say hello...

...to the India and Nepal team!

: )

a quick little snipit

Laundry day once again.

I just love having clean clothes and towels!

18 days from now I will be boarding a plane, starting the 46 hour of an adventure to India!

next week we will be spending the week in Kauai camping.

which I am very much excited about. 

this week is outreach prep week so we have a few different rules for the week.

first we are not allowed to go anywhere by ourselves. or with just one guy and girl.

it always has to be groups of 3 girls, or 2 guys and a lady.

and we have a curfew. In our houses at 10.

since these are a few of the rules we will have to stick with, they are just getting us ready!

okay thats it.

for now at least.

week 7. uh huh.

man o man.

once again I have dropped the ball.

blogging is way more complicated than I thought.

Or maybe Im just making it that way.

I think it always seems like a bigger task than it is because I feel like I have to put all this thought into it.

When really, these are usually just a bunch of little bits of randomness that have been riding around in my brain.

Today is Thursday. Thursday of week number 7.

This week our speaker is Dan Shannon and the topic is the Fear of the Lord.

Its pretty safe to say that this has been one of my favorite weeks so far.

The truth he has been speaking to us has been gnarly. 

Just how big, and amazing, and powerful God is.

And how ridiculous His love is for us.

One of the things my eyes have been opened, or reopened, or maybe even just widened to, is the wonder of God.

Right now, open a new tab in your browser.

Just trust me.

Go to youtube and type in: The awe factor of God-Francis Chan

Im not theological, or super insightful or anything like that. But after watching that, I just had to sit and think. and think. and think. 

Its crazy How amazing God is.

Yeah.

Just a tiny, itty bitty, little taste of what I have been thinking about these past few days.

Moving on...

If any of you did not know, I got my best friend, Christina Ozment, sent to me for my Birthday. What a surprise, and what a treat. 

It was so much fun, and so nice to have a little piece of home for a while. : )

Also, One of my friends Matt, just sent me a new camera, called a Holga, that I will be playing with, so look forward to some pictures on facebook as I play with it, and explore more of my artsy side! 

In other news...

In exactly one month I will be in India, and then Nepal.

It will take us 46 hours to get there because we will have a layover in Taiwan, and then a lovely 20 hour lay over in Bangkok.

So prayer for traveling safety, and patience would be a good thing : )

Especially as we make our way around those countries by way of vans, rickshaws, and train.

Im looking so so forward to it as we prepare more, and learn more about the countries and religions.

I love you all.

I must now depart because my internet hour is almost up.

ta ta!

: )

Im not very good at this.

Sorry guys. Its alot harder to keep up with this thing than I thought it would be. So my apologies. I will try my best to make time for this thing, along with keeping up with other things like phone calls, facebook, e-mails, ichat, and school. These things add up!! 

On another note...

 Some amazing stuff has been happening. God has been working on my heart in amazing ways. Im so excited about the way He is revealing Himself to me. It has just in the past few days been more real to me than it has ever been in my whole life. This week the speaker has been talking about life in the spirit, and it was so great! Just being reminded that our God is a God that wants a personal relationship, and He walks with us side by side through life. Sounds so simple, and whatever, but its amazing. 

The really cool thing is that the speaker, Dudley, (what a name : )) had our pictures before he came and had been praying for God to give him words about each of us. So today, he did just that. And it was AWESOME to hear God speak through him.

Here is what he felt God told me about him...

The words he got for me were wisdom, grace, efficiency, order and proficiency. 

Capacity to run things smoother. Leader like Lydia in Acts

Filled with joy. 

Meant to have people at my table, in my home, including royalty, nobles, and influencers.

They will know God because of my faithfulness.

I am so excited about this. And Im praying into it. And I hope you guys will do the same!

Thank you for sticking with me even though Im not the best at keeping up with this thing. 

You at home are amazing, I love you all. 

And p.s.

Im kind of, almost getting a tan.

I moved down from 45spf to 30spf this week! 

haha. 

bye 

: ]

Learning to Love to Live on an Island.

