.

you’re watching the Simpsons, Ned Flanders comes out, and you say Dean Sherman.

you know that “every problem in the world is a problem of relationships. every relationship problem is from pride. so pride is the cause of every problem in the world” (Dean Sherman)

you have bathed in a river for a mininum of 5 days straight, and have gone a minimum of 5 days straight without bathing at all!

pooing and peeing in a hole doesn’t phase you the way it should.

in any sort of social situation you are no longer ashamed to talk about having diarrhea. You won’t refer to it as an upset stomach, you can call it what it is.

you cant afford to be scared of spiders, bugs, rats, etc.

if someone mentions a friend or family member that is with YWAM and your ears perk up and you have to immediately ask which base and see if you have met them.

you get something pierced or tattoed before returning home.

when the word “flexible” takes on a whole other meaning.

you are fully aware that anytime you sit in a vechical you must sleep because who knows when you will sleep next.

you know the full meaning of the word ‘transition.’ It defines your life.

you actually MISS the food in your outreach country.

you’re praying in the airport because someone is having trouble with their passport.

you go to a non-YWAM retreat and you think it’s weird you don’t have meal prep and clean-up.

you know how to ENCODE emails written in Muslim or Communists countries so that it doesn’t sound Christian.

you start counseling all your friends to go on a DTS.

you’ll sleep on any ground, anyplace, anytime.

“base” is a word that means ministry center.

you think of calling a (YWAM) friend, but don’t know what continent they are on.

you know God already said GO… you need specific instructions to stay.

you slept on the floor in a room smaller than a closet with 6 other people (and you kind of miss it sometimes..)

on your birthday you know to expect a construction paper card signed by everyone at the base.

having a flush toilet is the pinnacle of technology, and dishwashers are a true extravagance.

you know what vegimite/marmite is and tried them.

comfort is a luxury.

you have an unspoken bond with anyone and everyone who has done a DTS.

you leave with a total non-denominational view of Christianity and get really annoyed over petty Christian bickering.

you know that everything in life is a “heart issue”.

one week you can’t afford to buy coffee, the next week you’re in another country on outreach.

the leaders of the organisation have time for you personally and you don’t have to put them on a pedestal.

you watch National Geographic specials, you see people you’ve met on outreach.

if you’ve eaten dog meat or fish eyeballs the size of golf balls, and you don’t find anything odd about that.

stuffing 10 people in the truck bed on outreach is THE way to travel

you know how to give your testimony in 5 minutes

you hear the bell rings and it’s time for WORK PROGRAM

after meal you wash your own dishes

you have a place to stay anywhere in the world because someone you knew knows someone who knows them

you’re no longer surprised at money turning up randomly and anonymously, just in the nick of time.

you know you’re a YWAMer if you start saying “Go God” whenever something really cool happens

you can ride in the most dilapidated vehicles or sleep in the most dilapidated rooms and it’s all just part of life

you know you’re a YWAMer when you can say “base food” and everyone knows what you’re talking about.

you know you’re a YWAMer when you meet someone that’s done a DTS and you feel as if you’ve known them forever.

…health insurance? What health insurance?!

if the world seems significantly smaller to you than it does for other “normal” people

you randomly find foreign currency in your pockets.

some needs $1500 in 3 hours and your like “no problem”, and they get it all in, in 2 hours and 58mins

your primary ways of communicating with your best friends are internet-related (e-mail, Skype, Facebook etc).

you miss lots of people all the time.

you left your heart in another country.

the show Fear Factor occasionally made you nostalgic about the good ole days.

you still live out of your suitcase for months after returning home

- You are blessed to be a blessing.

They sneak up...

2011-09-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

Well its just another normal week except that it is my birthday this week. Umm. I love birthdays, when they are not mine. =) Only because of the whole getting older thing. Seems like they keep sneaking up on me. I will be 25 this year. Seems monumental in a small kindof way... (oxymoron?!)... Maybe I am just being a bit dramatic but I feel like I will be 25 in two days and haven't had time to think about it! Maybe thats a good thing.
I would love to wait on the Lord a bit and get some fabulous words for this coming up year and all the things He wants to do! I always get a bit torn on my b-day about whether I should be reflecting, looking back on the year that was or being excited and looking towards the year to come! Maybe I will do a day of both! Because I live in Australia, I have the privilege of having two birthday days. Since I was born in America and they are a day behind. It works out perfectly for those of us that like to prolong good things (like attention because it is your special day!) =)
I am also planning a party for myself... wahoo... I would love to get to know more people around in the community that I live with. So I guess having a big party is a great way to do that. SO if you are reading this and around perth... my house, saturday night! Fire pit plaid party! Yes.. we will be roasting marshmallows and having a good time.

I have a prayer need... the house that I live in is currently up for sale. My roommates and I have been put on a month to month lease while they try and sell the house. The base is looking for a new house to rent to put all of us in, but sadly have not found one yet that is in our price range or that will be okay with 12 girls living in it. So we are in a waiting period. Not sure when we will have to move out, currently don't have any where to go, but know that God is faithful and His timing is perfect. So if you think about, I would appreciate some prayer help! We have a gorgeous house and have been so blessed to live here, and I believe we are going to get an even better house to live in! Yah God's blessings! So we are waiting and will be quickly transitioning soon.

okay well that is it for now.

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Random pictures from working in the kitchen...

Making Fish and Chips for dinner... I hand battered like 300 fish that day!

I love to receive packages! =)

Yes we feed lots of people..

Random pic's from my mom and my road trip!!

A new season

2011-08-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

Ever had God tell you to do something so far out of your comfort zone that your not even sure where to start? I feel a bit like that these days. I was home just a few weeks ago and spent some time alone, all alone, for a few days and just was still before the Lord. That is a good thing, mixed with the emotions of scariness because God speaks and in this time spoke something new and asked me to do it.

One of my biggest questions for God throughout my time on the mission field has been, God why does this stuff happen. Especially during the time I spent serving as a midwife in certain countries and the death was just unreal, I would often wrestle with where are you God. Nobody knows this is happening, nobody knows this baby was born on the floor or that one alone in the crib. God gave me such a strong word during that time about how He sees. He took me to Genesis 16 and the story of Hagar. She was Sarai's maidservant and when Sarai couldn't conceive, then she gave Hagar to Abram to build a family through their marriage. After Hagar fell pregnant than Sarai began to mistreat her and Hagar ran away. As she was running she was met by an angel of the Lord who said to her "go back and submit to Sarai." and then he made her a promise. Her reply was, "I have now seen the one that sees me."

God spoke so clearly to me after I read that. He sees the babies born, the ones that aren't, the ones that live short lives and the ones that go on to live long lives in horrible conditions. He sees women, men, countries, and situations. He reminded me that He sees them and He is using me to be witness to their lives as well. To add, contribute, and bring God's kingdom to them. He wants to use many more of us.

So from all that God spoke during my quiet time to start a non profit organization. It is called "I am seen." It will be used to bring awareness of the ones that aren't seen, to incorporate photography and music to raise money to support those that go and serve the ones that aren't seen, and to bring God's kingdom.

If you are trying to start something like this on your own with no business experience what-so-ever, it seems oh so frightening. Luckily God already told me I would need to seek help. I have started by building my board of directors. I shared my vision with my sister in law and asked her to join in. She immediately started crying because God had spoken the same vision to her earlier this year! I love the way the Lord works. So the two of us have our work cut out for us.

I am also working in new areas on base. New ministries that stretch me in new ways. Free time to build relationship with the people on base (which also stretches me major!) I guess I am just taking it one day at a time. I read this verse the other day that was so exciting to me. In 1 Corinthians 10:31 "so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Time at home...

2011-08-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I am about finished with my time at home. Hard to believe that 5 weeks passes by that fast. I have been able to see almost every one I hoped to see. I was able to take a few days to really have "holiday" and went to San Antonio with my mom for a few days. It was so much fun. We tried to float the river in New Braunfels and got half way down the river and it started pouring rain! Texas has been in a heat wave with no rain for months and months and the only day we go to float we get big lighting, rain storm! We ended up literally swimming the last half mile of the float because I was afraid we were going to get struck by lighting! Ha.

I was able to spend a week in San Angelo. It is so good to be back there. I saw lots of people and was able to spend lots of time with people from the church. I have been so overwhelmed by the blessings that come out of the church. Any one need a church, go to Paul Ann. I kept trying to bless them but every time I turned around I felt more blessed than they did I think.

It is always kind of sad gearing up to leave, because there never is a return date in mind. I hope a year from now, but it is really up to Jesus. He did a pretty good job of planning out and giving me this trip, so I definitely trust Him! I was thinking about last year being home and how different that time was. I came off of a really intense 18 month spout overseas and was ready to be home to "relax". Last summer was one of the hardest summers and I felt more attacked spiritually than I did on the mission field. I realized looking back how much I had to clinge to Jesus to make it through that summer, and without the attacks my mindset was to "take a break" from ultimately Jesus and His work. God taught me and was showing me, you can't take a break from me. That isn't how this relationship works. I have been so thankful looking back, and thinking about that time. Although it was super hard and I didn't understand it, I know now that I learned one thing (among many that summer) that I never want to think I can "take a break" or "relax" from my relationship with Jesus.

My older bother is graduating this weekend with his masters in music education! He is such a stud! So we are planning, cooking, and cleaning to get all ready to go. I should also be packing but uhhh haven't started that yet! =) I look forward to a blow out party weekend with the family, a few days to pack(?) and then a long plane ride back to Perth!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

DTS 2011

2011-07-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a wrap up of the last six months of DTS. Enjoy!

Home

2011-07-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

I made it home! It was crazy how quick all my flying went! I couldn't believe it almost. I had no lay over in sydney and literally walk through the airport and got on my next flight.

I have been home almost a week, which I don't like to think about because that means that time is flying by. I have been so excited about this trip and even being here everyday I just get joy from being home and hearing God speak about friends, family, and things to do here. I think last year when I came home it was right after my BAS school, which was a really intense school, and I thought coming home would be such a relief. It wasn't, in fact I think I was under more spiritual attack at home than I had been during my BAS. It was crazy and made me exhausted, but I had such good support from people here. They really held me up, when I felt like falling. This year coming home has been such an opposite feeling. I feel like I can be the one holding people up, and encouraging them. So I am eagerly meeting with people, and ready to be used to encourage.

I have spent the last week in lubbock and am headed off soon. I will be traveling up to angelo to speak at my church, then off to san antonio for nothing but fun! An unexpected little holiday travel with my mom. We are going off to spend a few days together hanging out in the blistering heat of san antonio!

I can't believe how fast a year went by. It doesn't even seem like a year since I have been home, and here I am again catching up with old friends. I still haven't seen half the people I want to, but the time will come. I will be camping out in san angelo in a few weeks!
I do love and miss cheap American shopping, star bucks, and mexican food. I am not over doing it but am definitely enjoying. =)

You are blessed to be a blessing.

God's timing...

2011-07-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

Well I have just finished a four day weekend and now it is time to go back to work! I had a few days off at the end of last week and it was such a time of rest, relaxing, and letting God speak. While I was taking to my sister in law on skype, God started putting ideas in my head about going home. It was so funny because I hadn't planned to go home until November but God had a different plan and I've come to learn that His is always best. So after a whirled wind of praying, talking to my leader, and then getting approval, I started planning to come home!
I will be flying in this weekend on the 9th! I am so excited! There are so many little details that are coming together and I can tell that this is the perfect time. My older brother will be graduating with his masters from university and some other little secret family things will be happening (ugh mom turns 50!!)
I am now in a frenzy getting ready to leave this home and go to another. I am planning to spend a lot of time traveling back and forth from Lubbock to San Angelo, so please let me know if you live in either of those places when we can meet up! I want to see every one I know!
In the midst of getting ready to come home I have been fearlessly working on some homework from a class I am taking here. I told myself I wasn't allowed to do any preparing for home until my homework was done. That lasted most of the weekend but I finally broke! I am so excited the planning for home is much more fun to do than the homework! Oh but the homework needs to be done before thursday when I get ready to leave! I hate being a procrastinator! =)
I'll write more soon! Praying for safe and quick travel home! Join with me in that!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

A season ending and a new beginning....

2011-06-30T04:39:00.000-07:00

After six months of becoming part of each others lives, this dts school has come to an end and all the students have gone home. It was an adventure that only God could have put together and ended with an epic road trip that only God could have orchestrated.
We spent the last three and a half weeks traveling from Perth to an area called the Kimberleys. It was a road trip like I have never done before. Traveling with a convoy of 8 buses, all hauling trailers, with at least 10 people in each van! It took my team 5 days of driving 10-12 hour days to get to the first city that we would be living in. All 8 vans were schedule to go to different aboriginal communities and cities around the Kimberley area. The Kimberley's are comparable in size to California but unlike California this area only has 40,000 people.
The first city that I lived in was an actual city. It had a gas station, grocery store, and a few other things that made it "big city" in standard. (Most other communities we were in didn't have any of this.) We were the first set of teams that ywam perth has sent up to the Kimberleys. We have contacts and had been invited in the communities but we did not know really anybody. So after we arrived, and with my co-leader and I looking at our blank day planners, we prayed and really ask God to open the doors in the area for us. We had a short list of people that we could call and introduce ourselves too. Mainly the pastors of the city. After our first phone call, we had someone stop by to meet us and just welcome us to the neighborhood. He immediately called up all his friends and family and from that point on we were never without anything to do. We lived in the middle of town right across the street from a tourist look out point on a hill. It was amazing to be able to spend every morning at the top of the hill, over looking the city, and praying and worshiping Jesus. We were able to make good mates with the local believers and really hear what God is doing through them in their city and amongst the aboriginal people. We saw God answer our prayer and connect us and open doors to many more teams to be able to come and serve this area.

The next week we were able to travel down to a small community of about 100 people. It was much different than our "big city" experience but was still just as blessed. We were able to really connect with the aboriginal people and became friends with them. Every day we continued to seek God in prayer and worship, and also were able to go to the local school and run youth and kids programs for them in the afternoon. On the last day doing the youth program we were able to do a drama for them and share the gospel. After talking about what knowing Jesus means we saw several young girls give their lives to Jesus! At night the local church let us set up our projector and we were able to show two different DVD's to the community. After one of the videos we were able to be apart of one man in the community giving His life to Jesus! It was a beautiful night!

We lived a bit more rustic in the second community, which wasn't bad but meant camping, no showers, and camp fires every night! The girls found themselves chopping down a tree one day for fire wood and the boys enjoyed building and sustaining our fires every night. It was cold!
On our long travels back home we took a day for holiday! We met back up with the rest of the teams and spent one day in a place called Exmouth. It is a beautiful beach city on a reef called ningaloo. Some of the locals told us that the reef is actually nicer than the great barrier reef. Guess one day I will have to go to compare! We spent a whole day at a place called turquoise bay. With a name like that, I don't have to tell you how beautiful it was! We had amazing weather and snorkeled all day long! I did see lots of amazing fish and one shark! Don't worry it was just a reef shark but it still had me swimming in the opposite direction!

Now I am back at Perth and the students have all moved on to what God has called them into. I couldn't have been more amazed by what God did in every single one of their lives. It was such a privilege to be apart of that school. I will jump back into "base life" now. That will mean helping the base function on a day to day basis. I will join the kitchen to feed the multitudes a few days a week and then I will begin to work with a ministry that will allow me to volunteer in a christian pregnancy help center. This is something that I am extremely excited about it. It is a new relationship that is being built between ywam and this center and lots of opportunity are on the horizon from this new partnership.
Well I will post some pic's below.

ALL my driving! We clocked the total sum of our driving at 7,100 Kilometer! This converts over to 4,411 miles!
So I looked on google map directions and if you were to start in San Francisco and drive straight across the United States you could get all to Indiana and then turn around and drive back. That is how far I drove! Crazy...

The sunsets were so amazing! Every night a different array of colors and clouds. breathtaking!

We were taking one day to kayak by one of the pastors we worked with! Don't worry - only fresh water croc's in this water!

A water fall we were able to hike to one day.

My driving buddy and I !

I learned a lot about camping and took on the title Queen camper!

I found I have a talent for axing...=)

These girls could survive in the outback...

Playing with the youth after school.... I am a terrible Basketball player! haha...

Going to the outback...

2011-05-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back in Perth for a fast and furious two days... We landed and started preparing for the next leg of our journey. We are going to be headed up into the northern territory called the Kimberley's. We are going to be working with aboriginals community for the next three weeks. There will be 5 teams headed up there.. so a convoy of many vans and people!
I am so excited and growing in excitement about this experience. The aboriginal people have so much history and need so much of Jesus. The situations that are happening up in the communities we are going to is unreal, especially when you think about the fact that this is australia. A completely western nation. This is the first time perth is sending teams up into the communities so we hope to see lots of doors open, relationships built, and learn as much as possible for the people up there.
To get there will be long! We take a solid three day road trip to get to our meeting point where we will have orientation and met some of the tribal elders. We are talking three days of 10-12 hours of driving through this beautiful country! I am so excited and at the same time praying a lot that the Lord will sustain all of us drivers! (myself included since I am now a driver of the left side of the road!) =)
We will be camping the whole time... so all the way up and then in all the communities that we are staying we are camping, in fields or footy fields (kindof like football fields) I have little experience with camping but am sure that my knowledge will grow tremendously in the next few weeks... bahaha...
Apart from being able to do all sorts of things with the people like discipleship, prayer, kids programs, youth programs, dramas, and showing movies on Jesus and forgiveness and reconciliation. We will also be learning and letting the locals take us around and show us things like hunting goannas, kangaroo, snake, and taking us on bush walks (don't worry - not swimming for us - we don't need anyone pretending to be crocodile dundee!)
okay well i will be offline for a while, but I am really excited about this trip. The holy spirit has really been stirring in me as we prepare and hear about the people and their needs. I think I am really getting God's heart for their needs and situations. I love when that happens!

you are blessed to be a blessing.

You are always on the Lord's heart...

2011-05-20T02:31:00.000-07:00

This past week we spent some time doing more "open airs". Publicly proclaiming about the gospel, and sharing through songs, dramas, and testimonies. One morning as we were praying, we felt that God was calling us to go to a specific park to do an open air. We had other things that we were obligated to that day, so fitting it in was a bit difficult. We ended up at the park in the late afternoon. There was a fair going on, so many people walking in and out of the park from the fair. We did one set - (or went through one open air) and were able to share with a few people. Two of our team members needed to leave after that to be at another youth obligation we had in the city. So we were without two of the main people in our drama and weren't sure if we could continue on and do another set or open air.

We decided to go to the opposite end of the park at the other entrance and do it again. We would replace the people and just go for it. (the biggest thing was the guy that plays Jesus was gone and we had to replace him with a girl - haha we weren't sure how that would look - but we figured it was better to just be sharing truth than worry about a little detail like that) As we began the next, a young guy walked up and stayed through the whole open air.

Afterwards I was able to talk with him, and found out that he didn't live anywhere near the park but that something had drawn him to the park that afternoon on his way home from work. That the park was in the opposite direction of his home. He was a christian and believed in Jesus and when he saw us performing our dramas he took off his headphones to listen to what we were doing. He heard and realized that we were talking about Jesus so he stopped to listen. Through our conversation I came to know that he didn't go to church and he had no sort of support community that he was involved in. He didn't see the need.

