God of Justice

No fear of man.

We shouldn't fear man. We shouldn't be afraid of what man can do to us. God is on our side. We shouldn't be afraid of evil spirits or demons because they tremble at the God that lives inside of us. The church is the most dangerous force for good in this entire world. We are filled with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit has given us so much power and authority. God has given authority to overcome all the power of the enemy. (Luke 10:19) There is POWER in the name of Jesus. Jesus tells us we are going to do greater things then Him in this world. (John 14:12)

This past week here at YWAM we talked about Missions and Justice. We read through the book of Acts the first few days and my mind was blown by what these men and women of faith did...but the thing that really got me is that I can do that too! It wasn't that it was power and authority given just to them but ALL believers! We all have the power to be used by God to do miracles. God will use us to heal people, to speak to people, to save people, and even bring people back from death. God will and can use us to do miracles like having the blind see, the mute speak, the deaf hear and lame walk! I want to be use by God to do those kind of things. I want to heal people in Jesus' name! I want to be used in whatever way God wants to use me. 

We also talked about Justice and how God is both a God of righteousness/love/caring but also a God of Justice and He is mad that 27 MILLION of women and children get hurt on a daily basis in a $42 billion industry. Those statistics are so messed up. $42 billion every year goes into hurting women and children. Soon sex trafficking will bypass drugs as the number one crime in the world. Our speaker, Daniel Walker- author of God in a Brothel, told us of this picture he has of God. There is the picture of Jesus welcoming all children to Him but there is also the picture of Jesus in front of women and children saying No, you will not hurt them. They are mine, they are precious and they are loved. They are not a commodity. You will not use them any more! 

Jesus came to set the captives free. He came to rescue the oppressed and hurting. 

 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. -Luke 4:16-21

That was Jesus' mission to set people free, to bring Justice to this world. The church must come together and form the body, the bride of Christ. We shouldn't be separated because of small issues, we are the bride of Christ. We are the church and we are the most dangerous force for good because we are filled with the Holy Spirit. We don't have to be afraid of what we do/where we go/who we meet because Greater is He that is in Me, that is in us then he/what is in the world. OUR GOD IS SO MUCH BIGGER!!! The enemy has no authority, has no power if we take  it back. The Holy Spirit is the invader of the darkest places. God is there. God is there. God is here. God is everywhere and He will be with us no matter where we go, including into those dark and scary places to free those who have been enslaved. God is there. God is with us. We have God within us. We have all of the Holy Spirit.

I also just read the book "Sex and Money: A Global Search for Human Worth" and these are a few of the quotes that really hit me as I was reading the stories and seeing the pictures of women, children and men affected by all of this.

"Why are we, lovers of justice, not flying across nations and oceans to be with you? Do those men value you more, because they are willing to spend their time and money? Shouldn't we have more of a passion to pursue you?"

"Chains of poverty, fear, and lack of education bind them to their shacks. In the same moment, I realize that there are people from my country who are bound to their three-bedroom, two- and a half bath homes. Cords like passivity, apprehension, and lack of awareness keep them from addressing the visible symptoms of a hurting world."

 "The power of change resides not with a nation's chief executive but in the resolve of ordinary people to act in ordinary ways."

"Many small people, who in many small places, do many small things, can alter the fate of the world."

I pray that we be dangerous, that we walk in the light of God. That we aren't afraid to go to the dark places to shine the light. I pray that even if we stay in our home country that we aren't comfortable. That we are uncomfortable and do all that we can from where we are to fight injustice. Sex trafficking is in every part of the world. In every city, including my hometown of Chicago where 60-70,000 women are trafficked every year. I pray that we don't turn the other cheek but we stand up and raise our voice for the voiceless. That we come together as the body, as the church to fight this. Criminals can work across international borders, why can't we? I pray that bride of Christ comes together to end sex trafficking and that we would go boldly to proclaim the truth and to bring the light to the dark places because if our God is for us, then who or what can stand against us?