So.

Last time was just a quick update of my schedule.

There have been quite a few things that have happened since my last update.

Let me catch you up a bit.

Hm. Where to start.

How about Tuesday.

Lets see, Tuesday was the second day of class, and It was very nice to finally get on a schedule.

Rewind for a second Monday mostly consisted of rules, and signing up for things.

Okay continue...Tuesday we had our first speaker start.

 His name is Danny Lehmann. He is an amazing man of God. And he didn't pick a nice comfortable topic to start out the DTS with.

 The subject was pride and humiltiy, and spirtual disciplines. Talk about knocking you off your high horse. Its a good thing though. Its not near often enough that I look at myself and really examine how prideful I am. 

Humility, good. Pride, bad.

Then throw in spiritual disciplines. 

Its crazy how easy it is to let my time get spent on things that seem really important, or really are. 

But really, what is one hour in the morning. 

Nothing really.

Im figuring that out because we are required to have that time.

How lame huh?

That it takes a forced quiet time to realize that a quiet time is not that hard to do.

I mean seriously. 19 years of being a christian, and Im just figuring that out.

yeah...anyways. 

Tuesday we also got our work duties assigned to us. 

I was put on lunch and dinner clean up which Im very happy with. Basically, two other girls and I put the left overs away, refill containers, wash and sanitize dishes, and clean the kitchen. 

And only on Tuesdays, and Thursdays. 

What makes it extra neat, is during the alloted time for work duties, that means free time for me. yay!!

Okay, Moving on.

Wednesday...

we found out our outreach teams.

guess where Im going...

dun dun duuuuuun....

INDIA, and NEPAL!!!!

yes, you read right. 

two places!

Im so stoked, We are the only team that gets to go to two.

We will spend one month in each.

So so so excited.

So start praying for the people in those countries.

and for me, when I go to them in their countries.

: )

I think that is it for now...

I will try to update more often.

Time is busier than I thought it would be.

and now Im going to play tennis. 

Oh man...talk about entertainment.

Okay.

Love you all.

<3

Schedule smchedule

For all of you who are oh so anxious to know exactly what I am going to be doing everyday of the week for the next three months... Here you go!

MONDAY

7:30 Quiet time

8:30 Worship

9:30 Intercession

10:30 Lecture

1:30 Team Time

6:30 Lecture

TUESDAY

7:30 Quiet time

8:30 Reading time

9:30 Off

10:30 Lecture

1:30 Work Duties

6:30 Off

WEDNESDAY

7:30 Quiet time

8:30 Community Outreach

1:30 Prayer (optional)

6:30 Worship

THURSDAY

7:30 Quiet time

8:30 Intercession

9:30 Bible reading

10:30 Lecture

1:30 Work Duties

6:30 Lecture

FRIDAY

7:30 Quiet time

8:30 Breakout

9:30 Video/ Chapel talks

10:30 Lecture

1:30 Small group

6:30 Launch

8:30 Envangelism

SATURDAY: Off

SUNDAY: Church - Off

Went to the beach today! Got just a wee bit burnt. But things are going well so far. More updates later. 

Love : )

Hey peoples.

Today is my official second day here in Manoa Valley.

The rainy season is supposed to be coming to an end soon, and I really hope that is the case since tomorrow is beach day!

So let me give you a little update on what has gone on in the past couple days...

plane

nice lady

sheriffs

arrival

too much luggage

lunch

mall

unpacking

much much needed sleep

wake up-breakfast

rules

volleyball

lunch

yougurtland

dinner

aloha night

savemart 

tea!

ichat failure

sleep!

basically the past two days have been pretty relaxed. Just letting us all get our times adjusted, and used to being on the base(I thought I was jet lagged, there are people from switzerland, new zealand, australia, canada, and many more places!). A few organized events, and meals, but other than that it has been pretty chill. It has been nice though...Being put in a community of 50 plus strangers can take some time to get adjust to. 