During the course of our conversation I was praying for him and asking God what do you want to say to this guy... It was obvious that the holy spirit lead him to the park that day... God began to say to me purpose... he needs to know I have purpose for him. So i began to try and work that into the conversation, knowing that God really wanted to encourage this guy in his purpose. At the end of the conversation (not feeling like I had really gotten my point across) I encouraged the guy to really look into going to church. That as believers it was great to come together, get encouragement from one another, and I told him that there were people in a community somewhere that God wanted him to disciple. That if he wasn't even apart of a community that not only was he missing out but that he was stealing from people that needed to learn from him. Where this came from, i don't know (ugh holy spirit =) But we told him that there were very little men discipling other men, and that he would be really influential in a community. He laughed and pointed out that we only had one guy with us.. I laughed and said yes the ratio of 1 guy to 7 girls isn't so good...

His whole attitude changed and he literally lit up. You could see that he had never even considered the fact that he could be important to someone else and really be used in that way. We saw the revelation happening right before us as the holy spirit was just igniting his spirit! It was incredible.

We didn't see anyone get saved that day but I saw that guys life change. I once heard that one person can influence 60,000 people in their lifetime. This guy was already saved, but the Lord was still pursuing him. He wasn't done with him, because he sees the potential in us and He desires to take us into our purpose. God doesn't just want us to choose Him, but He wants to take you to a place with Him that is beyond what you think your life is for. Its not just about eternity with God, You are on His heart right now. He is pursuing you, ask Him about it.

"Awake, awake, O zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor. .. Shake off the dust from your feet; Rise up, sit enthroned o Jerusalem... you were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed... How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation.... Depart, depart go out from there! Touch no unclean thing.. come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessel of the Lord. But you will not leave in haste or go out in flight; for the Lord will go before you! "
Is. 52:1,2,7,11

You are blessed to be a blessing

What if you didn't know...

2011-05-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

So I am in amsterdam... I arrived here two weeks ago. My team and I have been on the ground moving every day. We are staying with the ywam base and I continue to fall in love more and more with europe and its culture! It is spring time here and man is it cold. By the locals standards we are having beautiful weather. The sun shines most days and the air is crisp and cool. Such a change from the weather that I have been in for almost the past two years, which is hot, dry, hot, and hottier! =)
The city is BIg and full of people. So many different people. We aren't just dealing with the dutch here but people from all over the world.

One of the ways that we plan our schedule is as a team, were able to sit down and ask God what He wants us to do for this city. My co leader and I had 5 areas that we were able to pick out in the city and the team spent an afternoon listening to what God said about the areas and what ways we could break into communities or serve. We got things from chalk drawing on side walks, playing chess with people, to cleaning up trash in areas, and then all sorts of ways to proclaim truth in places and to people. We have also been able to really get involved with a local church that my co leader has been apart of for many years. It is her home church and since we are in her home city it has been a huge encouragement and blessing to be involved with them on sundays and also during the week!

Today we went to a place called museum square. It is a big square that has all sorts of different museums around a flat, grassed off open space. When we prayed for this area we really felt like God was telling us to publicly proclaim the gospel, so today that is what we did. Before this, last night, we did a little bit of evandalizing (bahaha) (evangelism mixed with vandalism) we took our side walk chalk and prayer walked the area writing down scriptures and words that God gave us for the people and area. (don't worry, it wasn't illegal) Then this morning we went back and performed what we at ywam call an open air. A series of different things like songs, dramas, sharing testimonies, and gospel messages. Usually you do something ridiculously silly at the beginning to draw a crowd and then you can go into different things to show/tell people about Jesus. The great part is that people that are interested stop and watch and the people that aren't keep walking. So after everything is finished you have people around that have stopped and are generally interested in what you were talking about.

After we did our open air we have four highschool boys that had watched the whole thing. Some of the guys and myself included went over to talk to them. They were all around the age of 16, and had never heard the gospel message that we shared with them that day. When we asked them if they believed in anything they all said no. No. They didn't believe in anything and that was okay...
I was blown away at this. maybe at first because in america, i feel like most kids that age would at least profess to believe in Jesus or christianity or something. That we have this understanding that you have to believe in something. So living it out or not, people will answer, and not want to say nothing. These guys, had nothing and that was okay.
I found myself so consumed with desperation for these guys. I kept asking them things like well what is life about then? What do you want to do? What do you look forward to? If you don't believe in anything where does that leave you? After listening and sharing more with these guys we were able to find out what they wanted to be when they finished school, heard about some medical problems one of them had, and really encourage them to ask God about their life. Ask Him for help, ask Him to show them He is real. Tell them more about His character, who He is, Who Jesus is and share life experiences with them. They even let us pray for them at the end of our conversation. It was a great time and I know God is working in their lives.
This is a little taste of what it is like here. Lots of people who are very knowledgeable, but that have no understanding. We have over a week left here... I have more stories but will wait a few days! God is so good!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

West Papua

2011-05-06T02:18:00.000-07:00

A short summary and some stories of West Papua.

We spent three weeks living on a YWAM base with some amazing christians in a town called Santani. We jumped right into visiting as many people as possible. We were able to go to a school that ywam started about 8 years ago and do dramas, teach, and play games with the kids. The story of this school starting and growing is amazing. The teachers and leaders have really trusted and seen God do miracles to see those buildings be raised up and now they have about 200 kids that they teach from grades k-6.

A few days after that, my team and I traveled by boat to a village where we were able to teach about forgiveness and the power that it brings to your life. We also where able to share about who God is and more about His character. We were able to pray for many people, and really see God bring understanding through these messages and through prayers. The people of this village claimed to be christians but were without the discipleship to really know how to live out being a follower of Jesus. There was one man that was so excited about the message on forgiveness and the impact it had on him. In his eyes, you could see the spirit of God moving and touching his life. They sparkled and there was a renewed hope.

We were also able to travel up a mountain to this very remote village and spend a week there. We stayed in a pastors house, across the yard from his church. During the day we were being driven by motorbikes to various villages to teach about God, His character, being in unity, and we did lots of dramas (mostly in the dirt, outside a bamboo hut - it was great). At night, we met with the church and where able to teach them, encourage them, and get to know them. The pastor of this church is amazing. Humble, loving man who has been serving this community for years. He travels to many different villages, miles away, to preach because they don't have a pastor on top of all the work he does with his own church. This is just one thing that we learned that he does to see God's kingdom come in that place. One day we were able to meet with all the women of the church. Before hand, team prayed and we felt that we were to share on the women's value, beauty, and the purpose God has for each one of their lives. After that we felt to wash their feet to show them how much God loves and honors them. When we got to the feet washing the holy spirit fell in that room, and these women were having healing, and anointing by the holy spirit. It was one of the most powerful moments I have been apart of. Those women will be the voice and lives that change that village.

The last week we spent speaking and sharing at many different youth events, in different towns and churches. We also were blessed one night to get to go have pizza hut. This was a real treat after eating rice for the previous three weeks. During the evening, we took notice of another white family across the restaurant. It is funny how when you are in a country that white is the minority you become really curious about other white people when you see them. So we wanted to go talk to them, but laughed and thought that would be silly, but then the dad came over to us because his daughter was so curious about us she wouldn't leave him alone until he came to talk to us. Of course we all died laughing. We became instant friends with their family, we found about about them and that they were missionaries in that town, and we shared about what we were doing and where we were staying. A few nights later, this dad and his daughter show up at the ywam base looking for us. It was great! The daughter is interested in coming to ywam, we were able to share with her, and she wrote us a note and gave it to us. She really encouraged our team by speaking about how she could see the love amongst our team from across the pizza hut restaurant. That we were a bright light that she just was drawn too. So cool how God brings people together.

Thats a brief summary... here are some pictures from the stories above! I am determined to become a blogger again! No more 3 months rest periods!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

2011-01-29T22:53:00.000-08:00

We are in full swing. I started staffing the school about three weeks ago and I can't believe how time is flying! I am getting to be apart of 18 different students lives from 9 different nations. I am excited that the students have just dove in head first into this time with God.

We have just finished week three of lectures. With each new week my desire for transformation in these guys lives grows. It has been so funny for me to see how my personality leads me to take on these students as like the mother hen. Wanting to keep them safe but also wanting to teach them so much about God, His character, and see them really experience it within their spirit. In that, I have see even more of God's heart for each individual person. That as much as my desire is to see this, He desires is 100 times more than me, and thankful His spirit can actually bring revelation and see this change happen in the student's heart! It is amazing hearing the feedback from the students, reading their journals, and hear how they are taking away so much truth about God from the lectures! It just blows me away still how much Jesus loves us, and how much He pursues us.

I think one of the biggest theme's that we have seen through every week is freedom. We have talked about hearing God's voice, the character and nature of God, and repentance and forgiveness. Through every speaker, the thing that caught my attention the most is how much freedom we can have through our relationship with Jesus. Freedom from sin, burden, hurts, confusion, and so much more. We have a beautiful message of Jesus dying on the cross for us and the even more exciting part is that it doesn't stop there! There is freedom awaiting us, a kingdom that God wants us to be building right now, here on earth. We don't have to wait for heaven for things to be better or to experience joy, peace, love. It is the rest of the message Jesus has for us.... it can happen here, now. I have thought for a long time that their are just certain things, or that are reigning with Jesus is waiting to happen until we get to heaven, that He died for us so we could go to heaven but that I will just be a sinner down here on earth until I die or until He comes back and we go to heaven, Nope! It can happen right now. If we start creating with God, and walking in the truth that we are free and have the authority that Jesus had on earth right now then we can bring God's kingdom. We can see change. I am getting really excited about these new understandings!

Well just a little glimpse of more than just class is that one of my responsibilities with the school is leading morning exercise every morning. The students have an early wake up call of 6 am! They get to come see me for thirty minutes for a nice work out! I have so loved this, but I am afraid my students don't share that same love! haha.. I promise I am not a drill sergeant. You don't need to pray for mercy for them =) They just don't like waking up so early! It has been fun for me to bring something that I love, exercise, into our daily routine!

Life is busy busy right now. Mostly because of all the responsibility with the school. I love being busy and it hasn't been to overwhelming. I battled a bit of a cold/flu thing last week, which made the week a bit harder to keep up with. I feel much better this weekend, and have taken most of the weekend off to fully recover - gotta gear up for next week!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

A new year...

2010-12-31T02:46:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it, 2011! I am sitting here about to welcome in the new year thinking it can't possible be the end of 2010....

Thinking back, God has taken me to some pretty amazing places, and I have been privilege to meet some amazing people. Today we had a worship time to welcome in the new year and one of the main things that was being prayed out was how incredibly privileged we are to be used by Jesus and to really know Him. It was such a beautiful time and a perfect way to enter into a new year; with memories of why my life is so amazing. Its because of Jesus... (just in case you didn't pick up on that) =)

I just finished up my last week working in the kitchen! I must say I am a little glad to be out of there because I think I put on about 5 lbs (or 10 kgs - depending on your country) from eating so much! We have an amazing kitchen staff that know how to cook... so prep for lunch and dinner was all about the taste testing! Most of the time... =)

Next week I am jumping into a whole new world. I am going to be staffing a school of about 20 students. The school is called a compassion discipleship training school. So it is the entry level school to youth with a mission and it has a focus on what we like to call mercy ministries. SO things like health care, child trafficking, children at risk, families in crisis... ect. I love this because it fits in so well with working along side people in their situations. Bringing God's kingdom through His love in words, and actions! I like to help people in a practical way so they know that God is in all parts of their lives.

So this school is 6 months long. I start the staff training for it next week then on Jan. 9th the school starts! We will spend three months in perth in a lecture phase. Bringing in speakers to teach us on topics like hearing GOd's voice, Character and nature of God, SPiritual warfare, intercession... and many more!

Then we will head out sometime in March to go on a outreach to a location that has not been announced yet! Be excited, because I am!

I am really looking forward to learning the new role as a staff, as well as teaching and learning how to disciple the students! I am really hoping to see more health care opportunities be worked into our outreach portion of the school and am really excited to see all these students hear what GOd has to say about their individual part to play in this world. Where does God want them and how can this next six months facilitate God's precious call that He has for all of them!

So I am posting some pictures. I had a super amazing christmas! The base went all out and was so blessed by tons of donations from different companies and people in Perth. We ate like KINGS on christmas! It was beautiful and full of laughter and fun! It was busy busy and I felt like I needed a day off from my day off ! We (the base) went to the beach from boxing day (all you americans that is just the day after christmas - referred to as boxing day... don't know why) It was a beautiful day, sunny, hot, and the wind was blowing off the shore. So there were actually no waves.. the water was so calm, and made swimming amazing!

Well enjoy your new years! Be blessed and have lots of fun moments!! Ask God what He has in store for you this year! I bet it will blow you away!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Just about life...

2010-12-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

I thought I would just update you on life back in Perth. I am settling into the base life for the next four months until I have another adventure, outside of this city any ways... =)
I live in a house with 10 other girls. They are great and it has been so nice getting settled into one house. When you aren't presently involved in leaving to go on an outreach, then you usually get placed on base somewhere to help the whole base run. So for the next four weeks, outside of prayer and worship times then I am in the kitchen. I help prepare lunch and dinner for around 300+ people everyday! Exciting eh? It is taking my little cooking skills to a new level. It is amazing to see how many people give and contribute every day so that all of us on base can simple live and eat. So most days I come home smelling like food... =)
The base puts on a annul carol by christmas lights program. It is help in a local park. An outdoor, come and go event where we have kids activities, drinks, and a program with a choir, speakers, and other different entertainment from people on base. This event happened last weekend. I was able to participate in the choir and it was a blast. I forgot how much I loved being in choir when I was younger. This choir was a bit less dramatic than my earlier years when we performed broadway shows but still made for good entertainmen,t I think for the city of Vincent (this was the area the park was in).

Christmas is in 11 days and I have been busy busy getting together little gifts and cards! Hope everyone is having a great holiday, with lots of JOY~

You are blessed to be a blessing.

A few things...

2010-12-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

Well I wanted to share some stories from India. I wanted you guys to know a bit of the excitement that we had while we were their!

Our seminar consists of many different people. We have a mercy ministry team, a team from an NGO, a grassroots team, and then we also have several individual women coming from the local community we are reaching out too. Several of the women coming are illiterate and have had little or no schooling in their lives. They are so amazing and diligent. Two of the women have returned and were apart of the first seminar that we put on here in April. It has been reported to us from the mercy ministry team that lives here, that God has changed these women just from attending the seminars. One of the woman, Lalita, who barely would share or speak has become one of our boldest speakers. She will get up every chance we offer for volunteers or to share testimonies! God worked through this seminar to build her confidence and she is now a voice in her community. The other woman, Anju, has become known in the community as the ORS (oral rehydration solution) woman. Last April, we taught the group how to prevent dehydration with ORS, and since then anju has made it a goal in her community to spread around this hydrating drink. She has made herself known and now people come to her when they have diarrhea or are dehydrated! She is changing her community one cup at a time!

Praise the Lord for perseverance. Upon our first visit to Siliguri, we met a family that consisted of grandparents and a mental and physically handicap child. We had members of the team that were persistent in prayer and fasting and bringing in the long term team to help pray for and share about Jesus with this family. When we arrived here for our second visit last week, we were over joyed to see the family again and hear about the consistence of the team here in visiting them, praying for them, and helping them understand about Jesus. Today the grandmother came over to tell us that she had thrown away all of her other gods. That she knew that Jesus was the only God to serve. She is hungry to know truth and so dedicated to her family. She has been coming almost everyday to get prayer for her grandson. Her and her husband were going to have a few more discussions about Jesus and asked for the team to come back on Sunday so they could share about their finally decision whether to fully follow only Jesus. We are so thankful for Jesus and His persist longing for us all, and how He gives us the strength to pray for persistently for others! I am believing to get a report from the team about the families decision to only serve the one living God! Jesus!

Our time was so full of God and His spirit. He was really raising the people up to see their lives changed and the lives of the people that they know. I think I love this so much because usually in my head when I think about God's kingdom it has to be on the most grand scale. I often tell people it is like I have a motion picture running in my head constantly. The best movie with the biggest effects, the one that wins the prize. I love Jesus and have seen the magnitude of what He did in my life, so I guess I always want to use the biggest and most amazing way to present Him. I learned a lot by going out into the villages and teaching. Standing in a house that was about as big as some people's closets teaching these people about washing their hands or how to get ride of a fever. Praying with them and feeling God's presence so strongly in that one room house. I knew as I stood their, this is the kingdom of God. This is His love and heart being poured out into this family. It was beautiful and so real. So much better than any big picture plan that I could create in my head on how to share God.

Well I am back in Perth. Getting ready for christmas. We decorated last friday for the holiday season. I am getting more in the spirits of things although when I leave my house in the heat I somehow loose all the christmas spirit.. It just doesn't ever quite feel the same. Praise the Lord their is still the same meaning and importance for this holiday.

I have plans changing and new things happening. I will write more later. Have a good week!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Incredible India

2010-11-05T05:37:00.000-07:00

Well we are finishing up our third week in India.
I am now in Hyderabad. I don't know why but India has been so amazing the second time around. Everything just seems to be striking a new cord in me these days! Love it!
I have eaten about a ton of rice so far. My friend Katie and I decided that we feel like 13 yr old boys when it comes to eating rice. Let me explain. You eat a HUGE amount of rice for lunch and then three or four hours later.. you are starving again. I think this must be what it is like for a guy growing. Or at least in my experience with my brothers, they would eat tons and I would always think where does it go? And now I am asking myself that same questions. Where does all that rice go?! =)
We have an amazing group here in Hyderabad. They are an NGO (non government organization) that works mainly in HIV/AIDS, but they have developed a branch of primary health care workers. So we are training their workers. They are quick and smart and love Jesus! Praise the Lord. Testimonies to come.
Well today is a special holiday, Diwali, where every one sets off crackers (fireworks) So I am going to attempt to walk home now without being blow up!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Stories of my Jesus.

2010-10-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

So I am in Siliguri India. Teaching a two week seminar on simple health care for oral learners. This is the second time that we are teaching in this particular community of madagar (spelling?!?).
We are teaching about 16 participants. Most of which have come back from the first seminar! Yah! It is amazing to see the change in some of the women here, we have men in the seminar too but some of the local women are really transforming. They are bold confident and following Jesus in a community that follows so many other gods.

We have been able to see some of the local people we met last april on this trip. one particular family that was close to our hearts, particular close to one girl on my teams heart. She prayed and fasted for this family the whole time we were here in April. Some of the participants that we teach are a mercy ministry group and they live here, so they have been frequently visiting the family, sharing about Jesus and praying for the little boy. The family consists of grandparents that are raising a little boy that is mental and physically handicap. The parents have abandoned the boy. So when we arrived this time to teach, we were all very excited to see this grandmother carry her boy over to where we teach. We talked with them again, and the mercy ministry group updated us on the boy's grandparents. How they were starting to become very curious in Jesus.

We have been here for two weeks now. The little boy's grandmother reported today that when the sun drops, the little boy becomes very restless and anxious. So she has started to pray for the little boy in the name of Jesus, and when she does he immediatly is settled and at peace. Praise the Lord. So she invited us back again today to tell her more about Jesus and is having a time tonight with the grandfather to discuss their decision on if they want to commit to only Jesus. OH and last night they threw out all their other gods!