Freedom

So I guess I didn't totally realize everything that I was getting myself into when I signed up to do YWAM. I am getting totally and completely wrecked for Jesus. I am at the end of the 3rd week and I am already feeling like a completely different person.  The first week we talked a lot about the basics, intercession, hearing God's voice, YWAM, and the basics of Christianity. I was reminded so much that God loves me. He loves me and wants to talk to me and talk to others through me. He wants to use me to change the world. We also shared our testimonies, and it got very real very fast.  It was amazing to see all the similarities so many of us had with each other. Our leaders keep talking about how it's amazing how open and vulnerable we have gotten with each other so quickly. There is just some hunger in us that makes us want more in this life, more on fire for God.

Two weeks ago we talked about the attributes and characteristics of God. I was reminded of how unworthy we are of God's love and affection but He calls us worthy. He deems us worthy, He sent His son to die on a cross for us. We also ended the last day of class forgiving people, in our past for things they had done to us and hurt us. I forgave people that made me lose trust in friends and have made me put up walls with people.

Last week. It's hard to put into words what has happened this past week. I have been so broken and so torn up BUT it has also brought so much freedom and so much life into me! Hurts and things that happened so long ago were brought up and I was able to finally release it all to Jesus. We talked about intimacy with Jesus and it's just incredibly beautiful. I don't even know how to describe what happened. It is such a beautiful thing. Thursday the guys did the Haka for us, their sisters in Christ. They were making a declaration that they are waging a war against the world and the standards of "beauty" that have been pushed into our society, into our being. They were standing up for us and saying that we are beautiful and we are worth fighting for. The Haka is what Maori warriors do before going into battle and it is used to intimidate the enemy. It is used to show power. Something happened as they circled around all of us girls and declared that  they were going to fight this battle for us and with us. That they are going to wage war against the war in so many girls mind about self-hatred and body image. A lot of us felt that there was something different and that something shifted in that room and that enemy fled from that place.

Spiritual Warfare is very real and I'm beginning to realize this more and more. We don't see it in the states/North America. We have become so complacent. We don't believe that demons are around or that people can be demon possessed but they can and will and do. Just because we don't see it doesn't mean it is not around. The devil does not want us to be here and really getting into the word and finding out who we are in Christ. The devil is scared of this group that I am with because we are so on fire for Jesus. We want to see the world changed and we want to see Jesus' name be spread throughout all of the world, and we want to see Justice spread throughout the whole world.

It's Just The Beginning

I'm here. I'm here in my new home in Oxford. After enjoying some great time on the North Island visiting Auckland area, and down to Tauranga, where I visited Hobbiton, Rotorua (Maori Village), and Bay of Islands. I set off on another plane ride down to Christchurch where I was picked up by 2 of my awesome team leaders and met some girls from my team! It was then an hour long drive to Oxford through sheep and cow filled fields.  There are mountains surrounding most of Oxford and it is just a beautiful town filled with wonderful people.

Weekends are pretty chill here on base and they will be the times that have off from classes and everything just to be and hang out together. Sunday night we had a BBQ where we met all of the base staff which was awesome. We got to spend just an evening together of getting to know them and the trustees of the base.  We are a family here. I am surrounded by brothers and sisters. and I LOVE IT!

I have loved my first 2 days of classes and what we have shared and gone on and what's going on. I'm still processing what we've talked about these 2 days and as soon as I have a better grasp (maybe this weekend) I'll share more of what's going on in me.

I absolutely LOVE my team and the people I am here with. They are all so amazing. I have the greatest roommates a girl could ask for and just wonderful housemates. So I am living in a house with about 15/16 other girls. We have a kitchen, living room, dining room area, 3 bathrooms and a washing machine. :) The bathrooms are a bit weird here, the toilet is in one room and then sink/bathtub/shower are in another. But we also have other ones where the toilet and sink are in the same room. We live about a half block from the base, which is where we eat lunch/dinner, have our classes, get mail, hang out, and then we have the field of dreams, which is where we had an awesome game of ultimate frisbee on Saturday afternoon.

