back to civilization on June 3rd!

FRIENDS! I am heading

here: to East Timor

to love on these beautiful children:

and also here: Darwin

to love on aboriginal community! can't even wait!

I will be back to Townsville on June 3rd... with one week of DTS left, a week and a half of traveling with friends to Sydney and the Gold Coast and back to the beautiful state of Georgia on June 22nd!

LOVE YOU GUYS!

a little tuesday inspiration:

Just the little things:

sometimes you just need a sweet reminder of the little things that make ya happy... like:

back to the base!

so we've been back from outreach for almost a week.... I can't believe it! We had to say bye to one of our dearest friends and teammates, Cory Nikkel. He is captain of his college football team at home and had to go home early to start training and practices and what not... so that was really emotional for all of us and we got a small glimpse of what it will be like to say bye to our friends on DTS. Cory lives in Iowa, so I have no doubt that I'll see him again at some point... but we called ourselves, big sis and little bro... so I will certainly miss him around here. it's been strange to not have the whole team here. some of us went out to dinner with Cory his last night here and then stayed up 'til 3:30am with him and then woke up again at 5 to see him off. it is so wonderful to get to be back with everyone again and love on our friends and here everyone's stories!

people picnicking on the beach for Cory!

ordering pizza and coke :) of course.

cory, liz, me, and chello!

this week we are studying missions. it has been incredible thus far. basically missions in everyday life, not just being a "missionary" and having a "missionary" lifestyle, but living a life of missions whether it's in your hometown, or God calls you somewhere else, doing frontier mission work, and also using your gifts and talents and seeing what the Bible says about those things as well. it's been pretty fascinating and has also really challenged the way I think. I don't always agree with everything I hear on DTS necessarily, and so I really like this week because it's all about how you look at it. so I'm really looking forward to everything coming up. our last day of lectures is tomorrow and next week we have spiritual warfare! so I'll be anxious to update everyone.

we leave for our 2nd outreach next Saturday! I cannot believe it. I'll keep everyone posted sometime this week on details! thanks for your prayers and encouragement!

Got some more cute pictures from outreach :)

the most precious little princess, Brianna. LOVED playing with and loving on her.

hard to see, but i'm speaking a little after school program!

loved this little muffin, Josephine. she would hang all over me. it was so cute!

some of my sweet girls at Home Hill Primary

FIRST OUTREACH!

So, I know it's been a long time since I've written in my blog... BUT, I wrote a post the other day, a really great, detailed one with pictures and lots of fun things... and about a month ago, my macbook battery quit working and so the only time my computer works is if it's plugged into the wall (because there is no battery in it) and it got kicked on accident and came unplugged and the whole thing got wiped out.... UGH. So, here is my attempt at the same blog post. I know I'll be leaving major details out on accident, but I'm going to try and keep you updated on everything that's been happening!

Right now, we are in the last week of our first outreach. I am with a team of 11 others (9 other students and 2 leaders) and we have been traveling a little further south than Townsville. The first week and a half we were in a small town called Ayr. It was PRECIOUS. It reminded me of the town I grew up in. The people were the kindest, most hospitable people I have ever met in my life. They gave a new meaning to our american term, "southern hospitality." They fed us multiple times, invited us into their homes for dinner and to watch movies, and really took an avid interest in getting to know us individually and as a team. Most of what we did in Ayr was help out in the schools. We taught their RE (religious education classes), did games, skits, songs, teachings for their after school programs, hung out with the kids on their lunch breaks... and even got to go into some of the high schools and be a part of their biology, drama, and p.e. classes! it was SO much fun. I also got the opportunity to speak and share my story and a little teaching with a high school girl's self esteem group. As soon as Maddie and Chelsea (my leaders) brought it up, I KNEW I had to speak at it. So I prayed into it and we all did as a team and everyone felt that I should be speaking. So that was pretty cool. It was INCREDIBLE. I have never really told my story like that... I've given my testimony once to my covenant group, but when it's your good friends, they already know a lot about you as it is, so it was a smidge different and took a completely different spin. did I mention this group was full of non-Christians? there wasn't a single believer there. so that made me nervous because my whole story is me being a complete DISASTER and how the Lord has relentlessly chased after me my whole life... even when I didn't believe in Him and even when I was completely oblivious.