We are all so excited and praising God for His glory and persistence with us all. He fights for us, and seeks after us, even when we aren't fully even aware of it.

So tomorrow is the last day in the community. We are all very sad that this time has gone by so quickly. Today we taught on child weighing. Powerful! Most kids that die are under the age of 5 yrs. When I say most.. I mean statistically it is around 2 million children a year. A lot of kids, dying from simple, preventable things. All that can be picked up on and treated or helped if the babies and children under 5 were weighed monthly. A healthy child gains weight, a sick child losses weights. How simple is that. So today we did just that. We went into the community and started weighing as many children and babies as we could find, and the rest of us where teaching as many mothers and fathers as we could find, the truth, the importance of such a simple task. Lots of lies are spread in this community because of false "doctors" consulting false gods. Today we spread truth. We lit up the neighborhood with the words of Jesus. Can you tell I am excited?!. Okay will report more later! Headed down to Hyderabad on Sunday for another seminar!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

India

2010-10-22T05:10:00.000-07:00

Back in India. I can’t believe the excitement that was pouring out of me when we finally arrived in Bagdogra. This small town that has an airport, is about an hour away from Siliguri, our finally destination. The drive from the airport to Siliguri was full of familiar sights. Cows in the road, people every where doing their daily work tasks, and the smell of smog. I had forgot the excitement and energy that surrounds this country. I felt like my heart was beating to the rhythm of the streets, or it could have been the intense hindi techno music our taxi drive was playing. Either way, it fit the scene.

Their is so much God wants to do in this country. We started teaching the day after we arrived. We are teaching the same group of people we taught in April, plus about 6 new ones. We teach simple topics in a way for oral learners to understand. Mainly because most people in the community that we are targeting are illiterate.

I wish I could put into words the feeling of God's kingdom in this community when the participants go out into the village and teach. Everyday the participants come and we teach them a new topic and by that afternoon we are headed out in small groups and they are teaching others. We see the multiplication of the knowledge right before us. These participants take hold of this information about topics like anemia, feeding a sick child, Tuberculosis, ect and they go and immediately are excited and ready to give what they learned away to whoever we can find in the villages.

Their is such an anointing that happens, I can't explain it and I think it is only because of the prayer put into the curriculum and the fact that everything we teach is based on the truth that God speaks about in the Bible. Keeping yourself a temple, being holy so that He can dwell in you. All the things we know about health care are started and have root in the BIble. I love it!

We have really been able to encourage the participants of the seminar. Most of them are mission workers here in India. They live here and see the people in this community and their living conditions on a day to day basis. They fight these issues of helping these people get clean drinking water or helping them get over simple diseases so they don't die or have someone in their family die. They face this everyday. They love these people and as we have told them all this week, the information they are learning is like a key to unlock a prison. The people in this community are in a prison of no education, or false information from witch doctors or who ever. So they are bringing truth and setting these people free. Giving them opportunity to take the new information and live in a cleaner and healthier environment.

Oh I love it! Well if you can't tell I am really excited to be back in India! More to come...

You are blessed to be a blessing

Helloo.... I have not stopped blogging!

2010-10-17T04:10:00.000-07:00

Well transitions are coming to a close and life is becoming more normal. So I will pick back up my normal activites like blogging!

I left America and set out to Europe for a fly by trip to visit a friend that was getting married. I took the long way back to Perth, Australia. It was so much fun to visit my friends from last year. The girls I stayed with and the friend that got married were apart of my birth attendant school. I stayed in Copenhagen for 5 days, seeing and eating all that I could! Mostly chocolate.. lots of chocolate. Then I headed down to Germany where my friend was getting married. We got to spend some amazing days with the grooms parents down in black forest. It looks like you have walked onto the movie set of the sound of music. You could walk up the road and pick yourself some fresh wild black berries if you wanted, or you could go hiking in the forest, or maybe go to the near by lake and go for a little canoe with all the HUGE catfish. It was increadibly beautiful!

Speaking of beauty, my friend, corinna, looked absolutely amazing! She was married and it was such fun getting to be apart of a German wedding and join in celebrating with her and her new husband!
I left germany and was able to spend a day layover in Italy! So I treated myself to some pizza and gelato! Yummy. This trip secured my love for Europe!

The fun had to come to an end and new fun awaited. The fun of transitioning into my new life here in Perth. It is so different being back on this base as staff and not a student. The base is big and so I learned my first lesson of what I like to call getting used to the awkwardness. Once you recognize that everything in life is now awkward because you don't know what is going on, or you don't know anybody, and you don't have a clue, then you are able to move forward in every awkward situation with a strange new confindence. I have been here for three weeks now and I am some what settled but still get asked if I am a new student and what school I am doing. Bahaha..

Well three weeks in and I am already packing again. Getting ready to go back to India! I can't believe it. I added up and it seems that I will have been in India for one third of this year. I am only going for a one month trip this time. We (my simple health care team) are teaching two different seminars. I am so excited to be going back to communities we have already been in. Seeing people and continuing to get to know people we have already been working with! Oh and to see what God has done since we were last there!

My brother is coming to Australia!!! Trevor is coming to do a discipleship training school with ywam bribane! I am so happy to have him so close! Practically the same time zone! Yah!

Well until next time,

You are blessed to be a blessing

Getting ready...

2010-09-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

My summer time is coming to a fast close. One week from today I will be getting on another plane to head out again. I wish I could say it was with a huge excitement and joy but it has been a different set of emotions that I am experiencing.

Many emotions that just need to be given over to Jesus. Fear and anxiety are not part of the plan when you walk in the freedom of Jesus. So battling those things and praying through them has helped.
I think walking away from the family is always hard, but more so this go around. Last time I left, in 2009, I was unaware about the length of time I would be gone, nor did I fully know what that would feel like or mean to be gone for over a year and a half. Now, going back, I understand the struggles, the sacrifice, and the hard parts of being away for so long. I am glad that my family is very supportive. My mom keeps saying " I would rather have you go, even for so long, than sit around here and be miserable and out of God's will." She wants me to go, but I can tell neither one of us are looking forward to next thursday.

God has spoke so much about this next season. He keeps reminding me of the seasons He takes us through and the promises that He has made all of us, but especially made to me personally. I listened to beth moore talk about walking across the Jordan river in Joshua this past week. She talked about how the ark sat in the middle of the river while ever one passed through. That in the middle it is the deepest spot and the hardest to walk out of. That you can look to both sides, you can look back to egypt (comfort, familiarity) and then you can look forward to cain (unknown, a place where you will be a alien for a while). When she put it in that perspective I can see why the Israelites cried lets just go back. We know it, its comfortable, we can make due. What they couldn't see, was the promise land that God was leading them into. So I guess this is where I am at. Ready to hurry over to the other side and experience whatever God is going to open up. I can't see it, and I don't know what is there but I know that God is calling me into a promise land, and that He is faithful.

I am trying to get everything packed! Oh man what a task. Trying to pack for two years under 50 lbs. This is really putting my efficient type A personality to the test! =)
I am looking forward to being back in Perth, but before I get to go to one of my friends weddings in Germany. So I am taking to long route back to perth, through europe where I will spend a few days in Denmark, then a few days in Germany! I can't wait to see these girls and be exposed to their lives and cultures! Don't worry many pictures of come!

Well I will finished up my last week in the states by celebrating a very momentous day. My Birthday! =) Of course I think it is a huge occasion, but most of the world probably sees it as the day after labor day when they have to go back to work... haha...
I have decided I am getting up in numbers so by next year I will have to remove the year off of my birthday on facebook, so people can no longer know how old I really am. All they need to know is that on sept. 7th celebrate that I was born!

Have a good week!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Food for thought

2010-08-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one week... I know, crazy! =) Just had a word strike me this morning that I thought I would share. It is from a sermon by Francis Chan "living with urgency."

2 Corinthians 5:1-5
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by humanly hands. meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

The tent that we live in is our bodies and his whole point was that why are we trying or becoming so satisfied with our earthly tents? Why do we seek after trying to satisfy ourselves or make ourselves comfortable in this place, when the scriptures say that we are not to be comfortable. We are not to be satisfied, that we are supposed to be uncomfortable like one who is walking around naked. I seriously had to think about that how uncomfortable you would feel if you were walking around naked. It says that while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we wish to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling. I think because I have spent these past few months back home, and in america this really moved me. I am getting very comfortable. I don't think it was bad to be home, it was quite a blessing, but our mindsets here in america and our desires circulate around being satisfied, while all the advertisements we are faced with tell us that we aren't happy yet, until we have this...fill in the blank.
So while I have been oblivious to needing to stand against this lie, I have become sucked back into this lie that I can be satisfied here on earth. That it is my right, thats dangerous, to be comfortable here on earth. When Francis started reading this scripture this morning it was like I melted thinking about my pride that has risen up in me over these past few weeks. Then it made me sad that I was so easily deceived. Why is it so hard for us to believe God when He tells us that things will be better than we could imagine when we are reconnected with Him. When we make it to our heavenly dwelling. Why are we so afraid to believe that it could be better than now. What if its not? Is that the doubt we have. Then we doubt God's word, then we doubt who God is. I doubted. My prayer this morning is a cry from Mark 9:24 "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief."
We have something amazing waiting for us. It won't even be that long of a wait. For life is but a breath. So when you can't seemed to get satisfied or comfortable in this world. REJOICE! Don't be annoyed, discouraged, or angry that you feel like you have been shafted. You aren't made for this world, and we are just waiting out life in this tent, before we return to our heavenly dwellings with Jesus himself!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

The journey through the summer...

2010-08-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well time is flying by! I have been spending the summer with my family and making it around to all my friends! I have had a blast spending time back in San Angelo, and living with my mom and brothers. I have to say that I have a new respect and awe for moms. After babysitting my little brother all summer long, I have decided it was not a babysitting job but that I essentially became a mom in training.

Typically day:
wake up, take mom to work, go run, Bible/Jesus time, stephens up, get breakfast Stephen - "don't want to eat"... Me -" you have too", get ourselves ready for the day, chores, games or a puzzle (monopoly usually), stephen ever 5 minutes or right after we would finish an event, " what are we going to do now?" "Can we go to joy-land, main event, movies, water rampage?" Me - "No" make lunch, after lunch run errands, or mow the lawn, or laundry, or grocery shopping... stephen "can we go to pet store?" me- "maybe" then we pick up mom from work, dinner, then whew... sleep.

I mean I am tired from all these responsibilities! =) I have really had fun, but am definitely not ready for that full time!

I also spent the last two weeks getting ready for a garage sale. Since I am leaving for another two years, mom said I had to go through all the stuff that I had and get rid of it! What a task. I had three closets full of stuff and three or four huge boxes in the garage to go through, sort out, and get ready to sell. We did all this work and had the garage sale last weekend and had about ten people show up! Oh what a disappointment! It turns out that we had our garage sale on the same day as some big flea market in town. Go figure! So now we are gearing up to have another garage sale next weekend! =) We will pray this one goes better! Please pay me to hall all my crap off!

I keep trying to post the video I made that recaps my last year but it won't load. I guess the file is too big. I will keep trying.

I really have had a blast seeing so many people since I have been back! Seeing babies that were in there moms when I left, meeting the new mr. and mrs. that have happened since I left, and just being able to be apart of all the family functions agains; the dinners, games, ect. God has really blessed my time! So now I am gearing up and getting ready to go back! I don't leave until the 9th of september but it is coming quicker than expected! I am still making one more trip to San Angelo, so if I didn't see you the first time, I would love to see you this time!

Until next time...

You are blessed to be a blessing

Stillness...

2010-07-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well... I gotta a little bit figured out on this new remodel of the blog. It is a work in progress still.
I am still on the run. I have been hanging out in San Angelo now for a few days. It has been very surreal to be back in my old stopping grounds. I didn't think about it being hard to come back here. But it has been a little bit more difficult than I anticipated. It has been great seeing friends and getting to see all the people that I love and have missed dearly. It has also been eye opening and humbling. I have become such a different person than I was when I first arrived in San Angelo. A lot of that changing happened while I still lived here and then even more over this past year and a half. A long process over many years. Being back has reminded me of a lot of things God healed me from, past hurts and past mistakes. But being back has in some ways reopened them. Not in a bad way, but in a way that is finalizing and is bringing a complete closer to who I was before Jesus, and who I am now. I often think about how many people I influenced in a negative way, or missed opportunity with. It is such an awesome testimony of what God can do. How He can take us from the pit of our desperation, slowly and gently into His glory and loving hand. So no matter how hard it is sometimes, or how uncomfortable some moments can be, I couldn't imagine not being here to show the glory of God. What He has done, where He has taken me and how much He loved me through all of it. The good the bad and the very ugly.
I have had to learn what quietness is like again. This strange and uncomfortable quietness has become my friend lately. It is so good to sit in the quiet. Yesterday.. I was home all day long. It was raining and I didn't have any plans so I just did some work, some reading, ect. It was so nice but all day long it was quiet. I didn't turn on Itunes. No one called and ever time I would think oh I should call someone.. I didn't. God is teaching me again how to sit in the stillness with Him and it is great to get back to that place. Not that I didn't have a bit of quietness this past year, but it is definitely different having 30 min of quietness vs a whole day or several days in a row. I have enjoyed it in a stretching uncomfortable sort of way to get re aquatinted with Jesus in the stillness. haha.

Well above is a video that I made to recap the year. I tried to show a glimpse of what God did. Hope you enjoy!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Confused...

2010-07-08T13:12:00.001-07:00

Sorry... trying to update my blog.. but finding it difficult to delete my old background... that is why it looks so funny. Hopefully I will figure it out soon!

Home

2010-06-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here I am on Texas soil again! It is soo good to be home. I spent the last week in wollongong, the base where I did schooling at last January. It was the perfect place to begin my transition back to western society. It was calm, relaxing, and there were so many good people to talk too! I love the people at that base and I love them loving me, which is exactly what they did! My trip home has not been so peaceful. I am afraid my time clock is already all messed up. I didn’t sleep on any of my flight, which was killer on the 14 hour one. Then I ended up sleeping in the floor of the airport but then people kept waking me up because they thought I was missing my flight.. (they didn’t know I had a seven hour layover) It was hard not to be some what grumpy at the nice people. =)

Looking back I realized that I have gotten on a plane to travel every two weeks for the past 2 months and will continue until the end of June. That means I have been on 12 flights over the past two months... I am sick of flying!!! I used to think it was so much fun... The airport business, the people, seeing new things in new airports.. Yes this sounds pathetic but I used to enjoy it... I still do but with a little dread and a sign. Here I go again. Haha..

Well it was so exciting to fly into america. Even more to fly into Texas. I had some funny thoughts as I got off the plane and walked through the airport so I will share them with you to end this blog. I am Home and will post my cell phone number soon (as soon as I get it)! E-mail me because if you are close to me, I want to see you!!!

Funny thoughts as I entered back into Texas:

The first things out of my mouth as I got off the plane was Yeehaw! (yes I was as surprised as you are)
I got excited when I saw bass pro shop in the airport (theres your sign...)
I got excited to have mcdonalds for breakie because I got to have FREE KETCHUP (not tomato sauce)
I ate the naste hashbrown from mcdonalds just as a means to get the KETCHUP in my mouth =)
I might have become slightly prouder as I got off the plane.... I will pray into this later.
Two words - Dr. Pepper
Ya’ll is back and in full force
I passed multiple shops displaying the phrases “Don’t mess with Texas” and I know some people’s personal favorites “Everything is bigger in Texas”

I’m excited to be home!!!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Reflecting...

2010-06-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

I have to talk tomorrow about what God has done in me in this past year. Wow what a big topic. We left central Asia and have now made it back to Perth. We (my school and I) have been and are spending this last week talking through the miracles, healing, and things that stood out to us this past year. Also talking about what God did in and through us. It is amazing thinking back. It is also very hard. Hard to get my mind around the fact that it has been 11 months. Hard to remember because my mind doesn’t think back that far, and hard to process this past month especially. I have never experienced a time where all our plans change, suddenly and without warning. It leaves a person wondering, did God really speak for us to come here? Did we hear right?

My answer for that question for me in the midst of last month was yes, I heard from God. No I don’t know why we had to change our plans, but I know that for whatever reason, the week that I was placed in that area of the world God was brought to that place. Even if only for one week. Christ in me; praying, standing, and loving people around me Jesus was brought to that community. I don’t have many stories about anything really physical or tangible happening. I don’t even have any good reports from the country I left. It is almost like it is doing worse off.... Huh. The enemy attacks heavy on a front they are afraid of losing?

I believe even more in the power of prayer. I have seen prayer do crazy things this past month...like.. starting cars, changing attitudes, and shaking things that need to be shaken. I think God in these past few months has shown me once again how much He loves me. He has healed me in many areas, taught me that it is okay to be wrong and faulty. That is one of the best ways to learn and to not be prideful. He has taught me patience, kindness (something still needing to grow in), and how to love even when you don’t want to love (also still growing). I have learned to value relationships and learned that I can take time to grown them. I have learned to seek after Jesus, to learn His true character. To confront Him with my questions, my ideas, my misconceptions. He always contradicts them, gently. I have learned that His heart is big and that He is someone I haven’t scratch the surface of getting to know. He never left me, even when I was tired and didn’t want to take the time to seek after Him. He still brought me peace even when I didn’t deserve it and He still let me experience life even after I cause so much death.

He is my creator, lover, and friend. I have a lot to be thankful for. All of it because of the life that Jesus gave me. He truly saves me everyday.

You are blessed to be a blessing.

A long time coming...

2010-05-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

Has it really been a month since I have wrote any new blogs? Sorry, everyone. I am afraid that writing anything has been daunting in these last couple of weeks. I am beginning to believe that God has brought me into the desert. I have felt that way for weeks now. The other day, my friend, Cara, was reading out the scripture that has been our theme verse for this school. It is Isaiah 40:3-5. We (my team and I) have been through some very interesting and tough couple of weeks. She was reading this to emphasize something that I had never caught onto before. The verse reads “A voice of one calling; In the desert prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God....” She pointed out that the voice that called, was in the desert. In the desert prepare the way.... The voice either called you into the desert or maybe you just stumbled in and then the voice spoke but either way you are in the desert. A dry, dirt, uncomfortable place that you are thirsty, weak, and crying out for help. That is where the Lord speaks about preparing the way. I guess a lot of this feeling that I have is from being gone from home for so long. Being apart of this calling that God has placed on my life has led me into a year and a half of amazing adventures with God. I wouldn’t take it back and actually have a hard time believing that God allowed me to be apart of it all. I just feel the tiredness of it, I feel the longing to be back home, to be in comfort and normal conditions. This past week I felt the weakness of my flesh start to crumble. The thing that I have really been excited about it is this verse. The fact that the voice spoke in the desert and if you keep reading the great things that come out of being there and doing what the voice says to do...”And the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all man kind will see it.”

I am very excited to be taken into God’s energy, and joy during this desert season. You have to ask for it usually on a day to day basis or sometimes an hour by hour basis but He is really shown me His faithfulness to provide me with what I need at that moment. Even writing this blog I feel more encouraged by the amazing work that God is still doing even in the midst of me feeling so tired, weak, and thirsty.