The town of Oxford is small. It has a couple of coffee shops, a fish and chips place, 1 grocery store, a post office, and a library. There are 2 churches, a skate park and a playground. We are surrounded by mountains and I absolutely love it. We have a lookout point that is about a 20 minute walk from base and you basically walk up this hill and look out to see all of Oxford and this is what you see.

I will post more pictures once I have taken them and I will also be adding another page that you can access from the different buttons on top that will be of New Zealand. I have added a button with a page of how you can contact me while I am in New Zealand. :)

I am excited to see what God is going to do in me because He is already doing so much and it's only been 2 days of classes!!! Continue to pray that we grow as a family and that we continue to seek out God's voice.

Love.

20 Hours of Travel and the First 2 Days

I'm here. In some ways I still can't believe that I am here in New Zealand. I'm still adjusting to being here but I know this takes time.  It's been a bit chilly here but it is just the beginning of their spring here, so it's very comparable to the chilly days I left in Chicago.  I've done a bit of exploring with my wonderful host Lynne, a family friend that lives here in Auckland. But I should back up and share about my flights over here.

I got to the airport in Chicago and had a bit of a complication with checking my bags.  I think it was more that it was a newer person checking my things in then something wrong with my ticket/reservations.  I then said my goodbyes and went through security. My flight to LA was good and I had some great conversations with the two guys who sat next to me. One of them was Scottish and had some great tips for me for flying a long distance. Both were very encouraging about my trip and how it definitely is a life changing experience for me. They also helped me head off in the right direction for catching my next flight.

LAX is a very confusing airport as it is not all connected inside by walkways where you can walk from terminal to terminal but rather you have to go outside (out of security) and walk to another terminal. There is a shuttle that will take you from terminal to terminal, and that is where I met a number of people that were also going to New Zealand and so we all set off to find our terminal together. It was nice to be able to have someone to chat to as we were waiting to board our next flight. I was gearing up for this what seemed like an extremely long 12-hour flight. It's crazy to think that I was on a plane for that long but it was a great experience.

I had been able to purchase an upgrade for really cheap so I had more leg room and was able to recline a bit more which was GREAT and I think helped make the journey a lot easier.  I also had a window seat...which really didn't do anything considering I was flying over the Pacific Ocean the entire time I was in the plane.  The girl who was sitting next to me and I hit off really great and we became friends over the course of 12 hours. We felt as if we were in The Hunger Games (book/movie series) going to the capitol because of the stewards and stewardess' outfits, which were bright colors and slightly outrageous patterns.  I was able to watch a few movies and slept most of the way. I was grateful that I had gotten some compression socks to wear because they helped with blood circulation and keeping my legs from swelling.  The food was actually really good and I was really happy with everything. If you every are heading somewhere and can take an Air New Zealand flight, I highly recommend it!

After landing I had to collect all of my bags and go through customs.  I was nervous that I was going to end up bringing something I wasn't supposed to but I was fine and made it through customs. I was greeted by Lynne and we headed to her house so I could shower and change before we started our Tiki tour of Auckland.  I'm still getting used to the fact that they drive on the other side of the road here and that everything is on opposite sides.  We drove all around Auckland and we went up Mount Eden, which is a now dormant volcano. Fun fact about Auckland it is built around and on dormant volcanoes. I took some great pictures and will be posting them once I am able to get my computer connected to internet. We also went to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. There were a number of police cars and police men walking around, and so we asked one of them if the museum was open and they said yes but we had to use the back entrance because of an American VIP coming that day.  We made a joke of how it was me and he just laughed.  We went in the back entrance and we ended up finding out it was the American Secretary of Defense. He was there to honor some of the Kiwi soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan alongside American troops there. I saw some exhibits on the Maori people, who are indigenous to New Zealand. I tried to stay busy throughout the day to fight jet lag and I crashed at about 7:30pm Friday night.

