from beach to bush.

hello friends!

Sorry it's been so long since the last update, but we've been pretty busy and have limited access to the internet. We have been traveling all throughout Australia learning and teaching.

So, 3 weeks ago we left for a 16 hour road trip to Airlie Beach to join another DTS at the YWAM Whitsunday base. The other school has a large house they are renting in the middle of the rainforest. It was beautiful, there were so many cool animals with jungle snakes, big lizards and spiders. I spent the nights in my hammock and it was great. We had lectures on the Holy Spirit by the YWAM base director, Jeremy. We discussed gifts of the Spirit, who the Holy Spirit is as a person and had incredible times on ministry. People on our team were given the gift of speaking in tongues, others were healed of allergies and others were healed of a lifelong struggles with depression. God moved in so many ways. We did outreach in the city and did evangelism, worship and prayer walks. During the week, the outreach locations were announced. I will be going on a team to the island of Vanuatu. At the end of the week, we had a BBQ downtown and someone was led to Christ. We also had 3 people get baptized in the ocean while we were there too. The other DTS only had 4 students, so it was fun to get to know them and be a part of their base. Over the weekend, our school had an opportunity to go out and see some of the islands and go snorkeling. We saw some cool fish and coral and the islands and beaches themselves were breath-taking.

After leaving Airlie, we traveled to Springsure, to stay out in the outback with a family who owned a 25,000 acre ranch. We learned about life on the ranch and had a fun time learning and growing. After a couple days we left for Emerald for our first week of outreach. Emerald is a small mining town in the outback. We set up our tents in someone's backyard and over 35 people shared one toilet and shower, that was a fun experience:) We split up into our outreach teams and our team did evangelism and prayer walks. On one particular day, we did a walk throughout the city and after praying we felt a heavy spirit over the whole town, a Spirit of exhaustion and apathy. We decided to do worship and games in the park to walk out in the opposing spirit. During worship time, we met another Christian man and prayed healing over his back. After talking with him he bought our team KFC for lunch. During lunch, we were told that the school we were supposed to be speaking for in the afternoon wanted us in 10 minutes instead of 2 hours and we needed to go immediately. We arrived at the elementary school just in time to do our prepared skit and games. We discussed friendship with the kids and talked about how important it is to treat each other with love and respect.

On Friday night, our group was in charge of leading a high school youth group. After playing some games and worship, I presented the message of focusing on God's promises instead of our situations or fears in the midst of trials. We had an opportunity to attend the same church on Sunday and talk to the kids again and they seemed to receive the message well.

After leaving Roma, we traveled to the Carnavron Gorge for a couple days of lectures on worship. We were able to stay and camp for 3 days in the Gorge. It was breath-taking and beautiful, but beyond the Gorge, God showed Himself in amazing ways! We had the chance to hike and explore the gorge in the afternoons. God spoke to us throughout our time there that worship is about acknowledging Him in everything. Worship is about living out our relationship with God. It's about being who He created you to be, giving the gift of life back to Him. Worship means to resolve not to settle for anything less than who God created you to be. "Our life is God's gift to us, what we do with our life is our gift to God." I read in a "Desiring God" that "the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever." We were created to be in relationship with God, to enjoy Him and explore His characteristics and follow Him. In Genesis it talks about Adam and Eve walking with God in the cool of the garden. We were created to walk with God in the garden, to spend time with Him and depend on Him like little children. Thank you God for the ways that you speak to us and desire intimate relationship with us.

Yesterday, we arrived in another country town called Roma for another week of outreach. We will be staying here until Wednesday before ending our first road trip and heading back to Brisbane. I will add pictures when we return and I will try to add more stories and details. Thank you so much for your support and prayers, I appreciate and thank God for each one of you.

it's all about relationship.

As most of you know, this week we decided to go without any outside communication including phones, internet, email, snail mail, etc., so that we could use that time to spend with God and limit the distractions in our lives.