So short story time. 

When I was waiting to board the plane, I was just sitting there like any other person. bouncing my knee, like I always do. No reason for it. Just because. anyways. This guy walks up to me and asked me if I was okay, I responded with a quick yes. Then he offered me his jacket, which I responded with an even quicker 'no thank you' and probably a nervous smile.

So that was the end of that. We all boarded the plane, 5 hours later we landed. Once we landed the pilot says, please stay seated, we have a passenger who needs assistance off the plane. I picture a sweet old lady with white hair, and and gaudy jewelry. But then on walk three sheriffs. Then, not soon after, off walk three sheriffs and the man who offered me his jacket. It wasn't a big deal, it just kind of caught me off guard. I actually kind of laughed. 

ooohhh man. 

Its time to go.

lecture time!

love you all. updates will get better.

or I will try at least. k bye.

: )

Im not good with the water works.

I will be up and on the road in four hours. yuck.

Man, the Lord has blessed me with some crazy amazing people.

I don't know why, but these people like me, and Im so thankful for that!

This whole goodbye process has been kinda weird though.

Cause I know I am leaving, but its not forever. 

It's actually a pretty short amount of time. 

Yet at the same time, most of these people play huge roles in my life. 

There are people that I hold dear to my heart, that I would love to have by my side during this, but I know this will be an amazing time of growth and strengthening, so Im excited for that!

But enough of the mushy stuff for now.

Today, I packed. 

Yes, I waited until the day before. 

So my mom talked to this Lady at YWAM who told her that most of the girls that come bring two suit cases.

I automatically thought that I would be the cool girl that didn't bring two suitcases. 

You know, like the carefree, Im a nomad with only one bag, things don't tie me down, super chill, one suitcase girl.

Yeah, I was put in my place real fast.

It's amazing how much room things take up.

I mean this aint no one week trip.

5 months looks a little different in a suitcase. well, make that two.

Im really ready to get this thing started, I feel like up until this point it has been all talk, emails, and planning. 

Im ready to get going, and get started!

Honolulu here I come. 

In the words of Josh Hodge:

'I can't wait to see what happens when God eats me up and poops me out.'

Thats probably inappropriate or something but it's true.

Im so excited to be worked in, and used by the Lord. 

For Him to change and mold me to be more like Him.

For His will to be done, His perfect will!

And to grow and draw nearer to Him daily!!

Pray that traveling goes well, and for all the great unknowns I will be walking into tomorrow!

<3

First Blog. Oh joy!

So this blog thing is all new to me.

So bare with me...

I will probably ramble, make no sense, not use correct grammar, and I definitely make up words, and won't spell things right. 

Ill probably post dumb pictures.

Just don't judge, and have low expectations, and then this could be the best blog you have ever read! : )

Here we go...

Today, April 2, 2009, marks 6 days before my departure. 

I've got 5 target bags sitting next to me on the floor, Reminding me that this isn't just some weekend trip.My favorite item...Spiderman gummy vitamins. so what if my stomach cant handle adult vitamins. At least I will be vitaminaly and mineraly supplemented.

I feel like I've got a billion things to do before leaving on top of getting as much quality time in with the people I hold dear to me. 

Which probably means I should be doing them instead of typing about how I should be doing them. Oh well. Im over it.

Im praying that these last days will magically become a bit longer. that would be amazing. 

But since they will probably remain 24 hour days, Im going to make the most that I can out of them.

Okay, I think Im done.

How am I supposed to end this thing?

Uh...Bye?

Maybe how you can be praying for me?

yeah, i think that sounds good.

(yes I have a list)

1. Wisdom on how to spend my time these last few days before I leave, Its kind of stressful trying to fit a bunch of stuff in!

2. Keeping my focus on the reason I am doing this, JESUS, and that drifting away from that is not even an option.

3. Peace in all the unknowns I will face in less than a week

4. Good deals on all the stuff I have to purchase for this trip! 

The end!

Love you all, or most of you at least : )