Living the life

We are in Thailand safe and sound! We spent our first 2 nights in Bangkok and now we're in Ubon Radchadhani and we're leaving for Laos by bus in a couple hours. Keep lifting us up!!

leaving home

I feel like I'm leaving home all over again. Oxford has definitely become a home and I'm surrounded by tons of brothers and sisters. It's going to be a crazy adventure in Laos and a bit of Thailand, but God's appointed this time for us to go there and I know He's going to do crazy as things! He is so good. If there is anything I've learned being here, it's that He takes the best care of us and He is just so darn good.

 Please be lifting up my team in prayer!! We will definitely need spiritual covering going into Laos and God just loves when we talk to Him!

I won't be able to update here since Laos is a closed country and I don't even know when I'll have internet cafes around.  Please feel free to drop me a line though, as I'll get them when I return to Oxford.

Thank YOU for all your continued support and prayers!!

Merry Christmas!!

Less than a week!

Life is getting a bit more hectic as we gear up during our last week of lectures. Our Laos team and Thailand team leave on sunday around 6 am, meaning we drive out from base around 3:30 am... oh boy. I'm stoked that we have some extra time to spend with the Thai team as we'll go all the way to Bangkok with them before we bus over to Laos. Last minute plans and purchases are going on and we have our last outreach prep session tonight!

Prayers are definitely important and necessary and SO appreciated as we prepare to head out, as we travel there and as we live life in Laos. Please keep our health and safety lifted up as well as our opportunities to evangelize, hang out with people and love and bless people. We know God has a lot in store for us and I am just so excited to go!

In the mean time, we've been hanging out, having lectures and doing all sorts of fun things. This weekend we stayed up in Punakaiki, this sweet as place on the west coast. It involved seeing the pancake rocks and blowholes, a hike along a river (picture yourself in Jurassic Park) as well as spontaneous jumping into the river and exploring, visiting a sweet beach at sunset, visiting the same beach the next morning, and all of this mixed with great community living (7 in my hostel group, we stayed in a 'treehouse'!) and the most ridiculous views while driving. The whole trip was just such a testimony to the power and creativity of God and how blessed we are that He created the earth as beautiful as it is!

Eating a burrito dinner family style! Margaret, Nicki, Jonathan, Jake, Jordan and Devin

Our hostel! Margaret and I shared the room on the very top with the glass roof and sides!!

More climbing! guess who couldn't be happier? maybe a little happier if I had actually brought my shoes

more mountains! a quick stop to take pictures of Arthur's Pass National Park. SO BEAUTIFUL!

check out more pictures under the pictures link!

Today we began our last set of lectures with Georgina, a fantastic lady. She told us her story and then asked us to share our name, which school we're in, where we're from as well as what God's been doing in our lives and teaching us. It made me think and I've found that encompassing a lot of things God's shown me is that He's restoring my understanding of who He is and teaching me how to just rest in Him and who He is no matter what the circumstances. It's crazy: I have this heavenly Father who created the universe and He wants to love me and teach me and He has sweet things for me to step into in my life. I'm starting to see more of a bigger picture for the rest of my life and just leaning more on God to see where I'm going next!

I hope all of you at home are doing great!  I miss you all! Christmas will definitely be different without all our typical traditions but definitely worth it. Hope you are all enjoying your cold weather!

Team Laos!

Here we are!

Life these days

God's been doing quite a work in my heart these past couple weeks and He's not stopping anytime soon. Last week was really good, with two speakers: our base leader Jeremy speaking on missions and Scott Brown, a christian Jew, speaking on a biblical worldview. They both hit home with me in good ways: Jeremy was challenging and confirming a lot of things in my heart and Scott brought a lot of background and understanding to things I never completely understand as well as bringing new revelation and understanding to certain things. This week we have Mandy and these past two days have just been so filling. It's really good here, God continues to pour out and teach and grow me, I love it! It's cool to see how He moves when people are actually willing to let Him. The difference between now and two to three weeks ago with everyone is such an encouragement. I think for everyone, God's been doing a work in their hearts and it just gets better and better. 

With less than two weeks left to outreach (!!!!!!!) it's hard to grasp that we won't see the Justice DTSers when we get back (which includes my bunkmate Megan!). We still have a bit that needs to get done and things that need to be bought but it's all coming together so well. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!!

Here's a song I've been listening to and loving a lot the past couple weeks:

Here's a picture of our backpackers school!

and here's some pictures from Castle Hill again!