Our topics this week included 'Intercession' and 'Hearing the Voice of God.' We had a speaker named Brian come in to talk with us about intercession for two days. We learned that intercession is about standing in the gap, not as one individual, but as a community and body of believers to affect change. Not that God cannot work through individuals as well, but God chooses to work through community because He understands that we were built for relationship, with Him and with each other. The basic principles of intercession include: Praise God, ask God to bring up sin, Invite Holy Spirit, Address the Enemy, Silence: ask God what He wants us to pray for, pray for the things He lays on your heart, then praise God and walk out in faith that He listens:) One of the things that stood out to me during his teaching was when he asks us each our name and had us tell him if we gave him permission to speak into our lives. This was a big eye-opener for me, because I feel there are many people I will listen to, but don't give them permission to speak truth into my life. Will you give others permission into your soul?

'Hearing the Voice of God' was taught by Jason, the leader of the film school here at the base. Jason emphasized over and over again that hearing God's voice is not the goal or the main point, but relationship with God. I was convicted that so often I come to the Lord with selfish goals of what He is able to do for me, how He loves me and wants to bless me. Now, those desires are not bad, they are God-given, but when we strive to want the things of God above God Himself, that is when we are wrong and hurt God. Ephesians 4:30 tells us that we have the ability to grieve the Holy Spirit. What submission God shows us! That the God of the universe would put Himself in a low enough position that we have the ability to hurt Him, I cannot even imagine.

When I was in college, the Lord began to whisper to me and teach me the sound of His voice. As in the story of Elijah, the Lord does not come in with big thunder or howling winds, but He chooses to speak to us through a position of intimacy, through a Lover's whisper. God is talking to us all the time, the problem is that we are too distracted and too busy to take the time to listen. The God of the Universe wants to talk with us, and yet we tell Him that we don't have time, how selfish. God is speaking, are we willing to listen?

This week one of my biggest prayers was that the Lord would show me where He was at work, that I may join Him. About a year ago, I had people begin to tell me that I had the gift of discernment. I have been trying to figure out what that looks like and how to use it for awhile now and the Lord began to fit all of the pieces together this week. The Lord has given me eyes to see things of the Spiritual realm that not everyone sees; this is not for my sake, but for the sake of the community. For instance, this week the Lord told me about a guy on my team and what He was inwardly struggling with, so I was able to bring that insight to one of my leaders and they could pray through those walls more specifically. The next day, one of the leaders was led to go pray for the same guy and received a vision regarding the insight I had. I love how God works through community! The gift of discernment also includes insights into Spiritual Warfare. The Lord gave me countless opportunities to minister and pray for other students on my team. It's feels so good to be involved in Kingdom work, when you know that you are storing up treasures in Heaven that moth and rust cannot destroy, treasures that will last forever!

Thank you so much for your prayers this week. God is moving in incredible ways here:) Love and miss you all.

Character and Nature of God.

This week we began lectures and studied the character and nature of God. It's amazing to me how the Lord continues to teach you things, this week was no different.

It's easy to say "God is good," but it's something completely different to believe it. We need to allow the Lord to define what is good. When we look at a situation with our eyes, if it brings us comfort and happiness, then it must be 'good,' but if something brings grief or pain, then we categorize it as 'bad.' When we have determined that a situation is bad, our immediate reaction is to bring it under our control and turn it from bad to good. If we are able to trust that God is good and everything He does is good, we no longer have a reason to control the situation. Therefore not defining in ourselves what is 'good' or 'bad,' gives us freedom from control and freedom from ourselves.

On Wednesday afternoons, we have 'Go Days," where we go into the city and form relationships with people. Our team helped out in various places in the community including doing yard work for an elderly woman, helping a single mother and befriending mentally handicapped men at a facility. It's great to be able to make an impact here, not only during outreach. We also have Sports in the Park on Thursday afternoons where we go to the nearby park at the same time every week in hopes that kids will come and join us.