After sleeping for 12.5 hours, I woke up on Saturday, feeling quite refreshed.  Today we took a drive from the West coast to the East coast to the town of Piha and went to see black sand beaches. They were really cool to see and we even saw some surfers out there. Piha is one of New Zealand's best beaches for surfing.  I feel as if it's still a bit cold to be surfing but to each their own.  The views were spectacular and I took a number of pictures, which I will upload as soon as possible.  We had lunch in a small cafe in Titirangi. I am very slowly beginning to be able to pronounce some of these Maori words, but it definitely is tricky then I thought it would be.

Some things that are different then our culture is that mid afternoon we have tea and scones.  We've also had coffee after lunch each day. Ordering coffee here is different as well. They have different names for different drinks. Today I had a Flat White Coffee which is basically a latte.  I'm still trying to figure out what a tall black/short black coffee is, so maybe one day I will be brave enough to try that. They like their foods more sweet then savory over here, or so it seems in the meals that I have had.  Their ketchup is sweeter over here and I don't know if I like it or not just yet. They also have something called Maramite over here, which I have not tried yet. It is similar to vegemite but according to Kiwi's it is much better. It is basically a yeast extract with a very distinct salty taste. You are supposed to eat a thin layer of it on toast with butter. So that is on my list of things to try but I just don't think I am ready just yet. I have yet to go into a store to see what I have access to yet, so I'm sure I will post about that in the next few days/weeks

Sorry for such a long entry today but there is just so much to catch up on. But all is well here in the land of Kiwis.  I am adjusting quite well and can't wait to get to Oxford next week and start my school. Thank you for all the prayers as I traveled and for my adjustment to life over here.

Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you
joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and
whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will
bring you to judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and
cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are
meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

What a Year Will Do...

A year ago I was moving home after graduating from college and a summer of sub-leasing an apartment with a friend to help some of our other friends out.  I had just worked a week at camp. I had no job, no apartment and what seemed as if I had no real purpose.  A year ago I was just searching for a job, any job so that I could start paying back my student loans and saving up for when I got out on my own. God had other plans in store for me. Plans so much better than what I could plan for myself. I've mentioned in earlier posts some of the difficulties that I've gotten through, not getting hired til November, my dad having a quadruple bypass, and other normal hardships of life. BUT had I gotten hired for any of the full time positions last fall I wouldn't be going and doing YWAM. I wouldn't have gone to Passion in January and I wouldn't have gotten called to do YWAM. I wouldn't be going overseas to learn more about God and his kingdom and about how to fight the injustices of the world.

I am currently in the midst of reading a few books to prepare and one is Love Does by Bob Goff. I am about half way through the book and absolutely LOVE it. The book is filled with simple stories from Bob's life and how love does. It's not just an emotion or something that you say but it is what you do.  The chapter that I just finished reading was about just saying Yes. This was a chapter about how Bob continued to say yes to what he thought was a practical joke from a friend but ended up being a real life situation of becoming a diplomat representing the Republic of Uganda to the United States. By Bob saying yes he ended up becoming a diplomat, he ended up representing Uganda. A quote from Love Does:

We were all meant to save many lives. God is always trying to save lives, and it seems like He usually uses the least likely people to do it.  So the next time God asks you to do something that is completely inexplicable, something you're sure is a prank because it requires a decision or courage that's way over your pay grade, something that might even save lives, say yes. You never know-there might be some cool flags in it for you. 

God wants to use us, to take steps of faith, to say yes. He only has great things in store for our lives and we just have to trust in that.

YWAM update: I have bought my plane ticket. I am leaving on September 19 at 6:30pm. I will fly from here to LA where I will have a 2 hour layover and will be leaving from there to fly to Auckland. It's a 14 hour flight from LA to Auckland. I also have 80% of my support in!! God is so good and I am so very blessed! I only need $2000 more to go.  Thank you so much for all of the love and support I have received over the past few months! I am so grateful! Continue prayers would be much appreciated as I am saying good bye to people and continue to prepare for my trip. 