Happy As Can Be

It is such a beautiful Sunday afternoon. This morning two of my roomies and another girl did church here on base in the classroom. We listened to a sermon and then blasted worship music for around 2 1/2 hours, it was so good. Then I had 2 great conversations with Carmela and Jessie and lunch and now I'm writing this! The past couple days, the past week, God has been just pouring out His love on me so that it completely overflows. He's bringing things together from middle school and all I want is more of Him. It's such a good place!
I got baptized on friday! I was baptized as a baby and I really honor my parents in that. I wanted to confirm a new life in Christ and the way that I live and giving control of my life to God. It was a lot of things and it was really good! When I came up out of the water I had this cool revelation of the name God gave me, Anneli meaning favor grace and just the love that God has for me. It's so powerful!!
Here's a couple pictures:

Everyone lined up! Nate joined in later too.

Rachel explaining what her baptism is for her

Mark talking to us and reading from the bible

In the river at Ashley Gorge with Gabriel, Mark and Nicki!

So yea, that was a really sweet time for me. All of friday was really good! Mark doesn't teach on fridays and they're used as a ministry day. One thing I did was get on top of an interesting stack of 4 picnic tables to tell Jesus how much I love Him. It was definitely one of the best things I've ever done in my life! That's up there with caving, climbing and all that kind of cool stuff. So good.

Prayer is always always always appreciated, especially right now for our outreach to Laos. I'm so looking forward to it! I miss all you guys at home and I can't wait to come home and see you all! 

God is soo good!

Manifesto - The City Harmonic

Mexican Mustaches

Weekend Warriors made bangin burritos for dinner tonight... here's some of the staff dressed for the occasion...

You also weren't allowed to eat unless you had a mustache... here's my bunkmate and I representing!

Oh theme nights!

Land of Narnia

We had a sweet teaching on the Word of God this week with Paul Childers. Really chill but still so much insight and information from the Lord. It was really good to have a week of good teaching but not mindblowing to the point of needing like a month to process information. We have Mark Parker this week speaking on the Lordship of Christ and I guess that he's intense as which will be sweet but definitely challenging.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go boulder and explore at Castle Hill and then go caving at Cave Stream! They were both sweet as!! There were a ton of hard boulder problems but it was fun to climb around and just get on top of these 20 foot boulders and then try problems and just get no where! Then cave stream, it's this 500+ meter underground cave with water running through it, and you can walk/wade from one end to the other. We went from the end, where the water came out to the entrance, where the water came in by a waterfall. It was so sick, and my van wasn't planning on going there originally so I didn't have anything with me but I just went barefoot and in my clothes and one of the Montana boys, Cody, let me use his headlamp. We walked for 45 minutes to an hour seeing NO sunlight, just headlamp light. About halfway in I ended up in front of my group which was trippy! I had to figure out where exactly we were going, granted there was only one path but sometimes there were outcroppings that looked like they went somewhere but didn't. It was sick! So good to just explore and be awed by God's creation and how creative He is!

Congrats and shout out to Per who got his brass this week! so awesome.

Friday night my outreach team got to meet with this guy Andy who was a missionary in China for a long time until about 20 years ago. It was so cool to hear his stories, advice, concerns, encouragement, everything! He confirmed a lot of feelings and thoughts I've been having about being cautious but also stepping out in faith. I know for absolute sure that I'm supposed to be going to Laos, God has confirmed that over and over so I have very little fear or worry about going there. I know we will be walking cautiously but also with boldness in the Lord becuase He's called us there and He's going to use us there.
I could definitely be using your prayers, I'm so grateful for them! Please be praying for my outreach team: myself, my leader Gabe, Beatrice, Loriah, Jonathan and Simo. Also what God's been really putting on my heart has been the underground church in Laos, just to raise them up and just increase the fire for the Lord burning in their hearts. I'm so excited to fellowship a little with some of these people, they are so inspiring! Yea, also just blessings on the base, on the other outreach teams to Thailand, India, Morocco and here in New Zealand. Please let me know if any of you need prayer for anything! I would definitely love to lift anyone at home up in prayer.

God is so good, and He is just continuing to bless me. I'm so at home here! Here's a picture from me at Sumner Beach when I went with my small group on thursday. Yay for spring/summer!