So... I shared my story and since it was a self esteem group, really tried to emphasize the "identity" aspect of it all. Which is something I still really struggle with. To me, that's so interesting because as much as I still really struggle with it, the Lord has given me a lot of authority in that area and also a lot of wisdom and too, given me a strong passion for helping young women realize who they are in Christ. I've had visions and had people tell me about things they've heard and seen from the Lord about me speaking to young women, the authority I have with young women, and that I'd be a woman of influence... and so when I was speaking, the Lord was revealing to me the same things. It was just unreal. I started to cry at the end of my story because I think for the first time I truly realized how GOOD the Lord has been in my life and how He really has brought me from one end to another... and how He continually chooses me and wants to provide and love and care for me. and then I started to cry because I so desperately wanted these girls to GET IT. to know who they are in Christ. to know that what others say about them is not who they are. to know that they are chosen and dearly loved... that Jesus LIKES them and desires their affection and their attention. He wants to be loved by them! they are made with purpose and just the way they are because that's exactly the way God wanted them to be! it sounds so simple, but it's the hardest thing to grasp... especially as a woman. but I was told it went well, which I couldn't tell you, because I don't really remember much of what I said. it was truly all God and I am so grateful that He chose me for that opportunity. I can't wait for another chance to share and minister to young girls. I really feel like that's something I'm supposed to be doing in ministry.

so yea, Ayr was incredible. we had a lot of fun... we stayed in a little church and we were busy bees! then after a week and a half, we came to Airlie Beach, which is where we are now. It was a lot different from Ayr. Airlie Beach is part of the Whitsundays, which is a beautiful group of islands with amazing beaches... it's very touristy and full of backpackers from all over the world. There's nothing but bars and shops here and lots of young people. Immediately when we arrived I felt this heaviness and like I was being attacked and I got really homesick. So when we got to where we were staying (a beautiful house- the YWAM Whitsunday base- looks straight out of Jurassic Park, literally in the rainforest), I went outside, prayed about my frustrations, and then came back in and took a nap. when I woke up... literally there were 8 Americans in the house, some with thick southern accents. I thought I was dreaming. NOPE. A team from the World Race was staying at the base as well and they were all from southern states: Tennessee, Alabama, the Carolinas, Texas, etc... one girl's mom went to Samford (where I went to school) and another girl was a ZETA! (my sorority)... no lie, it was so sweet. I felt like God was giving me a little piece of home to answer my prayers and to show me some love! also- the girl from Alabama's accent sounded just like my best friend, Carly's! which they grew up about 45 min away from each other, so that makes sense. it was so precious! God has continued to do that for me a couple times whilst on outreach. there was a book that I was really wanting to get... someone had prayed for me on the base about restoring my relationship with God as a Father (which is what I'm working on with Him now), and there's a book called "He Loves Me." which is all about living in freedom and love with God as a Father and what not. one of the World Race girls put it in the free pile at the base and I now have it! it's mine! yippee! and I couldn't find it anywhere. so that was pretty cool... an answered prayer.

so since being in Airlie Beach, we have done a lot of backpacking evangelism. Basically, just meeting people and hanging out and trying to build relationships. It was going okay, it's not the most natural and comfortable thing in the world... but Liz and I met some really cool people and some other team members have had amazing stories. We also did a prayer walk around the city and just prayed for the people that come in and out of here and all the places on the main strip. and yesterday we did a free bbq on the beach for people and it was just AMAZING. we had so many people come! and our thought was that they'd probably just come and eat and then take it and go... but they stayed to hang out with us! we bought food for 75 people and we had one hot dog left at the end :) so we were pleased and the people kept saying how blessed they were... they totally didn't understand why we would do something nice for FREE without expecting something in return. so it was cool... I truly think it spoke more about who God is than anything else we've ever done. our friend Fanny ended up praying with another french girl and the girl was just so moved. no one had ever prayed for her or with her before. that baffled my mind... it was just a cool day.