Well I feel like this isn’t a super encouraging blog, but God is still good, even in the midst of the desert. My team and I are having many doors open up to see and understand how the health care works in this country. We came into central asia to scout out and pioneer to see the opportunity to bring teams back for longer trips and to also see how we could be used.... Where is the need that we are equipped to fill. It has been surprising in our sudden shift of placement. We left the original place that we came to work in, so it has been great to see God pick us back up and move in this place we are in now. Almost like we were suppose to be working here this whole time. God is opening up doors like crazy to provide us plenty to do, plenty of people to meet, and really dive into being apart of this community. Only with God’s favor can we see things change from one day to the next.

I promise I will get back on my writing and not leave my blog unattended again for another month. I have missed posting.

Just so you know 28 days until I am back in the USA and at home! Pretty exciting... A few more days after that and my brother gets married! Oh my goodness this will be a fun summer!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Pictures...

2010-04-13T04:16:00.000-07:00

Okay I have been very bad about putting up pictures! Here is a few...

Train Rides

2010-04-04T06:12:00.001-07:00

Well I feel like I have so much to write about. This past week has been a journey!

We started out, myself and three other members of my team, on a very long train ride to northern India. We had such an experience on our first train ride. It was a 2nd class seating with no AC (air conditioning). Despite the hot atmosphere, it was eye opening to what so many experience as life every day in India. The train was grey, with metal bars making up the beds and seats, and steel fans at the top of the car. The view from my bed (which was one of the higher beds) when looking down the car made me feel like I was in prison. That is where I sat for 29 hours. No windows from my seat. Just a over look into many people’s lives. The sections of seats were meant to only seat 6 people. Many had double that. At every station we stopped more beggars, cross dressers and people selling things would jumped on the train to work there way through the cars. It was a never ending reminder of the desperation people have for hope, healing, and love. God used the separation of our team for His glory. One of the girls was placed in a car that was 7 cars down from the rest of us. All of us worried about her, she stayed in our seats until the beds where put down and then she had to go find her own seat so she could sleep that night. The next morning my friend, Emily, and I went to find her. She had a some what okay night, not being bothered to much, but that morning before she returned to the car the rest of us where seated she was able to tell some of the men sitting next to her about Jesus. One man decided that he wanted to know Jesus and she lead him through prayer to be saved!! Praise the Lord! In all things the Lord is good...

Once we finished our 29 hours, we jumped off to head to another train ride. This one only 12 hours long and we were able to get tickets for an AC car. We all trudged forward, still a little bewildered by our last experience, we stepped into a different world. The cars that had AC were like coming back into what we consider normal life. Quiet, calm, educated, well dressed people. Beds and seats where they provided you with blankets, pillows for your sleeping. It was like walking into a different world. You could really get on that train and never realize the people at the other end and the situation that they live in. You could pretend to some degree that people don’t beg, that there aren’t hurt men that dress like women, or that some families only have enough food to share one plate.

I am thankful for our long train ride. The view from both ends and the work that God did along the way. I often wonder what bringing the kingdom of God looks like from the perspective of whatever country I am in. So here in those situations where was the kingdom of God? Where could I have brought more of it? It is here, I believe that more than ever that we are called to bring the kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven, right now. So whether at the poor or the rich end of that train ride, the kingdom was there and was needed is more quantity. I know more love could have been expelled from myself on that trip. Fear can often hold me back, and this is something I am learning to let go of more and trust more in Jesus. There was such joy in one family on the first train. They were two families I think, two young women with kids and some men, husbands and brothers I imagine. The time they spent together, feeding there kids, talking, and playing games with each other was so fun to watch. It was the peace amongst the chaos for me. So that was my kingdom to watch. Relationships and joy come from that family. I think it is important to think about what does that mean to you, to bring the kingdom of God. What is the kingdom of God? What does it consist of? If you don’t have an Biblical idea of what the kingdom that Jesus so often talked about looks like, then how do we live in a kingdom manner?

These questions are always floating in my mind so I thought I would let them float in your too...

Well we made it to our destination. We have started our health care seminars with 15 participates! It is already spirit led and doing great things! I will write more later..

You are blessed to be a blessing,

NEver thoughts....

2010-03-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Well I am getting ready to leave. I have not packed and we leave tomorrow morning.. umm good thing it doesn't take to long to shove the little that I have in that big backpack...

I am headed up north in India to participate in a program called simple health. It will be a three week seminar teaching local Indians about simple health and supplying them with all the resources they need to go back and teach in there cities, villages, ect.

I am excited to be apart of the seminar because it is something that God has put on my heart for being involved in next year.

I have been having very funny thoughts lately about my living situations over this past year or so. Things that I never thought I would experience, things that I said I would have rather died than do.

1. Never thought I would use a squatty potty - done

2. Never thought I would take a bucket shower (if you don't know what this is... haha.. then be blessed, don't ask) - done

3. Never thought I was eat things that I didn't know there origin - done

4. Never thought I would take as many cold showers (bucket) that I have this year. - done

5. Never thought I would go without eating meat for months on end. - done

6. NEVER thought I would be cool with cockroaches.... we are friends now, we live together - done

7. NEVER thought I would be okay with spiders (still hate hate hate them but I can be in a room with them now.. this is huge progress) - done

8. Never thought I would have to go to bed soaking wet, so that I could be comfortable and sleep through the hot hot night. - done

9. Never thought I would share a bathroom, let alone with 6 girls - done

10. Last but not least, Never thought I would wear a scarf in 100 degree wear. - done

Okay this is not complaining but merely me looking back laughing on what the Lord can do in your life...=)

I will be traveling by train for the next two days with no AC.. pray for me if you think about it.. I will update more later!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Feeling the heat...

2010-03-14T04:26:00.000-07:00

It is hot here in India. I feel like all I ever do is sweat and it isn't even full blown summer yet! Don't worry the heat is not keeping us inside.. we are still very much so involved in hospital and city work...

We have had several visitor come and go in the last couple of weeks. One of our visitors is a woman who was a speaker on our school when we were back in Perth during lecture phase. She is a midwife and so amazing. She has so much knowledge to offer us.

I have to share this story of a deliver that she was apart of. This woman was giving birth to her first baby. One of the other students, katie, was attending the delivery and I was moral support for the mom. Once the baby is delivered we place the baby on the moms stomach to dry him/her off and let the mom see her new little one and just allow for a moment or two of bonding before the baby gets swift away to the nursery.

Well this mother delivered her baby and katie put the baby on the stomach, this mom was horrified. This was her first baby and I am not sure she knew that this little wet squirmy thing had just come out of her. She wouldn't touch the baby and she looked so scared. Are visiting midwife friend took just five minutes to help this mom. She leaned in with katie and myself and we were able to shield this woman from everything else that was going on in the room. We were able to almost hid her and her baby so that she could take the time to realize this was her baby. The woman had time to looked at her baby, then slowly we helped her start to touch the baby, then she held the babies little fingers and toes, and then she was finally comfortable enough to just rest her hand on the babies back and support the baby. It was the most beautiful moment of connection between this mom and her new baby. She was becoming a mother in that moment. She was allowed to bond and start loving for the baby before it was swept away, and you could just see the love being grown. In five minutes this mom went from being horrified, mainly because she probably didn't know what was going on during the labor, to being a protector, a comforter, a provider and lover to this little one.

So it was my encouragement for the week. We are able to create space and guard the little precious moments these women need with there new little ones.

It gets a bit hard some weeks. Praying, working, living in community, going to battle spiritually, and I realized this week that I have been trying to do a lot of it on my own. A girl on my team got this picture during a prayer time. A cable that is plugged into a power source but there is no power coming from it. I realized immediately that was me in the past week. I was plugging into God by praying, having quiet times, and ect. But I wasn't depending on His power. I looked right but wasn't turing on the power source. So this weekend and this next week I am ready to turn on the power! I realize very quickly I can not do this on my own, but I am not asked to do it on my own! Praise the Lord for His grace and strength that come new every morning!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Mainly pictures...

2010-02-28T06:35:00.000-08:00

Hey!

Just thought I would throw some pictures up! We are starting our second month of being in India! WOW time is flying by! I am so excited because some of our friends showed up today from Australia! We get to spend a week with them... yea becca and chris!

I hope you like all these... pic's of where I am staying... right out my front door is a huge catholic church, we eat with our hands and there are some pictures of the food. pictures of us geared up for the labor room.. pictures from off our roof top... yea I think that is it!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Praise Report....

2010-02-21T06:08:00.001-08:00

This week has been full of excitement and seeing Jesus guide us to watering people’s lives with His spirit. It is amazing the opportunity we have in the hospital to speak so freely about Jesus and encourage, give testimonies of His love, and comfort those in mourning.

In the hospital there are several other nursing schools. So every unit our team works in, there are about 10 - 15 indian nursing students. Wide eyed and ready to learn. Not only about skills but about these new foreigners! We have been able to not only teach these students skills, but have been able to show them compassion, comfort, and love to the women that you take care of. We are able to pray with them, and through them (they translate for us, so we can pray for the patients). Most of the nursing students are christian but most of them don’t think it possible or have never seen Jesus’ love spread through action and word in the hospital. There have been so many testimonies of students watching us and coming up afterwards saying we didn’t think we could share with others about what we believe but now that we have seen you do it, now we know that we can too!! Praise the Lord!

We had an amazing week. Three different people came to know Jesus this week! Two of the women were in the same family. One of the women from my team, Corinna, was involved in seeing this mom come to know Jesus. She said that it was such a beautiful thing to reflect on. That in that moment she was with this women when Jesus washed her clean. That there was transformation taking place in that women’s life and she got to be apart of God’s glory in that moment.

My team and I received the scripture Jeremiah 1:4-10 this week. In vs 9 it says, “Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me,

“Now I have put my words in your mouth.”

We have been anointed. The time is now to open your mouth and speak about having a new life because of Jesus. Sometimes that means opening your mouth before you know what you are even going to say, and sometimes you know exactly what to say. The thing that I am soaking up and learning is that when we died to ourselves and rose again in the forgiveness we have in Jesus. We were anointed. I was transformed and given the ability (through the Holy Spirit) to go now and use the words that God gives me. There are so many opportunities in life to leave people with little touches of Jesus.

For example, my mom has decided to start praying over her house and things she owned so that God would preserve them like He did for the Israelites in the desert. When they wondered around for forty years and didn’t need a new pair of shoes, or clothes because God kept all their stuff intact for them. Well just the other day, my mom experienced a miracle. She was rear-ended in the parking lot of her work. She told me that the guy that hit her hard. She was really worried about what the back of her car was going to look like. She got out and meet the guy at the back of her car. Nothing was wrong. They couldn’t even find a scratch. What an amazing testimony! God protects us and our stuff, and in that moment, use your words to give glory to God because it was Him who protected the car. I love this, a miracle and an opportunity to give glory to God and to give a little piece of Jesus to give someone.

Well it is getting stinking hot here. We are still taking in and learning the Indian culture. I wish I could say I am getting better at eating with my hands but I think I am getting worse. My team and I are working in the hospital here at least four times a week. There is a different group of us that rotates everyday doing what we call adventure days. It is a great time of praying, asking God what we should do for the day, and then letting Him take us on an adventure to show His love.

Last week on my adventure day we ended up in the High Court (the justice building where all the judges and lawyers work) in front of the Newly elected, it was his first day in office, Chief Judge of the whole province. It was crazy and we had such favor from God that whole day!

Matthew 10:18

“And you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them ...”

You are blessed to be a blessing!

India...

2010-02-12T22:30:00.000-08:00

What a start to an amazing culture. This place is so full of so many languages, and people. Every day has been a new day to learn how to lean into God. One of the first days that we arrived, God spoke to me through a story of Jesus (Luke 5:12-16). I realized that Jesus, needed to often withdraw away from the people and his disciples and pray. He had to lean into God and during this season I desperately need to lean into God. India is a place of many different things, including religion. There is Hindi and Islam and even some Buddhist. It is like the melting pot for religion. The atmosphere is heavy here, not just because of the overwhelming amount of exhaust but because of the overwhelming amount of spiritual strongholds.

It has been amazing to lean into God and get strategy to live in this country. My team and I have read through the entire Bible out loud around the city in the first week. Proclaiming truth is powerful. We have been able to start volunteering at the hospital in this second week. There is so much to get adjusted too but so much opportunity to love. The hospital is more advanced than what we had seen in Africa but still has a major hole that needs to be filled by Jesus.

One of the strongholds that causes strife with people here is miscommunication. People not communicating, or there being a lack of understanding on what is being communicated. This is something that God is already helping us in, and equipping us beyond what our own mouths could do.

We have already had God do miracles in getting us into the hospital. There was a miscommunication during the first week with the superintendent of the hospital and our staff. This was going to put us out of the hospital for the first month we were here and only allow us to work in the hospital for one month instead of two. God moved and during the staff praying for wisdom and favor, we were granted just that. We were told to continue working and that things would be taken care of. Praise the Lord. We have also already had favor in working with the staff (which we have heard, takes a while for them to warm up to you). The light that is within you when you have Jesus is attractive.

I am learning a lot about what it means to die to yourself. This is something that I started to learn in Africa. What did Jesus do when someone accused Him, pushed his buttons, or inconvenienced Him. He had compassion on them, He still healed them, and He defiantly still loved them. One of the girls in my room is ready this book that has inspired me. I haven’t read it yet but am going to recommend it. It is called “Love has a face” by Michele Perry. This book is about her life, Michele, an amazing women that has followed God where ever He called her.

She read me a quote out of it about dying to one’s self that I want to share.

“I began to realize that only when I live inside of Him (Jesus) can He fully live inside of me. Let’s face it. Dead people are really hard to embarrass and impossible to scare. They have to live from another realm because they no longer exist in the present one. They do not have any opinions, and they are absolutely unoffendable. They listen more than they speak. You can step on their toes and it does not bother them one bit. They see beyond the seen into the eternal unseen. And they have no concern for their reputation. Personal dignity means nothing to them.”

Even in writing this quote their are still parts of me that cringe. Am I offendable, yes. Do I want people to know who I am, and have some personal dignity, yes. Wait, but is that going to allow me to live like Jesus? Did He worry about his personal dignity when He died on the cross, allowed people to spit on Him and beat Him?

I have used this picture of a dead person a lot this week. When people try and correct me, embarrass me, or just in living life sometimes people offend me. Each time I want to reach, and each time I have thought about this picture. If I am to die to myself, to live for Christ and live as Christ would live should I react this way? I have not done a very good job this week, and have been so blessed by the grace that I receive new every morning.

It is excited for me though. To have a better understanding of this phrase we so often use, die to yourself.

I will try and post some pictures so you can see the dress here. These are from my friend corinna’s b-day last week. We went to a park, had lunch, and played cricket (for all your americans that is like baseball).

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Pics...

2010-02-05T02:38:00.000-08:00

New beginnings.....

2010-02-05T02:14:00.000-08:00

I have entered city life. The buildings are all two or so stores made out of concrete and painted shades of browns, and pinks, if painted at all. The street is full of business. People walking, cars, and miniature modes of transport going so quickly that you would think you could never cross to get to the other side. You will also think that when you step out into the traffic in hopes that it will stop or swerve around you so you can get to the other side! A member of my team said we are walking by faith and not by sight. Where we live, the best place to be is the roof. It is like a social life above the world. You can see so many people doing their laundry, just standing together, kids playing. The roof top is a new view of a sometimes overwhelming city.

It is a disturbing model of life when you walk down the street and see high class jewlery shop, one after the other in between clothing stores then you look to the front step and find one beggar after the other. The rich among the poor. It reminds me a lot of the parable of Lazarus the beggar, and the rich man in Luke 16. One of the many hard situations that I believe can change. I am finding joy in the small acts of kindness. I know that big action needs to be taken but I want to walk in the opposite spirit in whatever way I can. I am afraid God built my mind to see the big and I immediately think that if we aren't having world movements to see poverty put to an end then things just aren't satisfying. God is teaching me, for now it is recognizing someone's importances as a person, or buying them a banana on the side of the road.

The people are friendly, beautiful, and colorful. The clothes, accessaries, and foods keep all your senses in high gear. We have been spending our first few days getting used to all these new sights, smells, and tastes! We are waiting to get into the hospital, which always leaves time for getting out into the city! Making friends, and learning about this culture. I am so excited about our time here! This is the 5th or 6th time the BAS school has been able to come and learn in the hospital we will be working at. Hearing the stories of changes in the hospital over the years and of walls that have been broken gets me geared up and ready to go to work.

We are praying to be in the hospital next week! I will update more later! I will also try and upload some pics from my time in Perth with my mom and brother!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Layovers...

2010-01-30T22:01:00.000-08:00

I must say as much as I hate lay overs they are perfect opportunity to catch up on blogs, e-mails, and reading! I am sitting in the airport because we have a 24 hour layover!

I have had a world wind two weeks back in Perth that have been very exciting. My mom and little brother came to visit for a week. It was so great to just see them. It has been a year since I have been home, so this visit was very special. I was also blessed by a light schedule with my school, which meant my family and I spent lots of time together. We did so many fun things. It was great to become a tourist of Perth for a week with them. I had not seen so much of Perth as I did with them! Haha. We went to the aquarium, a zoo full of Aussie animals, snorkeling, and of course the beach. It was a hard goodbye after our week together.

This past week we were busy celebrating ywam. It was the 50th year anniversary for the organization ywam, and then it was ywam perth’s 25th year anniversary. It was fully of amazing speakers, worship, prayer, and good food!

I am going to post some pictures and yea India here we come!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Kali

2010-01-23T23:02:00.001-08:00

Hello bloggers!!

I am going to post something before we get to crazy with all the festivities of anniversaries. I am sitting in my room in Africa, finishing up last minute packing and trying to allow the reality of us leaving set in. I am afraid it won’t hit me until I am on the plane. This place has been such an amazing example of God’s love, hope, and presence. I can’t believe it has been 3 1/2 months!

I wanted to post something before it was to late. After our two weeks in Perth, I will be headed to India. We will be spending two months working in a hospital there. After that time we have been invited to join a new health care opportunity being launched by ywam perth. It is called simple health care. It consists of teams of mission workers that target a country and send groups to teach simple health care to different towns in that country. SO a team goes into a town, they stay for three weeks. They gather all the local health care workers, missionaries, and Jesus following leaders of the community and spend three weeks equipping them with teaching plans and material to teach simple health. Simple health would consist of basic hygienic, sanitation, wound care, common tropical diseases, and nutritional education that most third world nations don’t have. The goal of the program is to impact the country through the workers that are already living there by educating the local people. If you raise up people within the community that are making the changes then you really start to change death rates, health standards, and lives in that community. The best part is all the people that will be educating these communities LOVE JESUS!!!

So why am I telling you, well because this opportunity in India is open to any Indian in the whole country to come and also going to be open for a few African to come. It is expensive for there travel and to pay for the three weeks they will be at the seminar. I wanted to give anybody the opportunity to sponsor equipping one of these Indians or Africans to go to this seminar. To tell you how cheap it is, if you sponsor a Indian to attend the seminar it is only 54 US Dollars!!!!! I used to spend that in a week on fast food, I am ashamed to say! So for 50 bucks you could greatly impact a nation and be apart of God’s kingdom coming to India! I don’t know how much it would be to sponsor an African, but if God put that on your heart then I could get that information for you.

If God is speaking to you about this, you can spend the money to YWAM Perth (address below) with a note saying that it is to sponsor an India to go to India.