Loved

So Faith Weekend, or Luke 10 Weekend, whatever you want to call it.  I don't even know where to begin. I'm not going to write out everything that happened because it's a story that needs to be told in person and I'm down to skype or talk when I get home or even email you the story or highlights of it. A general overview, we stayed and were fed at Kaiapoi Baptist Church thursday night, then New Life Church in Timaru where one of our speakers, Gordon Rosewall is a preacher, and then at a Catholic church in Methven. I had a roof over my head and a couch or a cot to sleep on every night. We had breakfast and dinner every day and were provided with food for during the day. I wrote out a thank you note to each of the people who put us up in the churches and we were able to leave $10 with them as well, spending no money on ourselves and giving it all away.  On November 24th we will hopefully be heading back to Kaiapoi Baptist to help serve their community Christmas dinner, which is going to be such a blast to see everyone there again. I was never in any dangerous situation and I know that if I had been all I needed to do was call up our leaders with the phone card they gave us and they would come get us.
The thing about this weekend was it wasn't meant to test God. It wasn't like let's go out with nothing and see what You give us! I entered the weekend with the mindset of I want a chance to really focus on serving people and blessing the world around me.  I know that I'm a daughter of the King of kings and that I already am provided with so much, and that I would be well taken care of. We had the option of participating in this weekend or just going and serving at some churches and staying at base and God just gave me the assurance that I don't need to worry about food or shelter and if I went out wanting to bless people He would provide for me in that.
Walking in Timaru and again when we were at the church we stayed at in Methven, I realized that I have never felt so loved or cared for in my life. I've always had a home, always had food, clothes, whatever I could possibly need. When I'm traveling and not knowing where I'm going to sleep that night or if I'll be provided with more food than what we have in our backpacks, I had this core knowledge that God would provide and I just had this strong trust in Him so I had no reason to worry about that stuff. It made me realize how blessed I am and seeing His provision, I've just never felt so loved or safe or cared for. It's really a strange thing. I would never go out with the intention of challenging or testing God to see if He would provide. I really wouldn't. What made me go out was the knowledge that a father gives their child what they need and that's what God would do. There was no doubt in my mind that I would have a place to stay or food to eat. It was a fact that I would, and the details were just unknown to me. I really hope that this makes sense.
There were definitely a couple times where I struggled this weekend but even as I say that and know that I struggled, I still knew God was there and He was working. The sweetest thing was, when we were struggling and we actually listened to the small voice in our heads or really turned to God and came to Him with open hearts instead of 'You need to provide!' He would almost immediately pour out His blessing. I think that was the coolest thing to see, was how small our human minds are and all we see is what we're faced with and I feel like He was sitting up there, kinda giggling at us sometimes just going, 'be patient, you have nooo idea what I'm going to give you next!'
I really learned how God is my Father, my Daddy. I will never be in a place where He can't help me, I will never really be in need. It may seem like I don't have a lot, or my life sucks cause I'm not living comfortably, but He will provide what I need and even more than that. I have no doubt that this weekend was a huge learning experience, and it was definitely not a waste of time. I have no desire to challenge God in His role as a provider because I know He doesn't respond in that, He doesn't respond to 'I want this, give me this thing.' He responds to 'this is where I'm at, You know what I need so I won't worry about that, I want to work on serving You and the people around me.' God is so good and so sovereign and He's never going to leave us or let us down. That's the biggest gift and blessing ever.

Again, prayers are always appreciated! Life is busy with lectures and work duties and homework and outreach prep!! I am so stoked for everything that is still to come! One big thing I could definitely use prayer on is just finding the time to process and work through everything we're learning and experiencing. God's just doing so much and then there's just the things in life and there's just so much going into my head at once. God's provided me with the best people to talk with so no worries, they definitely help with the processing. Like I said, God is so good and this is where I'm supposed to be at this point in my life. I'm so thankful for every blessing and I'm just in such a good place right now! Thanks for everything :]

Hitchhiking by Faith

We leave for faith weekend this afternoon and my team is heading in the direction of Queenstown. I had this revelation yesterday that yea, I have faith God will bring us to Queenstown and we'll have food and shelter and everything we need, but the thing is, I am a daughter of God and Joe and Grant are sons of God and as His children, we will be provided for. God is faithful to the end and He's not going to leave His kids out in the great unknown. We may not find what we're expecting, but there will be enough, there will be provision.
Please please please lift us up in prayer this weekend by name, and ask for specific things if you want, but really just thank God for the way He's going to provide for us and the way He's providing for you at home. He's a huge God and He still chooses to love us and care for us. He's so great!