so today we have the day off. I'm sitting in a cafe' with Liz and Katie. the rest of the team is out on a boat tour of the Whitsundays. we decided to pass because of money and sea sickness! haha. Katie and I threw up the whole time on our trip to the Great Barrier Reef about a month ago, so we decided not to attempt to do that again... so the 3 of us are having a nice relaxing day of coffee, lunch, pedicures, and beach time. it'll be a nice, refreshing day.

all in all- I have learned a lot on outreach... a lot about spiritual warfare, working as a team, my own personal relationship with God, learning how to step down and not always lead... when to be a chief and when to be an indian, and how to truly love (not just tolerate) others. My attitude the last week since being in Airlie has been pretty bad... just really negative and I've been under a lot of spiritual attack, over my mind, my heart, and even my body! it's been crazy.... but as I've really prayed, sought out God, and really tried to be intentional with my time and my authority, I've been able to overcome it, but still struggle a bit. but God's good and we're working it out. my heart is feeling a little foggy, but it's definitely better than it was. we leave here on Friday and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't counting down the minutes. I'm definitely ready to be reunited with my friends on the base and to prepare over the next 2 weeks for our final outreach... 2 weeks in Darwin and 4 weeks in East Timor (formally Indonesia). if I thought this was tough, those are going to be even moreso.

anyhoo... I'm good and safe... God is good. Australia is good (full of rain and bugs though), and I am missing home more than I ever thought I would. but I'm pushing through!

BE BLESSED. I am so grateful for each and every one of you. LOVE YOU! thank you for your prayers!!!

the internet is too slow here to post pictures, so that will have to wait until we get back to the base!

LOVE YOU.

AYR. our 1st stop.

at the Burdekin School for Harmony Day!

Team Timor :)

painting hands for harmony day!

sweet girls at Home Hill Primary after school program! Circus Day!

celebrate harmony day at the Burdekin School

of course I chose pink, hehe.

chelsea, maddie, liz, and me... our day off! coffee date :)

one of my favorite things about australia :)

katie, me, fanny, and liz... roomies!

Whitsundays/Airlie Beach!

Liz, Katie, & Me on our girls day off!

another of Whitsundays/Airlie... reminds me of L.A.

more.. beautiful sailboats!

and the beach on a beautiful day :)

these are actual photos taken by people on our team of some of the islands! i wasn't there, but i got them from maddie! isn't it lovely?

and of course... the best thing to ever come out of switzerland, my darling friend, fanny.

that's all i got for now. update again soon.

Provider.

wow. I am writing this post with so much joy it's UNREAL!

so... at the beginning of last week, I still needed $1127 for my outreach fees to be able to leave this coming Saturday... all the fees were due last Thursday. I approached my leader in tears because I truly had NO idea where it was coming from. I had exhausted all my efforts and then I get online... express my frustrations to my best friend, Carly, and she and Tyler felt they should give and within 5 minutes... I had half of my outreach fees. In the next couple of days, I got all of my money sent in... some by people I didn't even know and some by close friends and family! Holy crap! I ended up with $1150... and I needed $1127. I hate asking people for money, so my pride really got in the way. but holy moly... did the Lord provide!

I saw Him provide $6000 over the weekend between me and some of my classmates. One of my friends found $200 on her bed, was given an additional $200, then $1200, and another $1000. all in the course of ONE DAY!!! And another one of my friends got his entire outreach paid for by one person... can you believe this? another girl has found $500 on her bed TWICE! Is our God not great??

the big kicker is this one... last night we had a time of giving because we still had a bunch of people who did not have their outreach fees paid for and we're leaving this Saturday. SO.... we needed $10,665. within 20 minutes, every single cent of that money was paid for and provided for by OTHER STUDENTS DONATIONS. We all gave what little we had and between 60 of us, we were able to pay for others to go on outreach. unbelievable.