This weekend we have a break and we went to Cedar Creek nearby which had a bunch of bolders and a COLD creek running through it. We had a fun afternoon relaxing and getting to know each other better. We also did a bit of swimming:)

Here are a few more pics. The first is of our school on a bus ride, the second is Nele and I at Cedar Creek. I hope to get more up soon. Love you all and I'm so grateful for each of you.

Redcliffe

2 days after arriving in Australia, our team headed to Redcliff, which was a 45 min. drive north. We started off with a scavenger hunt downtown Brisbane. We ran around the city on a team taking crazy photos and talking to strangers. There is a really cool beach in the middle of downtown because there are Bull Sharks in the river and people are not allowed to swim in it, so there is a man-made sand beach in a park area instead.

After the hunt, we headed to a church in Redcliffe. On the way there, we saw small kangaroos or wallabies; we couldn't stop or get close enough to look, but I've been told that some kangaroos are around 7 foot tall. We were staying about 1 mile from the beach, so as soon as we got there, we gathered up our things and headed down. I was the only girl who went swimming, because it was a little chilly:) In the evenings we had 'family time' and took turns sharing our testimonies with each other. It was great to hear everyone's story and how the Lord brought us here. We attended church on Sunday and had a chance to go to a city-wide worship service. The worship service was wonderful and so freeing, people were worshipping in all different ways like painting, singing, praying and writing. It was really encouraging to see how the Lord is rising up people and starting a revival in Australia.

After staying at the church for the weekend and finishing up testimonies, we headed back to the base on Monday. We are starting class tonight and we will have the same theme throughout the week which is "Character and Nature of God."

There is a girl from Belgium, her name is Nele and she is great! She is 25 years old and from day one we hit it off. It's so good to have a friend here and to have her, I'll try to post a picture soon. Ironically, we were both hoping to travel after DTS and go to New Zealand, it came up the other day in coversation and we decided to start making travel plans together:)

You give and take away...

Wow, the Lord has taken me through quite the stripping process in the past couple months. Over Christmas break, I had a great plan and thought that this was definitely the Lord's plans too. My plan was to be an adventure guide in Colorado this summer and then go to New Zealand for YWAM in the fall. I felt the Lord leading me to both of these programs. I believe sometimes the Lord asks you to be obedient knowing that you will fail. This was a really hard lesson for me to swallow. I am driven by results, by success. Do I desire the Lord or do I desire success? From the very beginning I prayed that the Lord's will would be done. Looking back on my experience I think it was easy to pray this prayer because I was convinced I knew what the Lord's will was, His will was my will b/c He gave it to me...or not.

By January, my plans were not panning out the way I had hoped. New Zealand responded and told me that there was no way the program I had applied for was going to run this year because they had no leader. I still felt like the Lord was calling me to YWAM, so I started my search again. I landed on two programs in Australia, one starting in August and the other in October. Although I wanted to do the one in August more, I was not willing to give up guiding this summer, so I applied for the later one. By February, I was well underway with the hiring process for the guide position. I had my interview and was told that I must wait a month before I heard back from them. And so the waiting began...

By the first week of March I was a mess. I wanted this job so bad I couldn't stand it. I was terrified of what rejection would feel like. Not just from a job, but from my passions. I have such passion for Outdoor Ministry. A couple days before they contacted me, the Lord asked me how I would feel if my friend (who was also applying) got the job, and I did not. I told the Lord I would be devastated, I would be a mess. That weekend, the Lord took me through a stripping process. The Lord had to make sure that I was still His #1 desire, that I desired Him above any position or passion. It's funny how easy it is to let Godly desires and passions get in the way of loving God. By early the next week the Lord had prepared me to hear the answer I had dreaded a few days prior. My first reaction was disappointment and great sadness, but the Lord had prepared me and I was almost immediately filled with peace. I chose to meditate on Isaiah 30:21

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, 'this is the way, walk in it.'"