Long Overdue

This past week has been really good. We had Gordon Rosewall speaking on the Father heart of God last week and this week is Patrick Dodson on relationships. Gordon was good and Patrick is the most controversial speaker we've had so far. One of those things where you take his words and consider them and apply them to your life and see what God has for you in them.
We have the snowboarders back this week! Super stoked, they're so fun. A couple of us backpackers played ultimate frisbee with them yesterday. Last night after lecture we had a big game of ninja and wah in the dining hall... fun as with a big group of backpackers, justice kids and snowboarders. They add some fresh air I think, it's good to have faces that are new to us on base.
This past friday night I got to go for outreach to a church in Christchurch and help out with their 'sausage sizzle' and play games and watch a magic show. Saturday, 8 of us wen climbing at the YMCA in Christchurch which was a blast! Their walls for top rope are high as and their bouldering room was sweet. It was great to be active again and climb with 2 noobies and help show them the ropes... hahaha!
Yea, life here has been sweet. God's been challenging me with a lot of things and sometimes I feel like I'm drawing away a little but then all I can do is step right back in, deeper. God is definitely working in crazy ways here and it's just amazing to see everyone around me going deeper and learning more and everything.
This weekend we're doing faith weekend. We divide up into small groups of 3 and they drop us off on the side of the road far away from base and we hitchhike. We leave thursday afternoon and have to be back on sunday between 2 and 5. I'm with Jonathan, who's in my outreach group and Grant from Minnesota. We all got a word from God about heading down to Queenstown, which is quite a ways away but I know we'll be getting there. I'm so stoked to just do it and to see how god works through it. Please be praying!!
One other thing you can be doing is praying about finances, some people don't know where their money is coming from and for others of us it would be great to have more provision from God. We know He'll provide!
Also one of the Justice school leaders and a good friend, Seth, is heading home monday because of some personal things. It's definitely a God thing and it's definitely what God has for him, it's just hard to say goodbye and see him go. Just be praying that he keeps walking so closely with God and that we would all be able to say goodbye and deal with it healthily and trust God with it.
I guess that's it for now, so much is going on. Keep praying and trusting God!
Here's a picture of my outreach team to Laos! There's Jonathan, Simo and Gabe, and then Loriah, Beatrice, and myself. I have such an outstanding team and God definitely put us all together for a reason!

A bunch of new pictures are up!

A Challenging Week...

This past week we had Dalton Lifsey from the Tauranga House of Prayer (THOP) speak on intimacy with Jesus/Kingdom and last week we had Aaron Walsh, also from THOP speak on the character and nature of God. Both of them were so wise in what they were teaching and so knowledgable about the bible. I don't even know how to explain what they spoke on because it was so rich and God spoke through them so much. That's pretty much what lectures are like, God is throwing tons of information at us and by the time you begin to really process it He's got more to throw at us. It's awesome to just keep receiving all the time. Every conversation I have with people around me is meaningful and intentional or just fun and building up relationships.
Seeing the way God's been moving in my life and the way He's been moving in the lives of my schoolmates and leaders is awe-inspiring and such an honor. Looking back to when YWAM was a possibility and seeing everything that's happened so far is just mind blowing, to see how much I've grown, how much God has been moving and speaking to me, I can't thank Him enough for bringing me here to really just pour into me. That's definitely what it's been like, just getting poured into over and over and over, and no matter how full I get there's always more room for Him to pour in more. God is so good and so loving, and that's the one thing I've really been learning and holding in my heart.
If you could keep in prayer my good friend Joanna who went home to Canada because of her sick father who died, probably a couple hours ago. We're all hurting for her and praying for her and asking for God's comfort and peace for her and her family and for her return to the school which I really believe is what God has for her. Continued prayer for us and just everything we're learning and experiencing, that we would just keep seeking after God and becoming more and more hungry for what He has for us. Thanks heaps!
Here's picture from lecture with Dalton the other day... that's me on the right and then Gabe, one of our school leaders and my outreach leader to Laos! He's really been a blessing to me this past week. All the way across in the purple sweatshirt is my bunkmate Megan, who is one of my best friends here, another complete blessing to me. This is our classroom, and the temp wall in the back folds away to open up to the dining hall. Get to spend mornings in lectures here and occasionally afternoon programs or nightly lectures here as well!

TEAM LAOS

I'll be backpacking in Laos starting in December with the most amazing as team God could give me, Gabe (USA) as a leader, Loriah (USA), Beatrice (Switzerland),  Simo (Finland) and Joe (Denmark). God is truly just blessing me this whole day, I'll do a full update later today or tomorrow but I'm going to worship and pray with a friend who's going to Thailand! Please please please continue to cover me and my team in prayer and pleaaaase do not hesitate to send me encouragement, words from God, scripture, anything! God is SO good!

All Blacks

We had the privilege of watching the All Blacks win the rugby world cup tonight against France 8 - 7.... incredible, nail biting game.

Outreach

We found out our outreach options today and had a half hour to pray and ask God where He wants us to go out of India, New Zealand, Laos, Thailand and Morocco. We handed in a list of our top 3 with whatever honest reasons, even if they were it sounds like a sweet place to go. I have my top 3, more like top 2, but please pray and let me know if God puts a certain place or scripture or anything on your heart that could be affirmation for me. Thanks!!
Please also really lift up us students, our staff and leaders as they put us into teams and determine where each student is going to go and put us with a leader or maybe even more than one leader! Please just cover this whole process in prayer because this is all about how and where God is going to use everyone, not where we want to go or our own agendas.