also with the giving.... we did gifts as well. while we were camping, on Lordship week, I felt like I needed to give my most favorite piece of jewelry, my cameo necklace from my Nana, to another girl on the other DTS. It was really special to me and I did NOT want to give it up, but I couldn't shake it off that I had to. so I gave it away and I was super bummed about it. last night... one of my darling friends, Liz, gave me her cameo necklace! it was so precious. her older sister gave it to her and then she gave it to me and said, "from one sister to another..." so that just melted my heart! also, if you know me, you know I love to give and receive letters and cards. So, I love good pens. Sharpie pens are my absolute favorite. My friend, Sam, has these amazing pens that I always ask to borrow.... and she gave them to me last night! so stinkin' precious. now I can write even more fabulous and wonderful notes with my new pens! I also got a really sweet letter from my friend, Katie, last night. so I was just feeling INCREDIBLY blessed. I gave away some things too, and it was just awesome to watch people feel loved. SO SO SO GOOD. My heart was so full.

also today, I got my Valentine's package from my Covenant Group girls! Meg, Carly, Christina, and Jen (see their blogs on the right hand side of my page)! complete with button earrings made by my best friend, Carly Gail Ward, and some candy (smarties, my fave!!), and then notes from all of them. such a sweet gift! I get care packages all the time, I swear I have more candy and food than I know what to do with!!

I am a blessed little lady. I have the best friends in the world. the sweetest family. I'm having the time of my life in Australia. I am absolutely in love with my Jesus. I cannot wait to go on outreach, spend some time in Sydney, and then go back to my life at home!

thanks friends for all your love, encouragement, and support. couldn't do it without you.

2 weeks of camping in the outback!

Wow. I haven't written an in depth blog post in a LONG time. I started to work on my newsletter this week and my computer shut off and it didn't save any of the work :( so it's taken me awhile to get back to writing everything.

SO... 2.5 weeks ago, we left as a DTS to go camping at this place called Hidden Valley, about an hour and a half-2 hours away from the base. Me and my motion sickness hated the drive up there, but it was worth it once we arrived. Most of you know that I am NOT a camper. I've liked camping a lot the previous times I've gone, but there's always been fresh running water and a clean bathroom and such if we needed it.... So the first day, mine and Liz's 2 man tent BROKE. I'm talking.... poles split in 4 different places. So we were a little peeved... we are both city girls and SUPER girly girls. A few hours later, we received a new tent surprisingly from one of the staff, and the tent was HUGE! We could stand up in it... it was a 4 man tent for just the 2 of us! so we were overjoyed and like little kids at Christmas.

the first week of lectures was Lordship week. We had a guy named Mark Parker from New Zealand, and the first couple days I was thinking, "get me out of here." I just was NOT feeling up to anything that we were doing and was really closed off... but by the 3rd day, the Lord was still at work in my heart, and I was able to really get into what we were doing. the whole week was about giving EVERYTHING to Christ, letting Him be Lord of your life, surrendering everything, trusting in His provision... etc. We learned all about the old testament and the tabernacle and how people used to come to the tabernacle and bring burnt offerings and sin offerings, etc etc. so our ministry time was just INCREDIBLE. every week we have a ministry time where we really try to tangibly display the things that are going on in our hearts every week... Lordship week time was that we bring a burnt offering (could be anything really) and also a sin offering (things we needed to confess: unbelief, pride, etc. or things against others, ridding ourselves of shame, guilt, etc.) and then a commitment (if you wanted to) to follow and go wherever the Lord leads you, to let Him be the Lord of your life... all your decisions, all your thoughts, all your dreams and we do this in front of everyone in the DTS. the day that I knew I had to do this, I literally cried ALL day long because I knew the things I was going to have to release to the Lord...