Well we are starting a very busy week. I had a wonderful time with my family and will hopefully write more about it later!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

PO Box 8501 Perth Business Centre, Western Australia, 6849, Australia

Wrapping up....

2010-01-09T01:01:00.001-08:00

Hello ...

I feel like it has been so long I am not even sure where to start. Well we are finishing up our last week here in Tanzania. I can’t believe how fast time flies! We are coming to the end, starting to say goodbye to people, and trying to wrap our heads around the fact that we are really leaving. There is a huge part of me that just dives into the African culture and will have a hard time leaving. The beauty of the people, the land, and their hearts is inspiring. There is defiantly a hope and childlike faith that this culture so easily grasps that teaches me how easy trusting in Jesus can really be.

We finish up our last week at the hospital this week. We will work three days this week, saying our goodbyes on Wednesday. I wish I could say that these last few weeks have been easy, full of health, and not as much warfare. I think that is the opposite of what has happened. It is a battle until the end, and even after we leave it will still be a battle. One that God is never done with. He spoke words to our group about the virgins waiting for their bridegroom.(Matthew 25) The wise ones who kept extra oil so there lamps burned all the way through the night and when the bride groom called they were prepared. This was so encouraging for pushing through these last few weeks. It is so easy to give up and coast through these last weeks. Giving up a little bit of the fight so that it is a bit more comfortable or less exhausting in the end. We as a school were commissioned off to prepare the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40), to keep our lamps burning so that we would be prepared for the bridegroom (Jesus). This has brought me a new excitement, and love for this place. The Lord is coming, and is still at work within me to see His kingdom in all the glory, be brought one step closer to becoming reality in this place and hospital.

I had a conversation with a doctor this week about her faith. She pulled out a Bible looking through her purse one day at the desk in the hospital. As I needed to talk to her about a patient, I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me to ask her about her faith. I am become more comfortable these days with plainly asking, do you believe in Jesus. She smiled, a big smile and said “yes”. I told her I saw her Bible and was encouraged. That she was loving these women like Jesus loved her. That He was using her to love and provide for these women. Her smile and the reaction in her spirit and appearance was amazing. God is encouraging, uplifting these workers here that are believers and He is greatly shaking the foundations of the ones that aren’t! It is exciting and it will have lasting impact on this hospital.

It is bitter sweet getting ready to leave. I am sad but I am super excited to head to our next locations. We are having an unusually break in our outreach. Usually the BAS outreach goes for nine months and does not return home (to Perth) until the end. (Random side note - I just realized out outreach is nine months, that is how long it takes to have a baby. haha.) Anyways, this year, it is YWAM’s 50th year anniversary and YWAM Perth’s 25th year anniversary. So we will be heading back to Perth in 7 days. God is amazing and has provided a way for my mom and little brother to head over to Perth to come see me!! SO in 9 days I get to see my family who I haven’t seen for a year!!! I am so excited and anticipating a really good 10 days with them! God is amazing and speaks crazy dreams that can come into existence when He is apart of them!

SO I hope everyone’s new year is starting with God’s dreams and hopes for this new year. Throw New Year’s resolutions out the window and ask God what He has for you this year. I think you will have a lot better hope of seeing that come to be than trying to loss ten pounds! =)

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Mary and the Manger

2009-12-18T23:34:00.000-08:00

One of my leaders, Paula, started the day off with this amazing revelation that really brings me joy. She is reading this commentary on the book of Luke and she was talking about the birth of Jesus. That when Mary and Joseph came to Bethlehem they stay in an inn. The inn was for passing through shepherds and flock keepers. So as we all know there were no beds and they stayed where all the animals were, and Jesus was placed in a manger. The point that Paula was making was that the King of Kings who came to save the whole world was born in the worst conditions and on a night where unless an angel came to you, you didn’t even know He was born. No one knew, Jesus was born and the world was oblivious.

I think this really is amazing because I see women every day that give birth in conditions that aren’t acceptable. They are laboring with three women on the same bed, some in the floors, some make it to the laboring table (which still isn’t anything close to what would be used in the western world for delivery). These babies come into this world and no one even knows. They are in the worst conditions and then placed in a modern day manger (a crib with ten other babies). This has begun to wear on me over the last couple of weeks. This revelation though, thinking back and seeing how our King was born into this world. Remembering the impact He made on the world, even if He did have lower standards entering the world. He became our saviour. The most humble servant to the world. I prayed a prayer this week and will continue to pray it, that these little ones that we bring into this world. On the floor, table, or bed, that they would be world changers. That the conditions that they are born in and the lack of awareness of the world to their birth wouldn’t stop them from rising up into the fullness of what God has already placed in them. I am excited to think about the Moses, Abraham, or elijah that we are delivering here in Tanzania.

You are blessed to be a blessing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

time is flying...

2009-12-12T22:35:00.000-08:00

It is getting closer to Christmas. I am definitely not having a white one but it is still
a special one. We have so many different traditions that we are seeing come
through from different members of our team. We have an advent calendar,
stockings up, and even a Hanukkah candles that are being lit every night. It is fun
to see all these traditions shine through and be able to be apart of them all.

Our lives here have been busy and full. We are one week away from being done
with all of our lectures! Next week is our last week. We are officially half way
through this school! I can’t believe it. These amazing women and families have
become my family over these past 6 months. It makes me sad to think that we
only have six more months to go.

I have about four weeks left here in Africa. If there is one thing that I can’t get
over these days it is how God has just brought life to me. I think it has been a
collection of months of growing and letting God do a lot of healing in me, so now I
am starting to see the results. The new joy and life in my spirit. I now enjoy and
desire to soak up everything and live in the moment of today. I still look forward to
the future but I don;t ignore the present. The hardest thing for me in growing
with God, in my relationships, in different cultures, and the travel in these past
couple of months has been that I wasn’t slowing down in my mind or actions to
enjoy and take it all in. I was so busy trying to get to the next thing that I was
missing the opportunities that were right in front of me. I think this was a defense
mechanism that I had built up from my past. If you are always living in the future,
looking to the future for “better life” then you don’t stop and stare at the reality of
how ugly your life is at that moment or how beautiful it is. So these last months I have been stopped and I have stood face to face with today. It hasn’t been fun, most of it hard and painful.
The result though is magnificent. I really don’t know if I can do justice in
explaining the way that my spirit awakens everyday with an excitement and love
for life and today. This new excitement, love, and ability to face today makes me
even more captivated by Jesus. I often think that I need to come up with some
new angle to present Jesus because of all the material that is out in the world
today and with all the different views and theologies. I want to attract every one to
Him, but the truth is i always get back to the basics when i really want to
know or share about what he is doing in my life. Jesus saved me, over and over again. He has been doing this for 23 years and will continue too. He has brought me through a lot. Not very much of it being easy but the process and especially the end result He has brought me so much
healing, joy, love, freedom, life, and excitement.

So I am super excited about our last few weeks here but a little nervous that it is
going to fly by because our first two and a half months did. I am looking forward
to being back in Perth. I am blessed because my mom and little brother are
coming to see me when I go back to Australia in January! I am so excited! It will
have been exactly one year from the time that I last saw them that they will be
there!

Christmas is soon... I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

Hey!

Just wanted to throw some pictures up! Hope every one is getting ready to have a great holiday! Merry Christmas!!

So much to be Thankful for....

2009-11-21T22:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I know it is not exactly thanksgiving yet but my team and I
celebrated thanksgiving yesterday. My first thanksgiving on a beach! Pretty
amazing. The base is full of families and singles from Tanzania. We introduced
them to a little bit of American history yesterday by including them in all our
thanksgiving activities. A nice breakfast, followed by a day at the beach, then a
dinner with dessert! It was a treat for us to have dessert and for all of them to be
able to go to the beach! It was great fun to watch them play, swim, and see there
kids just soak up every minute of play time while we were there. I will try to get
some pictures up soon!

These weeks here seem to be flying by. We are starting on the down hill slope of
our time here. Only seven weeks left. The news this week is extra exciting. There
are many staff at the hospital that have been asking us several questions about
being different, what is different about you they ask. They hear us praying, they
know we believe in Jesus, and they even are starting to let us pray for them!
There is one doctor in particular who has shown extra interest and been asking
extra questions over these past few weeks. This past week one of our teams had
the privilege of being at lunch with him the day he decided to become born again.
This was awesome! Places are changed by one individual. This doctor was
letting God open up His heart and wants to change. He wants and now has
Jesus! We are so excited to be able to continue to disciple him in these next
weeks of being at the hospital and are so eager to see the ripple effect of God
working in this doctors life.

It is hard to top the first testimony of this week but I did experience a view of
Jesus that was beautiful. There are about 30-40, sometimes more, women that
need to have full assessments done every morning in the ward I was working in
this week. This is the antenatal ward, the women are in latent phase of labor
waiting to go into active phase to be moved over to the labor ward. With only two
doctors you can imagine how long these checks take. I was assisting a doctor on
thursday morning with the women’s checks and we were about half way through
the women. It is a series of different checks, one of which is listening to and
counting the fetal heart tones. Most of the time we as students are asked to listen
to the heart of the baby with a pinard. It is a cone shaped piece of equipment that
works like a stethoscope. On this one particular mamma, I could not hear the
heart sounds. Not an uncommon occurrence because the pinard is not as easy
to use or accurate for all mammas. So I reached over to get the doppler machine
to listen to the heart sounds. As I put the machine on the women’s belly, I
immediately found the heart tones. I looked down at my watch to start my
counting when I caught a glimpse of the mamma out of the conner of my eye,
she was crying. There was this short moment when the business, the room, it
was all quiet. This women, possible for the first time was hearing her babies heart
beating. She was experiencing this life that had been growing inside of her. It
was this beautiful moment of love. Later that day as I continued to remember this
mamma and her baby I couldn’t get over the love that was flowing out of her the
moment she knew she could hear the life that was inside of her. It was this
instant picture for me of Jesus. These women endure and go through a lot of
harsh treatment and situations to have these babies. They suffer and have
severe pain. They watch as other women around them go through so many
difficult situations not knowing what is going to happen to them and there baby.
This mamma was fighting for this life. She was enduring and suffering just to hear
that little heart beat. To know that life was coming, to hear that heart beat gave
her hope and a drive to push through to delivery. It was just such a clear picture
of Jesus. He endured, He suffers, He watches in horror as we do things to each
other that are deadly, scary, and painful. He waits for those little moments where
He can hear our heart beat. He is waiting to hear the little heart beats of His
children. The heart beat of one of them walking in a talent that He gave them, or
one of them receiving healing, or one of them coming into His kingdom, like are
doctor friend. We can know that life is coming. Life will be brought forth from
Jesus. He is determined to see our life brought forth into restoration and
completeness. So we may be dragged through, or drag ourselves through, many
unnecessary painful experiences, worry, and fear, but in the end He is
persevering, He is life, and He is determined in His love for us.

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Exciting News.....

2009-11-13T23:11:00.000-08:00

These blog posts are getting few and far between. I wish I could write everyday as much as God is doing, I am seeing, and learning. My team and I am working hard in the hospital and at the clinic every week.

We are getting to know the staff better and really having such opportunity to be open with them about what we believe and able to share Jesus with them through action and words. This is amazing! To be open to freely speak about why we are loving the mamma’s, why we have a patience and peace, why we care about the little details that need to be taken care of, why we are concerned with the conditions of the staff being overworked. We love them because Jesus loves us.

There is such big news to write about I don’t know where to begin. Well I will start with my first delivery! We are moving into the part of our course where we are beginning to conduct deliveries with our instructors hands over ours. So we are not completely alone yet but putting what we have learned into practice. My first delivery didn’t look exactly like that. Here is a little bit of a set up. The labor ward is not a quiet, calm place to say the least. There is a room full of mamma’s that are waiting because they are not fully dilated yet then there is another room with delivery beds where the mammas are ready and delivering. My staff, Melisa, was in conducting a delivery of her own when a mamma on the other side of the ward was beginning to scream. Her baby was coming. The nurses were not assisting and I walked by to see what was happening. Before you know it I am putting on sterile gloves welcoming a little one into this world. It was amazing. The baby was beautiful, healthy, and so was the mamma. It was/is such a blessing to be apart of this process and even when walking up in the last minutes of this woman’s delivery having her trust me, seeing her know that I was so concerned and caring about the health of her and her baby. Even without words, this was communicated. That is only possible because Jesus is loving me to love her. He is in me, using me in that place, to shine into that women’s life. It is incredible.

Here is a little bit of a set up for the next story. First I want to share about the power of prayer and proclaiming things that God leads you to pray over people. Before we left on this outreach, one of the leaders of our base Peter Brownhill, was praying for us. He prayed that our words would not be small, to not be anxious about our words, and that we would come before people of power or influence.

So our team was again at the hospital this week. The staff of one of the teams, Robyn, was able to make connection with a group of people that visited the hospital on Monday. This group of people were coming in to get ready for a film shoot that was going to take place on Friday at the hospital. God started to orchestrate His plans. The team told Robyn that Naomi Campbell was coming to visit the hospital and bring awareness to the conditions these mammas are in. Robyn knew that God was speaking to her about meeting Naomi. She had several words to speak to Naomi and felt that she was supposed to share about our school and about God with Naomi. God is amazing in His plans. So on friday Robyn and two other students went to the hospital to work. We as a team don't go to the hospital on fridays so it was a trip that was specifically for the purposes of God. From the minute they got to the hospital God was putting them to work with mamma's that were delivering, several that were having post delivery problems, and providing opportunity for Robyn to not only meet Naomi and share what God told her to share, but also to meet Princes Sara of Jordan that happened to be there also, and then a famous singer from Tanzania. Not to mention reporters from Australia, and Tanzania. She was able to share about what God was doing through are school, who we were, what we were about. As you can see from the pictures above. All of these people were able to see the type of conditions what these mamma's and staff are enduring and being faced with day after day. It is so excited that we were apart of God's plan in bringing awareness, and starting movement of seeing situations change. I think the most exciting part was the staff that day. Our girls had countless opportunities to share about Jesus with the staff. They were asking why the girls had come on a friday because they know we don't normally come on fridays. When our girls responded with because God spoke that we needed too, it blew them away. They immediately had so many questions about us hearing from God, and what kind of lives we live. As Robyn was telling us the stories last night when she came home she was amazed at how God did not only answer the prayer that we would meet Naomi Campbell but that He went above and beyond and she also met a princes of Jordan and so many other people of power and influence. She was so excited to see God use her, to share with these people, she kept saying little old her. But the thing is, she is being obedient and following God and that is providing her opportunity to do big things in God's kingdom!

I wanted to share and I want to continue sharing stories of good news. I read the BBC news and all the other news websites and it is all sad, depressing news. The world is fallen, we live in sin but God is moving. There are so many stories about God doing miraculous things - where are those on six o clock news? I want you to know, we are here in the midst of seeing God move, work, and bring hope to a nation that doesn't have it!

Okay I have to go, Love and miss so many people. Most of the pictures are from me teaching a women's health care time in the village we live in. We teach every week, then at the hospital. Then the one of me with the mamma and her baby is not the first baby I delivered, but the first baby that I saw God bring back to life. We had to resuscitate the baby and as you can see in the picture, mom and baby were great by God's hand. Then us packed in transport bus, and then going to church in our african outfits!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Real life...

2009-10-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

Habari!

Our time feels like it is flying by here. We are officially done with our first month. I can’t get over how beautiful it is here. I think there is a different sky over Africa. Every time I am walking down the path I feel like I am walking into a picture. It is like a painted blue sky with fake fluffy white clouds. It is getting extremely hot and it isn’t even summer yet! It has been so much fun eating all the fruit here! I have learned about jack fruit and sour sap. Sour sap is my new favorite!

We finished our first week in the hospital in town. It was a world wind of emotions, situations, learning, and realizations of harsh truths. We learned a lot this week about life, midwifery, what it means to be without and the implications it causes. The hospital is moderately equipped for an undeveloped nation and is very understaffed. There is around 50-80 births a day. There are three different wards at the hospital that our school rotates through. Labor ward, pre - labor and post delivery ward, and then ICU ward (which is just post c-sections and pre - eclamptic mammas).

This past week I was in the ICU ward. It is the slowest of the three wards. There were on average around 14 patients (not including babies) in this ward with ONE nurse. I fought a lot this week with knowing what it is like to work in a hospital in America and then seeing the way they work in this hospital here. God really opened my eyes and broke through my own judgements to see the enemy at work. The people that work in this hospital are working as hard as they know how to work. The workload is overwhelming, the death rate is overwhelming, the hours of work are overwhelming, yet they still work and push forward with a patience and dedication about them that is so amazing. I was letting my own judgements and ideas about what it should be like get in the way of doing what I could do to improve the situation and loving the people like I should be. I listen to this podcast this week that said Jesus is pro-people, He is not pro everything that people do but He doesn’t let the things that He doesn’t like that they are doing get in the way with loving the people. I was letting these situations skew my view and interrupt what I am here to do. Love the people, the patients, the staff. I can’t improve things if it doesn’t come from a heart of love, my heart can’t be a heart of love if I am looking down with judgement. God broke my heart and showed me the desperation these staff are in. The amount of death that they see, and the fear that comes over them when things go wrong leaves them to attempt desperate measures to save lives.

Things by the end of the week were starting to look better. Coming in with new eyes that were clear and a change in my heart helped me serve. I can see and know that in these next two and a half months we can really be a light in this place. There are 16 students and 4 staff that make up our team. We make a scene every time we arrive at the hospital. By the end of our week, the number of prayers were starting to increase with every patient we took care of and the more questions the staff began to ask about our prayers and ask us to keep praying. God is ready to move, I think the staff are ready, and I know our team is ready. Pray for open hearts, pray for more workers, and pray for life. It may sounds crazy to pray for something so general as life but there is so much death in that place. That spirit just lives there, and I pray in these next couple of months we would see that change and replace it with the life of Jesus.

Just a little note, I haven’t delivered any babies yet. We got to observe so many before we started delivering are selfs. I am in the labor ward next week and look forward to putting into practice what we have been learning. Praise Jesus we did see healing this week, babies that were resuscitated, and moms that had so many prayers spread over them. God is good and is here!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Extra long but good stuff...

2009-10-17T03:55:00.000-07:00

Jumbo!

I made it to Tanzania! We had great travel, and all of us and our luggage made it without any problems! Thank you for your prayers! It is beautiful, hot, and the people are so friendly! We are living in community, in very simple means. I am exciting to experience bucket showers, squatties, and cooking over fires for the next couple of months. We do have beds, electricity, and clean drinking water! Praise the Lord!

The base is on 81 acres on land that was all donated. On base there are programs like a preschool, a vocational school that teaches carpentry and sewing, a clinic, and then the base that we live on. The house is two stories and huge. This is a beautiful place. We have monkeys for pets, huge coconut trees, and lots of bugs! haha... I love bugs.

We live in a village and have already been making friends in the village. It is very exciting to learn to speak Swahili. Most of the people in the village don’t speak English but the people on base do speak English. Many of them are very fluent in English and those that aren’t are dedicated learners. Three girls from my team and I have made friends with this mamma that lives down the road. She has welcomed us into her home twice, and we have loved getting to know her and trying to bless her.

My team and I have begun observing the midwife and doctor in the clinic on base. We are waiting to get approved for our work visa so we can start working in the clinic and in a near by hospital. We are in anticipation we should be approved by Wednesday or Friday of this week. Pray for smooth handling of all our paperwork.