National Gathering

We're on the last day of the National Gathering which has been pretty sweet. Leaders and staff from all the New Zealand YWAM bases and other associated organizations came here for fellowship, to share what's going on with them and to discuss vision for the future. It's been really cool to see and hear God moving in these organizations even while they're talking. Yesterday morning we started out with worship which was just so good. The guy playing guitar broke 2 strings so he stopped playing, flipped his guitar over and started drumming on the back of it along with the 2 people already playing djiembe and Joe on the drumset. Someone prayed long enough for him to pick up a different guitar. Some people spoke, then a guy from New Caledonia tried to teach us a little bit of a dance which made the whole thing turn into a dance party when he started tearing up the floor! It's just been a great time (other than being sick...) and so encouraging and eye opening to see how other christians are responding to God's calling.
Speaking of sickness, like I said in a previous post I could really use prayer for a stuffy nose and throat, but our whole base seems to be passing that around along with what seems to be a stomach bug causing a couple people to be throwing up. Please keep everyone's health in your prayers, especially our leaders. I think Gabriel, one of my backpackers DTS is sick. It's not fun. God is healer though and I know He'll bring healing to everyone on base!
Alsooo France won against Wales in the rugby world cup semifinals last night!! Tonight is Australia vs All Blacks. We have one Aussie on base so it's her against pretty much everyone else who is cheering for New Zealand!

Climb

We listened to this the first day of our lectures, when Kent (backpacker staff) and Gabriel (backpacker leader) were teaching on prayer and intercession. Let it move you.

Prayer Request

I'm not feeling great this morning so if you have a minute now or later during the day please pray for me! My nose is getting runny and it's getting into my throat and I'm realllllllly tired, and the Gathering is beginning today so it's a couple days of just crazy not normal schedule stuff, so pray that I would keep up and if I should stay back and rest I would do that. Thanks!

Life so far...

This is going to be quick because it's late and I'm tired. Last night I felt my first New Zealand quake/aftershock! The couch I was sitting on was suddenly rocking and my first thought was cool! it's one of those couches that rocks! and then when I tried to rock it, it wouldn't... and then the other 3 girls in the room realized it was a quake. Cool as!
Today we started our first real lecture series, with Femi Oni as our speaker. He's very direct, and he's teaching us on destiny and calling. Already the 3 sessions we've had today have just been really awesome. I can't wait for our lectures the rest of the week.
Today we also started getting ready for the national gathering that is taking place thursday to sunday. We had 3 lectures today instead of 2, because we'll be ending lectures thursday instead of friday so the gathering can take place. It's basically leaders and staff and other people from YWAM bases in New Zealand all coming here to Oxford for some sharing, envisioning for the future and whatever else God has planned. We're learning a song tomorrow to take part in a traditional Maori greeting, and there will even be some guys there doing a traditional Haka dance!! I got to see the All Blacks (NZ national rugby team) do the Haka before the quarter final game against Argentina last night, it was intense!
I also got a pretty rad haircut... some of the guys bought a buzzer friday night and then the next morning a couple had shaved heads, mohawks, whatnot, so saturday night I decided to get a haircut I've thought about for about a year... I love it!! It's super fuzzy!

All is well in New Zealand and I'm still super stoked for everything God is doing and revealing in this season!

Words

Last night we had our first night of community outreach into Christchurch. They played it like a treasure hunt; We asked God for words of knowledge, things to look for, people's names, specific prayer requests, what people would be wearing and then we had to go out and look for those in groups and talk to the people, listen to them, pray for them if they let us. So my group of 4 went out and we were with some other kids who got separated from their group, and after a while my group got separated and I ended up with Chris, a kiwi and Nicole from Canada. We couldn't find anyone on our lists, and eventually we went into this store because Nicole and I were looking for beanie hats. We started talking to the sales girl, then she walked away and Chris and I were like, we need to pray for her. So we struck up conversation again, on everything from dying hair, to rock climbing, to family background and tons of other stuff. We asked her what her future plans were and she was totally open to praying with us about her future with nursing and paying for it, and how she is great at connecting and talking to people. We walked out really encouraged even though she had nothing to do with any of our words, it was definitely a God thing. Sweet as. So if you remember, keep Ethna (say it with a kiwi accent, and I don't know if that's how you spell it) in your prayers as well as her nursing future and finances!

Not Many Cities Like Christchurch

We watched this video today when talking about community outreach and the earthquake. It's crazy to go into Christchurch and actually see some of the damage still there.