You Won't Relent

I'm home from camp. This was the most exhausting summer I've ever experienced. It was a wonderful summer but it definitely took it's toll on me. Being in a leadership position was great but with it brings a whole heap of other responsibilities but the position I was in really fit me, at least that's what everyone keeps telling me. I had to rely on God to get me through each and every week. I came to a breaking point where I had nothing else to give but I would read a verse or hear a song and it would be exactly what I needed at that moment.  Two songs that I fell in love with this summer is "Forever Reign" by Hillsong and "You won't Relent" by Jesus Culture.

There were a few times this summer when I had a freak out moment about going half way around the world. The line in Forever Reign that brings me comfort is: You are peace, You are peace, when my fear is crippling. God is my peace throughout everything that went on this summer, throughout everything that has been going on now. God is my peace and will never leave me. God is continuously confirming that this is the next step in my life. God also will not give up til I give all of my self. Until he has all of me he won't relent. It is so easy for us to get lost in the everyday chaos of our life. We forget that God demands all of us every day and he will do whatever to get our attention and call us back to him. When I thought this summer that I could get by on my own strength and not on God, He would break me and bring me back to Him and where my focus should be.

You Won't Relent by Jesus Culture

You won't relent
Until You have it all
My heart is Yours
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/misty_edwards/you_wont_relent.html ]
I'll set You as a seal upon my heart
As a seal upon my arm
For there is love that is as strong as death
Jealousy demanding as the grave
And many waters cannot quench this love

Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one

Busy Bee

So this summer I am working at camp and have been a bit busy but I just wanted to update you on somethings.

First I just wanted to let everyone know that I have 60% of my support in!! This is a huge blessing and I am so grateful to everyone's genoristy when partnering with me to financially support me.
Secondly, I found out that I don't have to get a Visa because I am going to New Zealand and that is one of the countries we have an agreement with about visas so I don't have to worry about that :)
In the next week I will be buying my plane ticket to New Zealand. This is super excited and slightly nerve racking. I am so very excited about this next step and God has just been confirming more and more that this is what I should be doing. This past weekend I was talking to the day of a former camper and he had overheard me talking about YWAM and so he asked where I was going and I said New Zealand. He told me that his boss has just quit his job to move him and his family to New Zealand to work on a base as the base family/parents! I asked him which one it was and he wasn't sure but based on the description it sounds as if it is going to be the base that I will be at in Oxford! God is so amazing and just shows me in so many ways that this is his path for me right now.

Continue to pray for me as I prepare to go and as I am up here at camp. Pray that I can stay healthy and safe up here and have no injuries or sickness happen. :) Pray that I continue to get support in and that God would use me up here at camp and also during YWAM. Another request would be for my camp family, one of our full time staffer's mom passed away today. She lost her battle to cancer. She was an amazing woman, who served the Lord and made a huge impact on lives. So we know she is no longer suffering and she is with her Savior. So be praying for us as a staff to come alongside this family during this time and for all of us who knew her that God would just give us peace.

Love to you all!

Dr. Pepper

Today I am having a Dr. Pepper to remember a great leader, mentor, example and friend. Every time I have a Dr. Pepper I remember Phil Penner and the influence he had on my life. He had such a heart for missions and for people and for the lost. 4 years ago I was at camp when a friend told me that Phil was no longer with us. It's true when people say you don't know what you had until it was gone. Phil has played such an influence on my life and I know that he would be proud of me for going over seas on this great adventure to serve God and further the kingdom. I know he is proud of all the students he worked with and the people that he reached out to. I am so thankful for the influence Phil had on my life through those rough Junior High years and continuing throughout high school. Phil was an example of a Christ Follower. He made everyone feel loved and cared for at youth group. He went out of his way to talk to you and to come to your events. Phil opened my eyes to the world around me and how I am not in this little bubble of Val world but how there are people on the other side of the world that need to hear about Jesus. I am going to the other side of the world to tell people about Jesus. I am getting outside of my comfort zone and being pushed outside of my normal life. I am so excited, nervous and happy about this trip.

So thank you Phil for the influence you had on my life and so many other peoples. I wouldn't be the person I am today without people like you in my life. I am so grateful to have had you as a leader in my life. I miss you but I know that I'll see you again one day. 