I am learning a lot from my new living environment and meeting Jesus every step of the way. I am learning that He loves to meet you and teach you through issues that you never would have thought. Like taking bucket showers, or eating new foods that might not be easy to eat. He has been giving me a joy that I can’t explain everyday. God is so faithful, and I am seeing a tiny tiny piece of what it means to die to myself and live for Christ. It is more exciting and fulfilling that I ever could have imagined.
I am going to leave you a quote from this book I am reading. Thanks huckabee’s, I am really enjoying it! The book is called “A Hole in our Gospel” by Richard Stearns

Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours,no feet but yours,Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out;yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.
-Mother Teresa

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Blog #2 -
I’m in love. First with Jesus, who loves me unconditionally. Then with life. Pregnant African mamma’s and their babies. The life that is miraculously developed over nine months, and then awakened and transitioned into this world. The intricate details God uses in the development and the process a baby is born is amazing. I saw my first two deliveries here in Africa. Two little boys. It is a privilege to experience the journey of seeing these little lives come into this world. Their is something within me that is connected with God and His kingdom when I can bring comfort, education, communication, patience, love, or hope to these women in their most intimate, and vulnerable times of need.
This strength and desire to be here with these women and care for them, comes straight from God. This time could be overwhelming, and may be marked with pain. When you look at the statistics of women and children dying in this country on a daily basis it is overwhelming. When you live amongst them day after day and get to know them, then it just makes you sick. He gives me a new heart everyday to be here, to keep fighting. He leaves me needing more of Him. More of His love, wisdom, and spirit so that I never grow cold, tired, or fearful of the work that He is allowing me to be apart of right now. I know that in this season, God has called me and given me the skills to even just bring one women into His kingdom. That is the life that I want to fight for. That is the life that I want God to break my heart for over and over again. Psalms 51:16-17 “You do not delight in burnt sacrifice or I would bring it... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart...”

We are still awaiting our worker visa’s. We are still praying that they come this week. By friday. It is just the permit to start allowing us to go and work in the hospital and clinic. Right now we are observing in the clinic, having lectures, and spending lots of time in the village.God does not waste time and His timing is perfect.

Since we aren’t in the hospital, we have been able to really reach out into the village these first two weeks of being here. Just recently we went into the village and split into four teams. Hitting all the hot spots in the village we drew crowds through songs, dramas, and taught the kids a simple health care lesson then the gospel message. My group taught on hand washing and then how Jesus can wash your heart. We had a group of about 40 kids. They loved the songs and dramas. The fact that we can sing songs about Jesus at the top of our lungs and share openly about Jesus in the village is amazing to me. So easy. These kids are there everyday, just hanging out. Then these crazy munzugo (white people) come in and keep sharing about this Jesus. Pray for these kids and their hearts. I have a strong belief that kids can change whole families and even communities. Sorry to post two blogs at once.

I have to pre-write then go to the internet and post. I have to so much to tell you guys that I had to write more!

You are blessed to be a blessing

We received word that we got our work visa’s! This is exciting! We should be in the hospital working within the next week and a half hopefully! The immigration office still has to write out all the paperwork and stamp our passports. So pray all that goes quickly.

End of Lecture...

2009-09-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

This lovely girl on my school took tons of video and put together a little show of some of the lecture phase. Thought you guys would enjoy it.

We are all packed up and ready to go. We leave tomorrow and are all so excited. I am so excited to go out and build relationships, find Jesus in these places and people. I am learning more and more about my relationship with Jesus. I guess for most of the time growing up, I viewed church and God as a bunch of rules. A look and way of acting. I had no concept of relationship with God, how to have it. I still struggle sometimes not falling into "the part" and really pressing into learning and wrestling with my relationship with God. I love it, and I love wrestling or having to seek out God because after all the hard times, after all the confusion, and after all the questions I have peace. I have love and hope and usually feel closer to God afterwards. So it is almost like the pain or discomfort of not knowing everything in this relationship grows me.. haha go figure. So some days are harder than others but all end with the same thought, I love you God and I know that you love me, so the rest will be settled later. More often than not the answer to my question or my lack of feeling God's presence seems to be met. He is never far and always hears my cried, even when I feel like He doesn't.

Well I guess all this is spurred on by the fact that we are leaving tomorrow to travel down an unexpected road of life, death, and desperation. I wanted to walk into this journey remembering God's character. The love, grace, mercy, compassionate, just God that I serve in the midst of whatever lies ahead. If you think about it or as you read this you can send up some prayers for the team and me. Travel, safety, baggage, and hearts of those we meet. We are expecting divine appointments and lives to be changed by Jesus. Oh I am excited!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

God's Kindness...

2009-09-21T01:36:00.000-07:00

I have been learning a lot in the last couple of weeks. God has been kindly, gently leading me back to having more fear of the Lord. Away from my motivation of wanting to gain a bunch of head knowledge. I sometimes get very wrapped up in finding out as much as I can about topics, about truth and have recently come to the revelation through this weeks speaker that I was gaining a bunch of head knowledge that I could spit out but that I had no understanding of God and was not walking in wisdom with any of it. I love that God is gentle in His nature to bring us back in line with Him, and He knows that my hearts intentions were to know more of Him to share with others, but in the process I stopped seeking after Him to know more of Him and started leaning on my ability to find out what other people had to say about God. I think He is probably the best to describe and tell me about himself huh. So after some repenting, I have refocused prayers, and time spent in His word.

This past weekend was fun. My school and I went camping. It was cold and rainy but so much fun. We only stayed one night but I must say I was pretty proud of 40 something girls (with a few husbands) putting together tents, cooking over fires, building fires, and some even endured the cold and jumped in the lake. I was not one of those people just in case you were wondering. I think I walked around with several layers on for the majority of the time. Haha.

So I have been encouraged by God to start playing the piano again. I used to play when I was younger, but quit many years ago.. like 10-12 years ago. The base that I am on has a piano that they let students play on. After finding out two of the girls in my team play, and after much debate with God on the issue I decided to give it a go. I was hooked after the first time playing. It sounded awful and I actually don't remember anything from when I was younger but I loved it. It was like releasing a passion that I have had but was to afraid to let out. It was freeing, exciting, and just made my days more joyful when I would play. I still am not good and still not even really playing a song yet but am loving this new way to express creativity that God gave me. It took a lot for me to get over my fear of failing and fear of man because of my lack of ability. But I know that God enjoys my tinker and clanks.. haha... I even got a cheap little keyboard that I am going to be able to take to Tanzania with me, so the practicing will continue. And don't worry, I am able to plug in my headphones so my team doesn't have to endure the sounds that I produce. haha....

God is good. Well we are getting ready to head out in 8 days to Tanzania. I will write more about our fun awaiting us later.

You are blessed to be a blessing.

The time is now....

2009-09-15T02:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of prayer push, e-mails, and phone calls. We (my school and I) were fighting a very hard battle against the enemy (who doesn't want to see our team go on outreach). I would be scared if I were him! haha. Anyways, turns out that a family that is waiting for support money - there internet was, for some reason, not working all weekend (huh) and they didn't receive all the e-mails that had been sent all weekend long saying people wanted to support them. This is just one of the exciting stories that our team experienced this past week. I have just seen first hand what it means to stand in faith, knowing God spoke words for this family to go on outreach but not seeing the physical results yet.

SO.... we still needed money coming into this week...

Today at 1:00 pm my team needed to buy airline tickets. If we didn't buy them today, the price would go up. God's timing is never wrong. At 5 minutes til one o'clock today my leader was finishing up the math on all the donations, plus money we as a school had raised to announce that we had all of our money!!!

Praise God. He is so faithful and amazing. I can't express how amazing this time has been drawing near to Him and seeking after His ways to see this money come in and standing on His words that it would come in!! Oh it was a great time of screaming and singing and dancing! It was so much fun!

Anyways, thank you for all your prayers and support. I loved taking you on this journey of God's faithful.

So I only have 14 more days here in Perth, and then we head out to Tanzania!! I am so excited. It is this overwhelming feelings of joy, nervousness, excitement, feeling fully ready to deliver a baby, then re-thinking maybe I am not so ready.. haha... I am ready, and don't worry, I will be fully supervised on my first couple of catches! =)

Love you all!

You are bless to be a blessing.

News update...

2009-09-11T01:29:00.000-07:00

We need prayer!!! God is so amazing and good. We have seen amazing things happen in these last few days. We had our feast after a night of worship, prayer, Bible reading, and so much fun dancing around and worshiping God. We have seen so much come in and God's provision is just overwhelming. We as a school still need 10,000 dollars and have seen 220,000 dollars provided!! So I ask please send up some prayers for the birth attendant school in perth. We are fighting to keep communication lines open. It seems like we have had many problems with the internet, getting a hold of people, and hearing back from people.

One of the verses God gave our school for the year is Isaiah 40:3-5.

³ A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.^{⁴ Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. ⁵ And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."}

So I really believe that we are making the way for the Lord. We are doing the work that He has laid before us, making straight a path in the wilderness. I love this imagery because the ground is rough and rugged. It is hard work to make them straight and making level mountains and hills.. I am not even going into how much work that would be. But this is the preparation that needs to be done so the Lord can come, and move and for His glory to be revealed. So this is what my school and I have been doing. We are fighting, praying, worshiping, and taking actions in seeking out people who want to give into making way for the Lord's glory. The glory of the Lord will be revealed and will come, we want to be ready to see it come in full force. I am so excited to be apart of this journey!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

More News...

2009-09-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Okay.. Today is the day our money is due! God has spoken words about a celebration that will be happening tonight! We are in full faith and starting to build our tent for meeting for the celebration (we are literally building a tent). This whole concept comes from the jewish celebration feast of Tabernacles. I am soo excited! We are needing 29,000 dollars!! God has provided 201,000 dollars!!! We are in full push in prayer and contacts and I just want to keep giving anybody the opportunity that wants to jump on board in seeing this miracle happen. I gave the website in my last post, but all your have to do is go to that website and make a payment of however much God is putting on your heart. No amount is to small for God to multiple!! One of our leaders has been collecting money off the street, because God has been putting loose change in her path. So she added a collection of 5 dollars and some change to our fund of money!

this is an exciting day and I want you all to be apart of it! God is not only using this time for people to invest into His kingdom but to really invest in our unity of our group. People are not only donating money but God is prompting them to donate clothes to bless everyone and tonight we are donating food for our celebration! God is big and creative. One thing I am learning from the amazing women around me is not to just ask God about money but ask God about blessing people in whatever creative ways you can imagine. Don't ask God should I bless, but take a step of faith and start working on a blessing - whether that is some cookies, an encouraging note, some clothes for someone, oh my goodness there are endless possibilities! But step into the act! Don't wait for the answer to bless, we are all called to bless. This is just a huge new revelation for me, like as I write I am understanding more and more! Learn to ask God different questions. He has called us to bless, to move in faith. So don't wait for Him to tell you to move, move and wait because He is going to come in full force behind you and magnify your blessing to others and to you!!

Will write more soon about our celebration!!!!!!!!

You are blessed to be a blessing!!!

Excitement...

2009-09-07T00:46:00.001-07:00

Well... First let me tell everyone today is my BIRTHDAY!!!! YAH.... I am 23 years old and just loving today! It is amazing to look back and see how far God has taken me in one year, and now I am getting pumped for the year ahead. He has already spoken such amazing things for this next year, I am blown away by His love and faithfulness in my life.

So I want to update you guys on my teams money situations. We have been moving into action and praying. God is soo good and we have already seen 180,000 dollars (roughly) come in and we are still in need 50,000 dollars (roughly) (sorry I didn't write down the exact figures). Everyday we are continuously seeing more and more of God's provision and his amazing creativity in how He provides. I want to share that if anyone feels lead to give, and feels like God is putting an amount on your heart to contribute to this vision God has to see Midwives taken into the nations, then please e-mail me. Or if you would like, you can just go on YWAM Perth's website and pay online towards the BAS. (Birth Attendant School). https://www.ywamperth.org.au/007/payonline.asp

This is the website.. you can just say that it is for the BAS outreach in the details section of the payment plan.

This is an amazing opportunity to contribute to God's kingdom. We will be effecting four different nations this year with a large group of about 30+ people. So pray about the amount to contribute and lets see nations changed together! Thanks for all your support! Love you guys!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

An update of God's amazement....

2009-09-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

I am so excited to be including you all on this journey of finances with my team and me. The numbers are falling so rapidly! I wrote down our totals this mornings and then this afternoon had to change them again!! Ah God is good!! Okay so our total amount has come down to needing 59,717.40 dollars. God has provided 170, 980.35 dollars!!!

The exciting part of all of it, is the journey that God takes you on. It is not about the money (God is so much bigger than a few dollar figures), it is about learning what God wants you to learn, growing closer to Him. Our base got a scripture from Acts 2: 42-47

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The key message I think here is that they lived in community, and they gave within their community until everyone had enough. This is a amazing lesson to be learned. Living here on base in Perth, we are in community. Their are people young, old, families, singles. But we all live in one area (blocks wide but within walking distance), eat all together in one room, worship, pray all together. We are a community, a family. My school prays everyday for finances during lunch. This week we felt God draw us towards the scriptures about Jesus feeding the thousands with just a few fish and some loaves of bread. How He gave thanks, and it multiplied to feed thousands. Our base sent out three teams this week to several different nations. Two of the teams did not have all the money that they needed to go. God spoke to my school about gathering together all the extra resources within our school ( our few fishes and loaves) to pray over and give to our extended family; these members of our community who were in need. We prayed, took up an offering, and ended up with 890 dollars!! That in itself was a miracle. So then we prayed that God would multiple that number. We let the money sit in our room that night because we took the collection during the evening. The next morning, after the final count it had multiplied to 1,412.50 dollars!!!! GOD is sooo amazing!! I don't know who added extra money, or how much of it God just made appear but it was such a blessing to live out this scripture in Acts. To give the extra resources we had to bless our community, so that every one in the community would have enough!! Isn't it amazing to think, what if we lived out this guideline that God sets up - in families, communities. What would it do in countries ?? Perhaps end the millions dying of malnutrition while other countries suffer from being obese, or the millions dying of preventable diseases while other countries are fully vaccinated....

The hope comes when we live this out in our own home, then in our community (church, extended family ect.), then after being an example - seeing people follow this lifestyle and then you see it lived out in countries. Start with small things, but start... these actions move mountains.

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Up for the Challenge...

2009-08-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how negative you can be? I hadn't. There is a scripture that says "out of the heart the mouth speaks." We had a speaker this week that challenged us about being negative; one - because you don't realize the impact that it makes on others around you and two - because you don't realize the root of your negativity. So for 24 hours my school was to not speak anything negative. Just to clarify that is negative words, having a negative attitude, gossip, slander, or harboring negative thoughts in your head/heart. If you did, then you needed to repent to God and to anyone you were negative with and then ask someone to pray with you. This really brought to light how I walk in negativity. A lot of time not actually speaking out my negativity (although I did - twice) but mainly harboring negative thoughts in my head. It really brings to light roots of ugly, worldly views that I take on my situations. It really allowed me to go deeper in my heart and pray into pulling up these roots to replace then with characteristic of the kingdom - patience, love, kindness. It is really a way of life that I have been challenged to keep up with, allow the Holy Spirit to convict me when I am being negative. So I challenge you to try it, let me know how it goes. What does God reveal or what do you learn during the 24 hours.

I am excited to proclaim God's amazing provision. I want to take you guys on this journey with my class and I because I think it is such an incredible testimony of God's faithfulness. We as a whole class (16 students which includes one family of 5, one family of 2, and 14 single girls and 8 staff members which includes one family of 5, one family of 2, and 4 single girls) needed

230, 697.75 dollars to go on outreach for the next year. God has provided 146,755.35 dollars all ready!!!! It is amazing to hear stories on a daily basis of God bringing people into this circle of giving to see His kingdom brought to Tanzania, India, Philippines, and Afghanistan (this is where we will be going this next year). There are girls who have had people that just paid money into their accounts and they don't know where it came from. Then one girl received a book from a friend and as she was flipping through the book started to realize there were 100 dollar bills in between pages! Praise God. He is so creative with His ways. I am excited to proclaim how He has brought people into my life that have been such a blessing in this area. Their obedience overwhelms me and truly displays the character of God.

Well we (my school and I) have had a big week this week learning about the spiritual dynamics of birth. I will post more soon! Love you all!

You are blessed to be a blessing.

Another week gone....

2009-08-21T01:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how these weeks are flying by!! It is amazing! We have just finished week 7 of our 12 week course. Before I know it we will be on a plane to Tanzania!

I am excited to share amazing praise reports of God's faithfulness! He has provided all the money that I need to cover my expenses for my school and outreach! Praise God! It is amazing to be able to partner together with people to see God's plan move into action.

One thing that I have come to realize this week is how important it is for all of us to take the gifts, talents, skills God has given us and practice them, then put them to use for the world. It breaks my heart to learn more and more about the statistics of what is going on in the world, how many are dying, and how many are orphaned, widowed, malnourished, abused, ect. The list goes on and on. I often wonder why me? Why did I get privileged to be in a family with a home, with food, with opportunity, freedom, education, considered by the worlds standards one of the richest people in the world because of the things that I have. This questions doesn't really have an answer but is more a motivation to use the gifts God gave me to the fullest. I have to keep learning about God, my skills, life. I am understanding more and more how this process of "getting saved" is more than just a prayer, it is a major lifestyle shift. So the process of "getting people saved" is more of a lifetime commitment, not a one time invitation. I want to be committed to living like Jesus, not just being saved by Him. I want to be committed to learning and doing, so I can teach and disciple others. Not just save them but bring a holistic kingdom of God to them. By taking my gifts out to the world and using them to the fullest I believe I can be used by God to see this happen.

Man this is a big task, as I write this I realize the hugeness of these words and their implications. I know I don't have all the answers, nor do I fully know what the kingdom of God looks like, nor do I know the slightest bit of God's magnitude, but I do know what He has done for me. I do know that I want to commit my life to finding out as much as possible about God, more about how to show people what His love looks like, and more about bringing His holistic kingdom to anyone that will have it.

Well I think I just took you all on some processing with me, because I really wasn't planning on writing all of that! haha. Maybe God needed me to openly commit to the call He has placed on my life. That is cool too.

Well I love you.

You are blessed to be a blessing

New Knowledge..

2009-08-11T01:45:00.000-07:00

A point worth remembering... God is not interested in what we do that is FOR God, as much as He is interested in the what we do WITH God.

This is huge in making me stop and think why I do the things that I do. Why do I do mission work, try and walk in love, or why do I try and serve people? Is it because I think that is what I have to do to show God how good I am at following His rules or is it because He is walking that way and I want to be walking with Him? This really challenges me on a daily basis to really check my heart attitude and my motivations. I am undeserving of the relationship that I get to experience with the God of the Universe, and I get a chance to jump in a walk with Him because of Jesus Christ. I don't want to leave that relationship. I don't want to read the Bible and see the outline of "what to do" when you follow God. I want to everyday walk with God where He is. He told me I would find Him in Perth Australia so here I am. I can not do His work without His calling. I can go and try to change people's lives outside His calling, but I could stay in His calling and possible see Him change nations. He is a big God and uses ever single one of us in mighty ways. Down to the smallest act of kindness, could be the biggest impact in someone's life, but to get to that person to impact you have to be walking with God. Don't be afraid to meet with God in your personal relationship. That is the only thing He is concerned about. Above the biggest problem you can think of in the world to fix, God is more concerned with where you are in your relationship with Him. Amazing that He loves each of us that much.