Sweet As

Today we had a talk on community living and worship and then some sweet as time to just worship. Fyi, adding 'as' to the end of a word is just sort of a way of emphasizing something, similar to 'really', like instead of just saying 'that's really sweet' you can say 'that's sweet as'. I like it.
This morning we had base intercession, so everyone on base comes and we split up into random groups and all pray on a certain topic. I was with Sonya, Laura our cook, Nathan a grounds guy and such a man of God, and Gabriel one of my BDTS leaders. We prayed for human trafficking in Nepal and specifically for a girl, I can't remember her name, who was abducted about a year ago and probably brought to India for sex trafficking. It was sweet to see how my group prayed and how other groups prayed and what kinds of pictures and words of knowledge people/groups got.
Soo it's my birthday and everyone here has been just so nice about that. Seth, one of the Justice leaders started a round of happy birthday at morning tea, and in the morning when I came back from brushing my teeth my roomies all sang to me as well! Jane, another Justice leader was so sweet too, while I was doing dish crew duties aka washing down the dining tables insisted on not letting me finish because it was my birthday and Carmela was the same way, but Jane was soo funny. I got a great birthday card signed by a bunch of people on base, I think a random mix of students and staff but their messages were so genuine.

Don't mind my sopping wet hair, I just showered.  Time to start reading for my first book report due in a little more than 2 weeks!
Also sorry for the lack of pictures so far, it's been freezing cold and rainy since monday so we've been inside or running from building to building. Pray for better weather!

Chores

My parents are going to laugh and put me to work when I get home, butttt I love doing my chores around here. In the morning from 8:15-8:50 I clean the bathroom in the upstairs main house which I don't even live in buttt my roomie Ainsley cleans the shower room next door so she helps me out. This week after lunch I'm on dish crew so my part is putting away leftover food and washing down/spraying down the tables and counters and sweeping. I get to work mostly with Joanna and today we got to clean to a couple people worshipping in the classroom which was just awesome.
Yesterday afternoon we started student testimonies which was cool, and we did staff testimonies the night before. In about 2 minutes I'm leaving and we're going to hopefully finish the student testimonies. It's interesting to hear people's backgrounds, some are just following God so devotedly and others have had a really hard time but want to dive so much deeper. It's just really awesome and God brought together a really great group of people, both in just the backpackers, but also backpackers and justice combined as a big family.  I love it!

Tim Tam Slam

So tonight we had 'initiation' which was a tim tam slam and they said we can't graduate unless we can successfully pull it off (not really, but it was funny). so you bite off the opposite corners of a tim tam, then use it like a straw to drink hot chocolate, coffee, whatever and then once you feel the liquid get up to your lips, you have to eat the whole tim tam without using your hands. let me tell you, it was entertaining and sooooo delicious.
We also had our first meeting as an almost complete backpackers DTS, I think we're missing 1 student. It's still so unreal that after alll of these honestly 2 years of preparation for DTS, I'm finally here. It's unreal.

Early Morning

Oxford and YWAM are both amazing so far. The first night I went to a park with some girls and we went on the coolest playscape and then talked on the swings for a while. Last night a bunch of us walked up this trail to the 'lookout' and you can see the lights from Christchurch wayy far off in the distance. We were hoping to see tons of stars too but there were too many clouds. The people I've met, I don't even know where to start. ok so they're from alll over the place. My roomies are from Oklahoma, Germany, California and 2 from Canada. There's other people from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Canada, the US, Australia, England and so many other places it's crazy. It's awesome too because we already have this connection of a relationship with God so our conversations are just so easy and we'll end up talking about deep things or cool times in our lives and I'm just thinking, this would never happen with new people I met at school or something like that. I met a Justice leader, Seth yesterday who was using the makeshift climbing/training wall they have on base. It's like 3 sheets of plywood, plus an overhang, plus fingerboards going across the ceiling plus 2 hangboards, it's sweet.

My birthday is in 4 days!! That doesn't seem right because when I was still in CT it was like ohh my birthday is so far away, but then I had 30 hours of traveling, plus skipping thursday so it put me a couple days ahead so now it's much closer! I love the age ranges in people too, my roommates are 17, 18, 19, and 2 are 24 and then me. A Finnish guy is 28, a Justice girl is 33(met up with her at the airport in LA...) and a couple other kids are taking time before college. 

Sooo basically I already love it here, some parts are definitely still intimidating,  and I know I'll have a lot of homework once school actually starts, but I know God put me here so I know I'll be fine. We have an option of 2 churches for this morning, and then nothing scheduled but meals until tonight, when welcoming starts!
Alsoo I got a couple pictures yesterday of the house and the mountains outside, so check out the picture page!!

Jet Lag

I'm here!! Everything went soo smoothly, and in LAX I met up with 2 YWAM girls so we got food together, went through customs in Auckland together and figured out the airport. I have 5 other roommates, 2 drawers in a dresser, a bottom bunk and a couple bathrooms to share with a bunch of other girls. stoked!

leaving...

being a cool kid at the airport and eating cinnamon bullar Kristin and I made yesterday. hurray for Bradley's free interwebs!!