So today I am drinking a Dr. Pepper which has become a favorite of mine and remembering some one very special to a lot of people and dwelling on God's goodness and faithfulness throughout the years. 

Glitter Gold

Yesterday I got back from a trip to Washington D.C./Annapolis, MD. I went to see a couple of my friends that I met at Passion in January. These were a few of the people that I first talked about YWAM with. These were the people that have been with me every single step of the way, from deciding on what organization to go with, to where I should be going, my decision to switch from Australia from New Zealand and then the whole waiting process.  They have prayed with me and for me. They have just been there and it was so awesome to spend a few days with a couple of them.  


When you are at Passion you are broken up into community groups, which can be anywhere between 2000-5000 people.  Ours was about 4000 and we were Glitter Gold.  You are then broken up into family groups, groups that you can process with what's happening at Passion and what you are learning. Last time I went, I had a good group but we really didn't connect. This time however was completely different. We all connected, we became a legit family. We were open and honest, vulnerable and shared what was really going on in our lives.  We were praying with each other each time we met. We were close and I didn't want to leave them. We have kept in contact via email, skype, letters, texting and phone calls. We have seen each other through some pretty tough times in the past few months. One of the guys has been really great about helping me out because he actually just got back from YWAM before he came to Passion. And the amazing God is totally in control of what is going on is that I am going to the same base that he went through. I am going to have some of the same people leading my team that led his team. He has been awesome about answering questions whenever I have them. It's awesome to see how God truly does have everything under control. The rest of my group has been awesome and so supportive as well and I am completely and utterly blessed to call them family. 


Today I head up to camp for the summer. I will be serving at Lake Geneva Youth Camp as the Counselor at Large meaning, that I will be the counselor for the girl counselors. I am very excited about this opportunity to serve and minister in a new way. :) It will push me and stretch me and I am very excited about it. Some prayer requests while I'm up there are:


-For health and safety. It is long days and short nights, so be in prayer that I can stay healthy and that I can  make sure that my girls are taking care of themselves.
-That I will be a strong leader for my girls and that I can bring us together as a group and we can support each other.
-I will also be buying my plane ticket, getting my visa, medical insurance, and putting more things together for YWAM. Just be in prayer that I buy at the right time to get the best deal and that I make the best decisions about what I should be buying for my trip. 
-That God is glorified in every single thing that I and the rest of the staff do. That we would love each and every camper, family and whoever else we come in contact with this summer. This is the reason of why we are going. This is the reason of why we are serving and giving up our summers. 


If you would like to send me mail while I'm at camp :) It's a great encouragement to get mail at camp. :) You can send me mail at 
Lake Geneva Youth Camp
W2655 South Street
Lake Geneva, WI 53147




UPDATE ON SUPPORT:
As of today I have 40% of my support that I need to raise. I am so incredibly blessed to have you all supporting me in my life and I am blown away by how God is providing. This was something that I was very worried about before heading off to camp was if I was making a smart decision about serving at camp. But God has proven to be continually faithfully through you all and I am on my way to being fully supported. :) A verse that comes to mind when I think about this is Romans 8:31 "What shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" I should not fret and worry about money coming in because if God is for me then what can come against me?  I am so grateful for all of the prayer and financial support you have given me. I love you all and hope you have a great summer. I will continue to post updates about my trip and what's going on in my life this summer. 

God in the Small Things

In the past few years I've become so much more aware of God in the small thing of life. I've gone through some big changes/struggles/issues/problems in the past 4 years, as most college students do and I learned to see God in the small things in life as well as in the big things. God has been confirming that New Zealand is the right thing in my life right now. I've just been finding out so many different connections with New Zealand or with Oxford that I never knew that I had! 


-My friend's grandma lives about an hour and a half from where I'll be in New Zealand. I never knew that  his grandma lives there and it was just one of those random connections. 
-A guy that I worked with at North Park, his wife did a DTS (Discipleship Training School) at Oxford right after she graduated from New Zealand. 
- A girl I went to North Park with my freshman year told me she knows another girl going on this exact same trip! I'm going to be hopefully connecting with her in the next month or so. :)
-My parents have friends that live in Auckland and they have most graciously said that I can come stay with them early so that I can adjust to the time and also to do some sightseeing on the North Island as I won't be doing that while I'm in training. 