I have been signing off my posts with the phrase - you are blessed to be a blessing. I started this because I just wanted something encouraging to leave all of you that suffer through my bad spelling and grammar. I have really had revelation about the phrase though in the last couple of months. Really just realizing that I have been born to be a blessing because I have been redeemed in Jesus Christ so I can be used to bless others. This is true of you too.

Blessing by definition means -the act or words of a person who blesses,

a special favor, mercy, or benefit

a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness

the invoking of God's favor upon a person

praise; devotion; worship,

approval or good wishes

"To be blessed" means 'to be favored by God'. Blessings therefore are directly associated with God and come from God. Therefore to express a blessing, is like bestowing a wish on someone that he/she will experience the favor of God.

Wow, so receive your blessings because someone is recognizing you deserve to experience God's favor. Then you can turn around and bless someone else in the same way.

Love you all.

God's little blessings....

2009-08-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

Had a fun week this week. We started learning about the actually process of labor and what we do in that process as midwives. We had an amazing speaker that had so much experience. She told us tons of stories but the one thing that she said that stuck out to me was that "midwives are the gatekeepers to life or death." That is powerful. The spirit of Christ lives in us, and we get to bring that along with us into whatever situation, hospital, or home that we enter. We get to pray life over these woman and babies, not only physical healing life sometimes but every time, every where we go spiritual life.

We had the such a fun night this weekend. One of the ladies on my school has a family. So she has a house that the base owns, and invited us girls over for movie night. It was so nice to be in a home! It is funny how you miss that feel when you live in more of a dorm style living environment. OH my goodness, she made guacamole and this amazing bean dip, and all sorts of goodies! She spoiled us rotten. It was like being back home. I loved it!

Every weekend I am getting to catch up with different people from back home on the phone. It is so nice to hear from people, learn what is happening in their lives, and know how I can keep praying for them. I love hearing all the stories about what is going on. It has been a blessing to share, and talk to people. If you want to talk, just shoot me an e-mail. I try and call a couple of people every weekend!

Well off to homework... Miss and love you all!

You are blessed to be a blessing

Fundraising...

2009-08-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Well I tried to send out an e-mail with this information but for whatever reason it isn't working. So this next weekend, August 8th and 9th, my team and I will be having an Aussie BBQ. We will be selling aussie sausages.

I am raising money for the outreach portion of my Birth Attendant School. The outreach fee's are 9,400 (AUD). This includes travel, food, and living for the 8 months I will be on outreach. I currently have 5,600 (AUD) and am looking to raise close to 4,000.

I am asking you to join in with me by pledging a minimum of ten cents per sausage that we sell. You can contribute just by donations also if you would like.

I would also love support in praying. This is exciting to be able to join together for God's work. Thank you for all your support!!

OUTREACH....

2009-07-25T02:09:00.001-07:00

We have received our locations where we will call home for the next year!! Are you ready for this because it is very very exciting!! God is amazing and getting us ready to go in to some amazing places. Okay I won’t keep you waiting any longer....

We will be leaving to Tanzania!!! I guess you should know that I have a huge heart for Africa esp. this area of Africa, so I am extremely excited that I keep going back!

Drum roll...... Our next location is..... Perth, Australia!! haha... The base is celebrating their 25th anniversary along with YWAM’s 50th year anniversary during January. So for the first time every the Birth attending students will return to base during there outreach to PARTY!!! haha... Not to mention that the founder of YWAM, Loren Cunningham himself will be at the base. ( If you are not in YWAM just know that is a big deal!! haha)

So we will come back to Perth!

Then we will get on a jet plane and head out to......... India!!!!!!!! I know at this point you are so jealous of me that you are having to repent, so I just want tell you, that you too can be used by God and let Him take you to the ends of the earth... Just ask Him where and when!!

After spending a few months in India, we will then head over to the Philippines to finish out an amazing outreach!!! We will spend about a month here before finally heading home to Perth!

I am so amazing some times when I think about how a year ago this was all just an idea that God had placed in my heart to pray about. That in the matter of one year He lead me to places I never thought I would be able to go, He lead me to people that had major impact in changing my life, and that He did it all because He loves me and He wanted me to truly receive that love for myself. He is worth of all praise!

More to come! Love you all!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Interesting Stories....

2009-07-22T03:13:00.001-07:00

I had a bit of fun this past week with my new family. The BAS team which consists of 16 girls, 3-4 families, and about 4 staff got together for a team BBQ. It is delicious but one of the meat that they cooked was Kangaroo. Yes, that cute animal that bounces around I indulged in. And it was good! haha. The aussie folks had a bit of trouble eating the meat, they said it was like eating part of there country. Anyways, it made for an adventurous day!

We had our first “assessment” this week, aka test. It was great. It feels like it has been forever since I have studied and taken test that I must admit I was a bit nervous. It went good and it really is such a good program. We can’t fail but they want to know where we aren’t getting the information.

I am so excited about learning again. Not only learning but bringing the whole picture together. Seeing the spectrum of health care and the spectrum of the spiritual; praying, speaking the gospel, and seeing how they are one in the same. Their is no separation in God’s kingdom. We had a speaker last week that talked about if the gospel is only the story of Jesus then what was Jesus preaching about when He was on earth preaching the gospel. *** (reference) What was the good news that Jesus was spreading while he taught.

I understand how amazing the gospel is and how important the significance of Jesus on the cross but I have new light in the area of health care and how much that is apart of the good news that I can bring. That they are not two separate entities. I am not using the title of health care worker to simple get into people’s lives but am using it as a talent that was given to me by the creator of the universe to go in and change people’s lives.

There is a lot I could expand on that topic but how amazing is that to think about. We bring the kingdom of God in lots of ways. We spread good news not only in the spiritual realm with salvation, prayer, and a loving God but in the physical realm with education, service, and practical ways of living that God Himself gave us. (read deuteronomy) God set into place ways of living back in the times of Mosas that are still the best methods to this day to keep cross contamination at their lowest point. How amazing is our God. Not only does He love us unconditionally, He is worried about our hygiene. He doesn’t want stinky, sick kids. haha. okay you get my point.

So on top of learning how amazing God is we are also learning about the urinary system. So on Tuesday night we all got to learn how to do urine tests on each others urine. haha, it was a great bonding experience that wasn’t to embarrassing except for the fact that you had to carry your urine from the toilet which was across the base from our classroom. We got a few interesting looks from people.

Well I think I have grossed everyone out enough for this entry!! Love you guys!

You are blessed to be a blessing!

Update Video

2009-07-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hey,

This is an update video that I was so lucky to have made for me. Just a little preview of my last six months.

Kali's Update. from Kali Daniel on Vimeo.

New beginnings.

2009-07-08T03:25:00.000-07:00

I made it to Perth. I sent out an e-mail but incase you didn’t get it here is the story. I applied and was accepted to a school called Birth Attending School. It is a 11 months school that consists of learning about how to become a midwife who fears the Lord. I will be in Perth, Australia for three months learning about the anatomy and physiology of birthing the baby, along with tying in the spiritual aspect of health care. Bringing the kingdom of God not only in the spiritual but in the physical. I love this.

So after three months in Australia we will head off to a 8 months outreach were we will do further learning and apply all that we learn. I am ready to see Jesus in this physical process of labor and the hope that new life brings. I am just praying for God to open my eyes to so many things, um one is teaching me through whatever he wants to, even our text books but really just relying on God during this school to be the one to be my motivation and my drive in learning. To get an understanding and knowledge for the sake of His kingdom. That He will bring me to a new place of trust in Him. During these times of learning, then in the applying what we learned in other countries, and in a better understanding of the spiritual aspects of life. I want to be in much more of a connection with God’s heart during this season. What He is interested in and feels, that is what I want to be praying for and connected with. I really am remembering back in my DTS talking about how the more we seek after God and get to know His heart and who He is, the more He speaks to us about our identity and destiny. The first day that we were here, the base leader’s wife gave us a message and in it she said, “I want to find my identity in God’s destiny.” I love this. So that is something that stuck with me that I have made a goal in this season.

I will still throw in some stories from Morocco in the next couple of weeks because their was so much that God did that I still want to share. For now I am back in the classroom, back to the books! They gave us two huge books today. I feel like I am back in nursing school, it really is great! If you don’t know me I am a true nerd at heart. The bigger the book the more excited I get.

I didn’t tell you anything about the girls that are with me, briefly, I am in a class of 16 girls with 8 staff members and I think 8 different nations that are represented. I showed up the day the school started around the time of morning tea. For all you Americans, we have morning tea every morning around 10 ish. It is brilliant and America should pick up this habit! haha. Anyway the base I came from in Wollongong was about um 50 big with a school and the base I now live at in Perth is about 300 big. Huge difference. SO I am adjusting to a much bigger community of people and am meeting all the girls on our school along with many other new people. I went from a dorm room of 4 girls to a dorm room of 50 girls. I am in a bit of shock. haha. It is going to be amazing here, and the excitement in my spirit as I got off the plane in Perth just confirmed that this is where God wants me to be.

Until next time...

You are blessed to be a blessing!

quick note

2009-07-08T03:20:00.000-07:00

I have so many things to catch up writing about. ugh! I will try and just make quick notes and not long stories.

Quick note number 1 - I got my mexican food craving fix! Their was one restaurant that was recommend for having something similar to what I would call mexican food, so with a couple of friends on the last weekend I was able to we went. It was good food, not true mexican but close enough to hopefully keep me satisfied for 11 months.

Note number 2 - I graduated for the third time last friday night. I am complete with dts and have officially moved on to the next season. Not only is God moving in my life, but He is moving me quickly into the next season. All the better I think.

Last note - I really haven’t even touch the surface of telling stories from Morocco. It really is amazing what prayer can do. I know for me it was hard in the first few weeks of being in Morocco to just pray things into place and really do the spiritual battling first. I get into a save the world in one day mentality and forget that God usually is a patient God that loves for you to build relationships, learn things, and trust before you get the end result. This was a good lesson for me was wait, pray, pray all the time but pray hard and fervently and trust that God will and is there. I loved this. Every time we would pray somewhere or do worship somewhere like a park we would always see fruit come from it. One week we did praise and worship in the park then the very next week to the day we end up back in the same park, in the same spot with about 20 something young university students just hanging out with them. We got to share stories about our lives, and them about theirs and we just hung out. It was amazing to see the fruit of our prayers. The friendships that were made that God used to plant seeds and show His love.

Stories

2009-06-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

A story that has been on my mind these past few days.

One from the villages and our trekking adventure. The first house that we went to, our guide, chris, and his wife have been visiting this family for over three years now. They have a deep relationship with the family and have shared several times with the whole family (their was a husband and wife and the son and his wife) about Jesus and the gospel. They have had many discussions with the daughter in law esp. about Jesus and have show them several videos about the story and life of Jesus. They also brought up audio tapes in the local language for the daughter in law that are the gospels on tape. She listen to them so much she broke her cassette player but went and had it fixed at a local village because she loved the tapes so much. She can not read, as most of the woman can't in the villages. We only spent one night there and found out while we were there that the daughter in law was barren. That she had been trying to have children since chris had met the family. Through some communicating with signs she let me and another girl on the team pray for her. While we were praying her mother in law came in and what I thought was amazing was the reaction of the mother in law. Although the daughter had shown much interested in Jesus, the parents didn't show any but once we were done praying the mother in law was moved to tears and had to leave the room. Even through communication barriers, and differences in religion the power of prayer and speaking the name of Jesus over that woman was felt in the souls of all of us. I think this is something that people cannot deny is the sense in their soul the truth that the name of Jesus holds. It is something that she obviously didn't understand or know much about, but she couldn't deny it, and she couldn't deny His presence in that place so much so that she was overwhelmed.

I love that, I love that our God is so big that people don't have to know anything about Him to know His power and His love. It is something that inside of them that they yearn for, and that they are empty without. But when they get a taste of it they might not know what to do with it but they know it is something greater than they could ever imagine.

Forgot Pic's

2009-06-26T23:44:00.001-07:00

The Final Stretch

2009-06-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

I made it home - Australia home that is. A long journey full of adventure. Leaving on June 21st taking an assortment of transportation that included taxi's, buses, trains, and a ferry we arrived in Spain for a short overnight break. That was the first 30 hours of our trip. The next 30 hours included three plain rides that landed us safely back in Oz.

To sum up a two and a half month outreach in Morocco would be a ridiculously long blog so I will put a few stories and pictures up this week as I remember and look back at all the fun stuff God did.

I think one of the biggest things that God taught me during this time, surprisingly, was how much He loved me, and how jealous He is of my attention and how much He just wants me to receive His love. Going into a country and having your focus on other people, I forgot that in order for me to love others I had to first let God love me. 1 John 4:19 We loved because He first loved us.

It is amazing sometimes how hard it is to receive things. But the freedom their is to walk in with knowing that no matter what I have done, no matter what I do, everyday God loves me; everyday He delights in the fact that I am His. That is an amazing truth to live in.

So before the last week of being in Morocco five of the members of my team including me went on a trek through the Altas Mountains. It was hard, long, and eye opening to a new world. We trekked about ten miles a day through mountains with huge back packs on. Then we would stay in the villages we walked to at night. The villages were up on sides of mountains, with houses made out of mud and straw bricks. Most houses had a room that was covered in carpet and pillows. That is were we sat and ate and slept. The culture is so big on guests and being enormously hospitable. They served us a lot of tea (well sugar that had a hint of tea in it) and lots of bread. Yes ladies - it was very difficult for the girls on a entire carbs diet. haha. The whole time they feed you tons of food and the whole time it was meal time the only thing they would say to us was eat eat eat. You aren't eating enough - you will find no husband if you don't eat. haha, we were a bit to skinny for their taste. It was amazing to see the lives of the woman. They can work. My goodness, they work more than anyone I have ever seen. Regular daily tasks that we take for granted that takes them all day to do. They wake up at 5 every morning to make the dough for the bread that day if that tells you anything. No running water - we were lucky because they had just got electricity in the villages last year. Squatty potties - yea that is all I will say about that. We trekked for 5 days and didn't shower once. I wore the same pants for five days! I think it was the dirtiest I have ever been in my life! That a good enough visual for now, I will write more later - tons of good stories from that week.

I am super excited to be back and miss home terribly! Love you all.

You are blessed to be a blessing.

One phase complete.

2009-04-12T01:15:00.000-07:00

Well I finished our 11 weeks lecture phase. We ended with one last week on relationships that was amazing. We are all packing at the last minute and all smell like cleaner from last minute cleaning before we leave!

I can not believe that this part of the adventure is over. Through many weeks of joy, tears, fun, not understanding God then understanding God, then breaking free of old stuff, then realizing new stuff God has for me, and all of the while building amazing friendships. I can't imagine what God has in store for my team to do these up and coming months. Already the team is being hit with curve balls from the enemy, which makes me more excited. You aren't going to get attack unless the enemy knows that you are going to be doing something big for God. If you don't meet the devil on your journey then maybe your not on God's journey. We are ready, weapons drawn, God in front leaving tomorrow!

I continually miss people and love you guys all! New E-mail for the next couple of months so please write! ~ kalid@ywamwollongong.org

I won't be able to check the old e-mail or facebook so please use this one!

You are blessed to be a blessing!!

God speaks in unconventional ways.

2009-03-30T01:25:00.000-07:00

Our last book assignment was about a book call A Tale of Three Kings. Um don't remember who wrote it. It is a great book, short, easy ready with tons of great points.

It was the story of Saul, David and Absalom. It focused on David mainly and his reaction to things in his life like having to live with a crazy King Saul. The things that stuck out the most to me was David and how he handled the situations he was in. When David was young he lived with King Saul, who was crazy and used David for spear practiced most of the times. The picture portrayed an example of how you can have people in your life that seem to be awful and do things that make your life miserable like David. It brings up interesting points about if God is allowing you to be put in positions with people that are negative or is he pulling out inner Saul that is in you out.

Here are some quotes from the book:

There is a vast difference between the outward clothing of the spirits power and the inner filling of the spirits life.

God gives unworthy vessels power. Why? He sometimes gives unworthy vessels a greater portion of power so that others will eventually see the true state of internal nakedness within that individual.

- David was places in a position of being anointed by God and placed under the rule of a King that abused him and tried to kill him. David probably wondered a few times why God gave Saul power and why God put him under that power.

David was caught in a very uncomfortable position, however he seemed to grasp a deep understanding of the unfolding drama in which he had been caught. He seemed to understand something that few of even the wisest men of his day understood. Something that in our day, when men are wiser still, even fewer understand.

God did not have but wanted very much to have men/women who would live in pain.

God wanted a broken vessel.

David had such a fear of the Lord that he suffered, endured, and gave every part of himself to a king that eventually would drive him to a cave because he wanted to kill him.

At first look you wonder why God didn't put a stop to Saul and why he let David live in such a harsh environment. God wasn't punishing David, he was preparing him. David had the fear of the Lord and was willing to be completely mutilated emotionally and spiritually by Saul because he knew that is where the Lord wanted him. David was willing to test his obedience and wait on the Lord.

If you take a look at it and recognize that King Saul sought to destroy David but his only success was that he became the instrument of God to put to death the Saul who roamed about in the caverns of David's own soul. yes, David was virtually destroyed in the process but this had to be done otherwise the Saul in him would have survived.

Looking back and recognizing "Sauls" in my life made me realize that through these people that I thought were in my life to torment me where actually bringing out inner sauls in me that needed to die. I can see the times God was testing my obedience and the things in my life that were surfaced and died. This death allowed me to be open to what God's real desires were for my life. I can say I am walking right now in what God wants me to be doing because of Sauls in my life and the results they had on my inner spirit! So next time you find yourself face to face with a Saul in your life, pray for God to get your through it, maybe even out of it, or maybe that you would just be open to letting the Lord come in and maybe show you an inner part of that Saul you have living in you and let God clean it out and replace it with a lovely gift from Him.

Late Post!

2009-03-19T04:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry this post has been a long time coming! I can't believe how time flies! I have many things on my heart that I have learned over the last few weeks but don't have enough room to write them all nor would you want to read a post that long! =) I think one of the biggest things that I feel like God wants me to share is about how he is with us every second of every day. We learned about destiny and calling one week and this is a huge topic as you can tell just by the title but to simplify it I really learned a lot about how much God picked each one of us, created and molded each one of us and is really with us every second of every day. (Isaiah 43) I think this is something we need to meditate on more. Really bring it into your life and take it to the extreme. God is with you when you wake up and think whatever you think when you first wake up and He is with you when you are trying to make decisions on what to eat for breakfast or lunch today. He is apart of it all! I often forget that. I often take that for granted and often don't harness that and use it. How much different would my life look if I truly walked in a relationship with Jesus that was me in connection with Him on every decision that I make throughout the day? I know I have taken this to the extreme but until you start to live out something then it never becomes part of your life. It never become part of your routines that you live every day and it never allows God the opportunity to impact your life and more importantly other peoples lives the way He so creatively wants to on a day to day basis. Sometimes I forget that God wants to love people every day, I think that I have to bring some huge gospel message and they have to be saved or else God isn't happy with my work. One that is the totally wrong assumption on how God views success (which could be a whole other topic of its own - maybe later! ) But two my God is a God of love, so it would make sense that He just wants us to love one another. I have to remind myself that my God created the universe and is more creative than I could ever imagine so He could use me in ways I never could imagine and I would be bold enough to say probably half of them would and will be in ways that are so small I wouldn't think twice about them. That if I allowed Him to lead my decisions throughout the day that amazing work could be done and I wouldn't even have preached a message, or sang a praise song, or maybe even prayed that day. God is really just been transforming my view of what praise to Him really entails. I really think we limit how we can praise God and the methods that we think He accepts as praise. God has also been repeatedly bringing up learning how to fear the Lord so I think that plays into this topic a lot. That also is a whole other topic that may need to come later. We only have internet til 11 so I have to post this now. I miss everyone and love everyone!