In all seriousness, please just cover my whole trip in prayer, especially getting there. God will protect and provide!

Let Hope Rise

We sang this at Merge sunday night. I can't even figure out what to say about it, except that we just kept going and going, and it was exciting to see everyone else getting excited about Jesus but at the same time I didn't care because it doesn't matter about them, my heart for Jesus was what mattered. It was just an incredible worship experience. Just listen to this.

1 day left!

My hiking pack is pretty much packed full of almost all the clothes I'm bringing... a couple are still drying. I have another suitcase to pack, and then packing my carry on bag with fun stuff. Thanks to everyone that came over tonight to pray for me, and the people that have already prayed over me, and the people who have been praying for me since the beginning, or even just recently. I know I'm a lot better off with how God is using your prayers than if I tried to do this on my own. I'm stoked!!

In a matter of a day and then a bunch of plane rides, I can change my location on facebook to Oxford, NZ!!

Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me

I realized last night at Merge how my 'idea' of worship has radically changed over the past couple months. I think it really started in the Dominican where Megan and Jonathan would play guitar and worship and I would sit there every night with them. There was one night where Di and Meghan and a couple other people came and we just made up words on the spot but it was all for God and it was soo good. When we got home, I started going to Merge and again my expectations of  worship in a service were flipped upside down. I've never been an outwardly emotional person or someone who is very expressive, but God's been pulling me out of that and letting me know that it's not about who I am, but who He is. It doesn't matter what anyone else around me is doing but how I am connecting to and praising Him. I've found myself with my eyes closed most of the time during worship now because it has nothing to do with the people around me. Worshipping God has become more of singing the words to Him and focusing my mind completely on Him and can I just tell you, nothing is more refreshing, nothing feels better than that!
Last night the sermon was about how the world is crying out for salvation, for a better way of life. I really believe the our generation is starting to bring about radical changes for the kingdom of God and can I just tell you I'm soo excited that DTS is the next thing up for me. God has been preparing me beyond what I could ever understand to go and to live in Him as a missionary these next couple months. I know I've been praying He would prepare me, but He's prepared me like a million times over what I would have asked for. He's showing me more of His heart for people, which is in turn making my heart ache for the world and want them to have what I've found.
I want to leave you with a song that hits me so hard everytime I hear it. Stop whatever you're doing and take 10 minutes to listen to it and let it speak to your heart.

2 Weeks, 2 Days

Trust.

So to be completely honest, I need financial support. First Church is supporting me a lot, and I've been working a bunch but I feel like God is pushing me more towards asking for financial support from other people. I don't want you to read this and be like, oh she really wants people to help pay for her trip. If you're reading this and God is pressing on your heart to help me on my journey to follow Him, then I will gladly accept your help. While I'm home, you can give me/mail me a check made out to 'YWAM Oxford' and I will bring it with me and take care of it when I get to the base. Contact me if you want to get a check to me. Also, you can visit this page on the Ywam Oxford website to donate online. Make sure that you note that it's to support me.
I trust that God provides for me everyday and I trust that He will provide the money for this trip. He called me to go and I know He won't leave me hanging.
Thanks!

1 month and 3 days...

So with a little over a month left, a lot of things are starting to really come together. 4 of my leaders have facebook friended me and messaged me. one of them is super into climbing! yeaa! She said a lot of the leaders are so I'm pretty stoked on that. She also created a facebook group and has added everyone in the program so far, which is almost kinda weird because it's strange to know that they're strangers right now but we'll all be hanging out in New Zealand together in a little over a month.
At this point I am definitely excited and ready to leave. Per and Angela and a bunch of other long time friends have already left for college, so it's odd to be at home without anyone to really hang out with. I only have a few more days that I'm actually working; I asked to not be put on the calendar for september so I can really get things ready but also do fun things like help out with field hockey at the high school.
One thing God has really been helping me/showing me is how to reach out and really fellowship with others, christians and non-christians. Now when I hang out with people it's a lot more one on one and good conversations, which I really enjoy. It seems like I've missed out on a lot of opportunities for that because of my busy life in high school (not that I regret my high school schedule).  My life is also staying very God-oriented. I remember past years of coming home from camp or the DR, I've been really close to God and then let myself drift away and kinda fall back into worldly habits. This summer though, I've definitely gotten closer to my christian friends and hanging out with them definitely makes it easier to stay close with the Lord. It's just cool to see and figure out things God is doing in my life to prepare me for what He has!
There are just so many things Jesus has done for me and in me and through me this summer, it's crazy to think back on it. Can't wait for the next journey :]

Matthew 6:25-34

25 Therefore I tell you, do no worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

2 Timothy 1:7

'For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline.'