I'm older, I have considered my options, I have counted the costs... and I knew I was going to have to give up my rights to a job, to money, to food, etc... if the Lord asked me to. that I was going to have to give up my desire to be married (not that He won't give me that, because He gave me the desire, but if He decided that I won't, then I would have to be okay with that), to have a family, to have financial stability, etc. Please don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that I can't have those things or that the Lord is going to take those things away from me, but I had to come to the point in my heart where I could say to myself, if none of these things happen for me, STILL I will praise the Lord, STILL I will see Him as a good God. He might ask me to move somewhere really far away from my family and friends, may ask me to do things I don't want to do and go places I don't want to go... but if I commit my life, I commit to doing those things, no matter the cost because He is worth it.

That day though, I wasn't thinking like that. I was literally thinking that the Lord was just going to take everything away from me that I wanted. I was mad that I had to go up there... But I went up there, gave my offerings, committed my life, and just wept. then, JoAnne, one of our leaders, pulled me aside and gave me the verse from Jeremiah 29:11... which I never read because it's been read SO many times by everyone and I often times overlook it. but there's SO much truth in what it says and so much peace that comes from it. I LOVE my version in one of my bible's, the ESV.

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD, plans for WHOLENESS and not for evil, to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek Me and you will find Me. When you seek Me with all of your heart, I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD." Jer. 29:11-13 ESV

I love that it says, "plans for WHOLENESS." The Lord's plans for me include wholeness, never lacking in anything. I will never feel in need or in want when I am resting in the Lord's provision and in His faithfulness. the problem for me is just staying there once I get there and truly trusting in His goodness. there are some days I really struggle with Him being a good God. today is one of those days... but choosing to trust, love, and worship Him anyway... that warms His heart.

along with Lordship we also talked about fear of the Lord... which really coincides with Lordship, just having a healthy fear of the Lord. not worrying He's going to strike you down or whatever, but really just walking under His protection and doing what He asks you to do.

that 2nd week we had numerous staff speak for lectures. the first couple days were about hearing from the Lord... pretty good. not too much there. the last few were hearing our staff's stories and getting a background on them which was super encouraging. We had an entire day of "love," where we started the day off with one of our "good morning God" groups (these were student groups that lead some sort of creative worship in the morning, and we did love languages... so we all wrote on our arms what our primary and secondary love languages were and your challenge for the day was to love the other people with their love languages. it was cute and fun... and we all spent some time just encouraging and affirming one another, which always is good for the heart and soul. then Naomi, our school leader, talked about the Father's love, and just love in general...no, not romantic love :) and then that night, we had a "love feast," where we ate yummy food, all sat around together in the circle, and then had a mega dance party. it was so much fun...

we also had a talent show the last night of camping which was a RIOT. my flat performed a skit and it was hilarious. hopefully I'll have a video up of that eventually. everyone's was awesome.

speaking of videos: here's the link to my hip hop team performing at youth street a couple of weeks ago... the day before camping. the kids worked SO hard and it was AWESOME. I'm on the left in the yellow tank top if you're curious, haha.

Highlights of camping:

• sitting by the campfire every single night talking. I got to know so many people so much better.
• quiet times in the morning were actually quiet... such precious time with Jesus!
• no distractions... no internet.
• the community. it was such a small place and everyone was always together, LOVED it.
• no frills, no makeup, no worrying about what you looked like.
• talent show
• going to the gorge and floating down the creeks
• baptisms in the creek... getting to be a part of 2 of my friend's baptisms!
• being humbled IMMENSELY.

BOO- the things I hated:

• it rained EVERYDAY. my tent leaked into my bed and into my suitcase, so all my clothes were wet and stayed wet for days. I ended up borrowing clothes from Liz. sucked.
• bugs. I hate bugs and I'm not still sure why they exist.

but, I can safely say, I am a small town girls who loves the big city who is now a camping girl. I just loved it. It was the best 2 weeks of my life. the bathroom and shower were crappy, but at the end of the first couple days, I barely noticed anymore... it was such a simple way to live and I absolutely just loved it. I can't wait to go camping again!

here are some fun pictures!

me and vaughn at the gorge! love it.

such a precious moment... my bunkmate, sam, got baptized and asked me to be in the water with her. i'll never forget it.

people that i love: jordan, chello, and liz.

love letter from a Father.

Dear Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is… Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

letter and picture from here