Funny Stories!!!

2009-03-09T02:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

So I have some funny stories. We are in the midst of changing season from summer to fall. Sad day! With the change of seasons we are seeing more and more spiders and bugs! YUCK! So far we have had none in our room or bathroom until the other day! We had two in our bathroom! I am posting pictures of the Spider just so you know how gross they really are! =) I was walking into the stall to go to the bathroom and I walked like 10 inches away from it! I about died! Let's just say that spider didn't last long! Then we had one crawling around on the ceiling at 6 o'clock in the morning while we were trying to take showers! I woke up real fast!

I went surfing again this past weekend for another unsuccessful attempted. It is a lot harder than you think. The waves were massive and I was a little unmotivated at 8 O'clock in the morning! But I will be good by the end of this trip!!!

This past weekend we went to this town called Kiama. It is the town of the world's largest blow hole! It was stinking awesome and we climbed this cliff and took pictures on the top! Those are the pic's on here! It was so fun! We went over to one of the couples that staff on base for a BBQ! What a good weekend.

Other than that we just live normal. Lectures all day, chores in the afternoon, running or swimming at the beach as much as possible, and night time chill sessions! Missing everyone but learning so much! Love you all and will write more later!

The Facts.

2009-03-02T22:06:00.001-08:00

This past week we learned about missions. There were interesting topics that were brought up during this week. One question that we were presented with is why do we resist giving up our lives to Jesus. There is a lack of completely letting Jesus be the Lord of our lives sometimes. Is it trust issue? Are you afraid that if you ask Jesus what he has for you in your life He is going to send you to some desolate country to live in a hut and mission? Are we afraid to let Jesus be Lord of our lives? These were all the thoughts going on in my head. But the facts are if He isn't Lord over your life what is? Or are you? Being saved is putting Jesus as Lord of your life. Trusting Him with everything and believing that He is a good and caring God that is going to put you on a path that is beyond your expectations. The only way to trust God is to look at Christ. He was and is God. The example of a shepherd with his sheep was given. The sheep cares for the sheep and the sheep trust him and know his voice. But a sheep that stray because he doesn't listen or hear his shepherds voice is dumb. I am trying not to be a dumb sheep anymore.

A big issue for me was why God lets bad things happen. A pretty dumb thought one because God doesn't want them to happen but we watched video and talked about countless groups of people that are being hurt, oppressed, abused, and I would just question God everyday why is it happening. What do I tell these people when I meet them that you are a God of love and power and you don't want them to hurt but not have any explanation for why this happened. God spoke to me and simply made it clear to me that He isn't taking sides in this world. He doesn't see the men that are abusing young kids in the sex trade and take sides with the kids. He cries for them all. He cries for the kids and He cries for those men. This revelation was huge and really freed my anger that I was holding on God. There is evil in the world. We have free will and satan is constantly drawing people to do things that are sinful and it hurts others in the end. The root of all sin is selfishness. God weeps over all of it. His heart breaks with every decision made.

A big concept that we focused on this past week was in Genesis 12:2-3. It is when God is speaking to Abraham. He tells Abraham that He is going to bless him. Pretty sweet and I must say I like this part. Then he turns around and states and you will be a blessing. So you see - God blesses us - We bless others. It really makes sense. Sometimes I think we get it backwards. Kind of like the greatest commandment. Love your God with all your heart, mind, and soul. Then love your neighbor as yourself. Sometimes our minds work by saying I have to love my neighbor so that I prove to God that I am good enough or so that I can impress God and He will then accept my love. Luke 10:27 - This is the verse that spells it out. Love your God then Love your neighbor. You see the more you love God the more of His love He pours out into your life and then the more you pour out because it is almost a domino effect from the love He is giving you. So when God speaks to Abraham and speaks blessing over his life and then follows it up with now go and bless others, He is just laying it out for us; it is our calling. Be blessed then Bless others!

I want to share some statistics that were shared with me. I find them eye opening, sickening, and unreal. I hope that they will impact your life and more importantly your actions. I know they have mine.

There are 2 Billion people in the world that have no access to the Gospel.

(97 % of the population lives in the 10/40 Window which is where the majority of these unsaved people are with no access to the gospel).

http://home.snu.edu/~HCULBURT/1040.htm - This is a website to look up the 10/40 window if you aren't familiar with it.

Christians in the world earn 12.3 trillion dollars a year. ( the majority of these christians live in the United States).

1.7 % of the 12.3 trillion dollars goes to christian causes every year ( this includes tithe, ywam, salvation army, anything that associates it self with a base of christianity).

5.4% of the 1.7 % of money goes to foreign missions.

and 1 % of the 5.4% goes to the unreached people group of the 10/40 window.

Only 1 in every 20,000 christians that are commissioned to go serve in missions go to the 10/40 window.

I don't post this to bash people or to try and make you feel bad. I really pray that this information is passed on in love and is used to change viewpoints. Action is required. Pray about what action that is for you. It doesn't mean that you have to pick up and move to the 10/40 window unless God calls you to that but just pray about what action God has for you.

Matthew 28: 18- 20

then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

This generation of christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth. - Keith Green.

Different Thoughts

2009-02-23T00:40:00.000-08:00

This past week was hard for me. When you have great speakers and they are only around for one week to teach you, they bring a lot to the table all at once. I just want to encourage you that if you are at a place where you think that you know God then you need to re-evaluate because there is so much more of Him that He wants to give us. Keeping seeking after Him, never believe that you have reached your full potential with God - He can always rock your world with a new aspect of Him. I felt a lot of relief from just junk in my life after this week. The topic was the father heart of God which was a hard topic for me anyways but it really changed me in a different way than I expected. Our speaker, Ross Latto, taught us about recognizing when the devil has planted a bad seed in your life and realizing that the devil can't grow that seed, you do. We meditated and prayed about a lot of seeds that had been planted in my life early on that I was continuing to grow. I was believing these lies about fears and rejections because they had been growing in my life for so long I didn't even think twice about them. You have to look at your life, pray for God to show you past experiences or situations that have sown seed of evil in your life. After you acknowledge them then you can up root them but once you uproot them then you have to replace them with a good seed otherwise the old seed will just sprout up again. (sorry for the plant analogy - it just works so stick with me ) Anyways I just love that my God loves me so much that he has show me these lies and freed me from them. He has helped me uproot them and replace them and is continuing to show me more and more about his loving, comforting, caring nature. I know this is a simple concept but it was one of the huge light bulbs for me this week. I really can't express the way I felt on friday during our intercession prayer time. I really felt closer to God than ever before. It was a two way street. He was speaking to me and I was responding and I felt what He felt and was loved and loved Him.

One thing I did want to tell everyone about it something that we watched during our small group time. This was really powerful in my life because of my past but it is a series of scripture that have been put together to make a letter to God's children from God expressing how much He loves us. If you have never seen or listened to this I encourage you to look it up on youtube - it is called father's love letter. For me, it has always been hard to believe that God could love me as much as this letter expresses. This is the way that God sees us as His children. This was a powerful word for me and opened me up to letting God love me.

It has been a mad house around here the past two days that is why my blog is late. The DTS before us got back from their outreach phase - which is their three months in different countries. So we have an extra 20 people on base. There used to be 3 girls in my room now there are 13! It has been a shock and fun and crazy and trying all at once. They are getting us so excited about outreach from their stories! So that is my excuse. =)

I am sorry but I keep thinking of things I want to tell everybody! So this blog is still going. I am just really excited about our class. God has just been speaking words over our group about peace makers, being a family, and we have received the scripture Isiaih 61 a lot. Every time we turn around our speaker or somebody random is speaking that chapter over us! I am just getting really excited because even though we have only been in a group and know each other for 5 weeks we really are becoming a family. We are walking together in unity with God as a group and that is powerful! It is excited to see how God brings us together each week! He is faithful to His words over us. Last week we all sat around a banqueting table to tell each other about where we are with God and how we can lift everyone up so that we move forward in God as a family. It is awesome! okay so I am done now!! Miss everyone and LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

A word from the Outback,,,

2009-02-18T00:18:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

Just wanted to drop a line and say hey before my next serious post!!! I am so stoked about being here still!! I just have to brag about the fact that I live a mile away from the beach and I get to go running there like everyday!! I am hopefully going to go surfing again this weekend! I was successful last time but just the last few runs and only for a few seconds so much more practice is needed!! It has been raining here for the past week and a half and we are all about to go insane!! We need sun!! The sun should be coming out tomorrow so fingers crossed!! =) How is the cold weather!!! haha I love you guys!! Well not much to say about life. I get up at 6 yes 6 o clock everyday to shower and get ready for the day. Most days are filled with lectures, prayer, praise and worship, and then afternoon chores! Then beach of course when its not raining that is. I have seen tons of spiders! They are big brown hairy and so gross!! We are preparing for the last class to get back from outreach so that means that instead of 3 girls in my room there are going to be 14!!!!!! This is going to be crazy!!! Pray for us!!!! =) It is going to be so much fun! okay well I guess I have rambled enough! Love you all! Miss you!

A new look

2009-02-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

Hey All! Well I have to say that I don't think many of you are praying about my spider situation because since my last blog I have seen like 10! A couple of them huntsman spiders! Yuck! =) I really can't complain because life is good! I am transforming my life and my relationship with God, I live a mile or so from two beaches, and I am living with amazing people!! Here are some pics up top... beach, fun and girls I live with!

This week we are learning about the nature and character of God. This seems like such a easy topic because you think you know a lot about God. YOU DON'T !! Well I don't. This week is completely based around the question Who are you God? I want to tell the story of Moses in the way that our speaker Adriel Booker told it because it completely changed my view of Moses. A common story, one that if you have been to Sunday school you would know right. Well it starts by Moses being born and immediately his mom has to get rid of him because the Pharaoh has made a law that stated that every first born has to die. So Moses gets put in a basket and picked up by Pharaoh's daughter and she says he is a gift from the gods. So then Moses's sister who was following Moses tells the Pharaoh's daughter hey you should let someone nurse him and I know a woman so Pharaoh's daughter agrees so then Moses goes back to his mom to be nursed then when he is old enough he goes back to Pharaoh's palace. So Moses has just been passed around like 4 times in his early childhood between two totally different cultures. Do you think he was a little confused about his identity? He looks Hebrew and he is growing up in a Egyptian palace. So 40 yrs go by. 40 yrs that's a long time. When Moses was 40 he saw an Egyptian mistreating a Hebrew and he killed the Egyptian. I know y'all know the story, he feels he doesn't fit in either culture and he could possible fear getting in trouble for killing this man. He goes to the desert, marries and starts a new life. Creates this entirely new identity for himself. He is a shepard. He does this for 40 yrs. Okay so by this time he is probably happy - it doesn't say that in the bible but it doesn't say that he was unhappy and he had a wife, son, and career I think he was probably happy. It has been 80 yrs. that is a stinking long time. So he is older and has created this new identity after all the struggles in Egypt about who his true identity really was. So one day he is doing his shepard thing and he sees this bush that is on fire but it doesn't burn so he says literally ch. 3:3 Moses's thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight - why the bush does not burn up." How hilarious is that answer? I would be like freaking out and Moses is just like huh that bush doesn't burn maybe I should go check that out. Anyways so they go through the whole you are on holy ground take off your sandals and within 3 verses God reveals who he is(God that is), who moses's true identity is, and what moses's calling is for his life. Okay so think about this for a minute. You have gone through 80 yrs of your life not knowing this God, you don't really know where you came from and you didn't know you had a calling. (Ch. 3:6-8.) So God calls out to Moses's and says I am God, the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and I want you to free my people out of Egypt. So God spills out this statement I am your God, you are Hebrew because I am the God of your fathers so go free the Hebrews, and then gives him directions on how to do this task. This amazes me. three verses boom - we are talking a few minutes and Moses's has all the answers to his questions how overwhelmed would you be? So after this Moses is a little hesitant can't say I blame the guy and then he totally agrees to this plan and goes for it. WOW. We are talking faith!! 80 yrs old and he starts his walk with God. From that he frees the Egyptians and lives a life being one of the guys ( I think) that had one of the closest connections with God. When he died he was called a friend of God. I want that. I want to have such close, deep intimate relationship with God that when I die they won't name off my accomplishments or focus on anything other than she really was a friend of God. So how do you do that? Friendship is built on trust and trust on knowing the other person involved in the relationship. So that is my call and my question that I have decided to ask myself for the rest of this DTS and probably life is who are you God. I believe the more I know about Him the more I will start to understand who I am and the calling He has for my life.

This post was kind of long... if you endured it, I hope you got something out of it! Miss everyone and love you all!!

Intimacy with God

2009-02-07T02:14:00.003-08:00

I have realized this week that I have not been able to be intimate with God because I have kept my relationship with God on a superficial level. Most relationships if you think about it are kept on a superficial level. How do you go deeper with God? This was the question that was placed in front of me this week. Jesus is the light. If I want to be deeper in a relationship with Him that is going to mean me letting more of His light in my light. The flesh is drawn to the dark, it is human desire and if I want be closer to God I have to let the light shine in my life. I realized that because of my shame and fear of being rejected I would leave out parts of my life in my own personal journal. So the only person that reads this journal is me. It was started because I wanted to have somewhere to express my thoughts about what God was teaching me and to write letters to God then I would leave parts out like I thought he didn't know what I was thinking!! I was living in the dark and was shutting the door to letting Jesus come into area's of my life because I didn't want them to be exposed in the light. I know this seems like a easy concept but one day I sat and I wrote everything that I had left out of my journal for the past 6 years. It was a lot and was so freeing. I felt like I knew God more and was comfortable with Him. This is not a process that was easy or that is over. I have a lot of things I have to deal with and try and resolve with myself and God, and myself and others. This was the beginning step in my intimacy growing with God. He wants us to trust Him with every part of us.

A good quote by the speaker this week, matt dawson, was intimacy is cultivated in tough times and enjoyed in good times.

It is simple really. Jesus calls us to follow Him. If we are following Him, even if He asks us to do something that may be uncomfortable, or cost us something in the end He will turn it around to bless us. Do you realize that God loves you more than yourself? Think about that. Think about how much we focus and love ourselves and then try and wrap your mind around the concept that God loves you more than that! Amazing. Another way to become intimate with God is completely understanding your value in His eyes. This is a huge concept and a struggle for me but through reading His words in the Bible about how valuable I am and the more that I expose and trust Him the more I hear His loving words of affirmation in my life. I want this to be the point that everyone takes away - God loves you more than you love yourself. Learn who you are and how valuable you are in the eyes of God. Dive into a deeper relationship with Jesus - start by taking your trash to Him. Trust Him. He will love to release you and free you from the shame and will pick the weight off your shoulders. Then he will love you and you will be in an even deeper relationship with Him! Every day this is becoming a reality in my life and I am so excited about it. I have much more to tell about this week's lesson but my brain is on overload! Will write again soon! Love everybody! Be blessed!

Clarity ~

2009-01-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hey all! Sorry my last blog was rushed and a bit confusing! I will try and make this one clearer! Be patient with me on blogs, I'll get better!

Okay were am I. I live on what aussie's call base. It is a collection of building (about 3) that are all on one property. We have a classroom, common room/eating area, and rooms. I am in a room with three girls. It is great! We actually have a lot of space and one shower each! Thank you Jesus! There are 8 students in my class. 3 girls, 3 guys and one married couple (they are locals).

We have already finished our first week of lectures! I can't believe it! Each week a different speaker comes in to teach us on a different topic. This first week we learned about hearing God's voice. The lady that spoke to us was so amazing and completely connected to God and the Holy Spirit. She would speak to us on different areas of hearing God's voice, the different ways to hear his voice, and on intercession prayer. Then we would actually get up and apply it. We did amazing interaction with God, each other and praying for different people (some we didn't even know). She brought so many concepts to life that I had not imagined! The connection I felt with God was real, intimate, and closer than ever before. It was like my soul was connected with His. This is a good start!

Now for some fun stories! There are tons of little kids running around. We have several families that live on base and around the area that the parents work on the YWAM base and so there kids play here. They are so much fun! We play a lot of cricket! Big sport here so I am becoming quite the cricket player! We live about a mile or two ( 3 kilometers in aussie talk) from the beach so any break we get even if its only for an hour we are running down to the beach! It is beautiful!! I love it! They have tons of animals here that we would have to go to a zoo to see that are just like hanging out in the back yard!! haha, lots of really interesting birds! We went surfing today and I actually got up on the surf board about three times after oh 15 total wipe outs!!! Lets just say I ate a lot of salt water!! I have seen lots of lizards, had two cockroaches crawl over my foot but praise Jesus haven't seen any spiders!!! Lets keep praying against that!! evidently I just missed huntsman season!! again we will keep praying against that! =)

okay I'm off, we have journal that we write in every week and we have to be very creative with each page - anyone that knows me knows I am not very creative so this takes a lot of work for me! God is pulling out stuff I never imagined He would - like my creativity! haha. Love you all - Be blessed!

Becoming an Aussie!

2009-01-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

Good day mates! I made it! It was a very long trip on a very full plane! Travel went so well! Other than one plane arriving right at the same time my flight out of the country was boarding, it was all good! A run through the airport was good for me though! There are 8 students total, a small class compared to there usual 18 but I love that we are a small group! There are 3 girls, 3 guys and one married couple with four adorable little boys! Everything here is amazing!
We had are first meeting yesterday and it went great! I have been here three days and I am already going to promote everybody to come a do a discipleship training school as soon as they can. We start every morning with praise and worship that is so freeing and open to the holy spirit and God's awesome presence. The excited has grown in everyone 100 times than before we arrived! God is here and he is working mightily! Have to go start for the day and will tell of the amazing revelations God has already revealed later when I have more time to write! Love you all and be blessed!!

Heading to the Outback!

2009-01-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

My bags are packed. Rather full and one pound overweight I should add. I've got to open the bag back up and think simple and take some more stuff out! haha! I have been running around like a chick with her head cut off for the past five days but I think it is all coming together! I set out on a plane to Dallas tonight to spend the night with my older brother then tomorrow around 12:55 pm I will start this adventure! I want to thank everybody who contributed to this trip through prayer, donations, encouragment, a place to live =), and support by being the body of Christ! I am excited, nervous, anxious, scared, and at peace with putting my life in God's hands for the next year and a half! Check up on me often, I will be updating the blog as frequent as possible and please send me e-mails! I am going to want to hear from everybody!!
Be blessed and love somebody today!

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: REJOICE! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God will transcend all understanding, will guard you hearts, and your minds in Christ Jesus.