This verse has been showing up everywhere in my life. It was the verse Chip wrote unknowingly in my Dominican notebook. The youth pastor at Merge quoted it last sunday. Todd is basing the teachings this week at camp off of it.

I've learned in the past couple years that if God wants to tell you something, you will know that he wants to tell you something. I've even prayed that if I don't get something that He would throw it in my face. I'm guessing that's what He's been doing and I'm open to whatever that means.

2 months minus 2 days until departure!!

Camp Hope

Heading off to Camp Hope in Litchfield for a week to be a counselor. Just found out who my CIT is and she will be coming monday afternoon. Pray that God would work in the hearts of my campers and everyone at camp and that I would be a good counselor/role model/friend to my campers. I'm kind of nervous because last year I had Cindy, a mom as the head counselor and I was her CIT, and now I'm the one in charge but I think God can really use me and anything I do will be through His strength.
At this point I'm learning to really just let go of worldly fears like not being good enough, people not liking me and just letting God be my teacher and trusting that He will provide and be the one in control. It's rough but I'm getting there.

Merge

Last night I finally went to Merge, the youth group at Church of the Living God. I've been meaning to go for over 2 years now, with different people but it's just never happened. But, I finally went and it's funny how God works because they just had a team return from Costa Rica the night before, same night as our return from the Dominican. The worship was great, but then they shared a little about their trip and the talks were all about missions which just really hit home. It was what I really needed to hear right then, just to confirm some things God put on my heart before I even left. The Lord is still teaching me and still growing me and I just can't wait to see what He does in me next.

mi Dios es fiel

God is working in the coolest ways, it's crazy. I had expectations of what the Dominican Republic would be like, but God worked way past my expectations. Like Pastor Lubin told us every morning to have high expectancy of what the Lord would do, I have high expectancy for the remaining summer and for my DTS. I know He is going to move and do great things and even then, I know He will surpass these expectations. I have so much I want to say, but it would take up ridiculous amounts of space and tons of time.  If anyone wants to talk to me about my DR trip or my upcoming New Zealand trip please feel free to contact me and we can get coffee and talk or something.
Next thing is Camp Hope! I know God is going to keep moving there too like He did last year. Please pray for the youth that will be attending!

Dios te bendiga!

Americaaa

Saw a lot of people I really love today and had a great time at the beach with some of the Dominican crew. Rode bikes around town late tonight, and was reminded how I'm not going to see some of the most important people to me for a really long time. Angela and Per will be in Texas till they come home by the time I get back and Ben will probably be out west. All the kids I've grown up with will be away at college.
At the same time, it'll be a really good chance for me to grow, way more than college.  I won't have the option of quitting or taking a break and going home. I'm in it for the long run. It's like being a christian. You can't decide when and where you want to show God's love, live what you believe; it's an everyday kinda thing. I think that's something I could work on, following God everyday, every hour, every minute of my life.
I got prayer for the DR trip wednesday, and they told me God has pretty sweet stuff for me, but I need to let go of childish things. I need to mature.  I feel like that's not so much an issue when I'm overseas or doing 'mission work', but it needs to be my normal life. I need to live like a child of God my entire life, not just when it's beneficial or convenient. God's not convenient. It's not going to be easy, people won't always like me; but God loves me and you know what? No matter what happens here on earth the most important part is that I am a child of God and I'm going to spend eternity with Him.

3 months & 1 week

Today I took my one and only final, calc, and other than graduation, I'm done with high school. I've been watching the video I posted below for last year's BDTS and I can't even tell you how stoked I am to be moving on to this in my life. It's gonna be such a huge change and so much learning but I'm so ready for it!

The leaders for this year's BDTS are up on the website page. It's getting closer!

highlights from the DTS this past year...

check out this video from the backpackers DTS 2010

3 months & 11 days

Today is my last day of regular high school and I'll be graduating in a week. It's crazy when I think back on everything God has prepared me for in high school and it just makes me so much more excited to think about what He's preparing me for with DTS. 

I've already been able to see how He's using DTS to make a difference. A friend of a friend I've never met before messaged me the other day asking what DTS I'm doing.  Turns out we'll both be in New Zealand at pretty much the same time but at different bases and with different DTS themes.  It's so encouraging though to see that there are other youth out there that really have a heart for this.  I can't wait to meet other people involved with YWAM and the group that I'll be attending the school with!

decisions that define us

4 months minus 2 days

I get on my first plane to fly to Oxford. In less than a month I graduate high school. I have a job or 2 (or 3) lined up for the summer and I already have some financial support and deposits in place.
Super excited for what God is going to do in this whole adventure :]