These are just a few of the ways God has been confirming this in my life. It just seems very much the right thing and what God is calling me to do. Someone told me this awhile ago when I was in the waiting process of hearing back from YWAM about whether or not I'm accepted. "When God says Yes, No one can say No." If God is calling me on this trip then everything will fall into place, my support will come in, I'll get everything done and ready and it will be a (hopefully) smooth process. :) I think about in Romans 8:31 how it says "If God is for me, then who can be against me?" And it so true. If God is for me in going then who will stand against me? I know I will come across hardships and difficulties because I am going to proclaim the name of Jesus and to make Him known to the lost. To show compassion and love and mercy and justice to those who receive none. The Devil does not want this and so I pray and ask for you to pray for me that I stand strong and that I do not get discouraged by things that don't go according to plan. That I would persevere through hardships and trials that come. 


Thank you for all the love and support I have felt and gotten in the past 2 weeks! I am so deeply encouraged and will be giving you an update on how I am doing on my support soon!


Love you.

Kia Ora...or Greetings in Maori

Just a year ago I was walking across a stage and receiving my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. So much has happened in the past year, and all of it gears up to the next step in my life. I have applied for, interviewed and gotten turned away from jobs. I also was finally hired as a Substitute teacher for the Chicago Public School system, which has been a very interesting experience. My dad had a quadruple bypass last fall, which showed me that God has a plan for everything and because I didn't have a permanent job and because I am living at home, I was able to be there during the day and hlep the transition once he got home. He's doing great in case you were wondering. 


In January I had the opportunity to go the Passion Conference in Atlanta. Passion is geared towards 18-25 year olds. Honestly, I went to hear David Crowder one last time and to hear some awesome speakers. God had a different plan. At the conference the overall theme was freedom and slavery. Right now in the world there are 27 million people enslaved. This number is outrageous and it bothers me that I have been sitting idly by and haven't done anything to stop this injustice. I was challenged by Christy Caines who shared how you truly don’t have compassion on a person until it moves you to action. Francis Chan challenged us with a very simple yet profound statement, that you read your Bible and do what it says. We are called to go into all the world and make disciples. We are called to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God. Louie Giglio challenged us to be fearless and to live out our everyday lives for God, to be fearless in our actions and to be bold in what we do and say. I was challenged by the music from songs like White Flag and The Only One by Chris Tomlin, Not Ashamed by Kristian Stanfill and seeing Chris Tomlins How Great Is Our God World Edition brought me to tears. We are so very blessed here in the US to be able to worship God in our churches and being able to have the freedom to talk about Him. 


I came home challenged and on fire for God. I felt called to go and serve. I don’t have to wait for my life to start or for me to settle down or anything, I am called to go now and serve and tell the world about Jesus. I decided to go with YWAM because of their DTS program. DTS stands for discipleship training school and it was exactly what I need and want for right now in my life. The first tree month I will be in Oxford, New Zealand learning about God, his attributes, how to hear his voice, how to pray, how to intercede and so much more. My DTS also has a justice focus so I will also be learning about slavery and human trafficking, fair trade, gender equality and human rights. The next 3 months I will be putting what I have learned into action. I will be going to another country and serving God and telling people how the love of God and what he has done for us. I will be working with a team of people who are from all over the world but who all have a heartbeat of serving our God. 


I am so very excited about this opportunity and so very excited to have you partner alongside of me in this journey. In the next few weeks I will be sharing how I came to the point of YWAM and the journey of getting accepted to New Zealand. It was a journey of God opening and closing doors and I can’t wait to see where God will be leading in the future. 


I want to leave you with the verses that are on the homepage for my trip and I have fallen in love with and what I believe is the calling for this trip. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or send me an email and I will get back to you as soon as possible. 

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called Oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. ~Isaiah 61:1-3