As soon as I was denied the summer position, the Lord brought back the other Australia program that I had wanted to apply for originally. I contacted them and said that I wanted to consider switching my application. Before I could blink, I was accepted to the program and filled with excitement, joy and peace. I am ready and willing to start this new adventure with the Lord! So, I will be leaving in August to embark on a new journey, filled with new lessons, new obstacles, new relationships, and new insights. The Lord is good.

New Year...New opportunities

Christmas came just in time this year. This past year of Barrier Island has come with new blessings, new friendships and opportunities for growth, but it has also been filled with stretching and testing. The Lord has taught me patience through Outdoor Encounters, the adventure program I have been trying to start. I thought for sure we would have people filled up on our calendar waiting to go kayaking and spend quality time with the Lord outdoors. I was forced to re-evaluate my expectations this fall when we had not had a single group sign up for the program. The Lord has been faithful and we do have our first group signed up for this April, I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve them and actually lead a trip. Obviously my expectations looked much different from what the Lord had in mind, but I have learned to accept that and be grateful that His ways are much higher than mine and His thoughts higher than my thoughts. We are only called to be obedient, not to produce results through programs, people or otherwise.

My family was such a blessing over Christmas break. It was the first I had been in Michigan since June and it was wonderful. I have learned over the years, through much conflict and arguing to just let me love me and take care of me. I am not finished with this lesson, but I have learned to at least let my family love and take care of me. After so many months of outpouring and serving it was great to sit down and rest, to remember that I am loved for who I am and not what I can do or produce.

Through prayer, I have decided not to return to St. Christopher next year. I will be finished at the camp in May of this year. I feel so much peace and confirmation about my decision. I am starting to apply and make plans for the next phase of life. I feel called to two different areas of ministry, so I have plans to try them both. I would love to do outdoor ministry for this summer, as an outdoor guide. I have applied for a job at Noah's Ark in Colorado. I also have a pull to missions. I have applied for the Discipleship Training School in New Zealand, through YWAM (Youth With A Mission) with outreach in SE Asia. This particular school focuses on Eath Care and involves going to poor villages and teaching them simple agriculture practices, while taking care of the earth. I will do my best to keep you posted on if and when the Lord opens and closes doors for these opportunities. I am reminded of the verse, "In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9. I completely surrender to the Lord's will and plans.

Please pray for contentment during as I approach my final season at St. Christopher. The Lord reminded me that He has called me here to this place, through the end of May and He still has plans that He wants to accomplish in me and through me. I do not want to wish the time away that I still have.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers!

Time always seems to go faster and faster. As the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons approach, you begin to think about seasons and memories past. So much has been learned, so much has changed, so many memories have been made.

The island has been quite warm recently with temperatures in the high 70's! I still don't think I'm used to hanging out on the beach in the middle of winter, but I'm not complaining! Thanksgiving was pretty busy with retreat guests

here. We opened the Climbing Wall, led nature hikes and went kayaking a couple times.

My parents came down for a visit in October and we had a great time. We went sight-seeing with Aunt Tammy and checked out a few new places. We visited Cypress Gardens, which is where parts of "The Notebook" were filmed. It was great to be together as a family again!

At the end of October, I competed in the Barbarian Challenge with a few other people on staff. The Challenge included climbing over 15-foot hay bales, sliding through mud, jumping over cars, tramping through swamps and it ended with hurdling fire. It was a pretty epic race, but now we are onto our next challenge which is the Mud Run put on by the military base in upstate South Carolina, which takes place in April.

Leah's birthday was on the 13th of November and I managed to scheme

a whole day's worth of activity. We rented a sailboat for the afternoon and went on a sunset sail. There were 6 of us girls, and we had a blast, then we met a big group of friends downtown for a feast at a BBQ place.

I have become the residential dog-sitter on camp with a new set of animals each week. It's been crazy going from house to house and hanging out with pets. I have decided that dogs are too much work and I don't plan on getting one in the near future.

I have been praying for a couple months now about my future. I have been given the opportunity to stay another summer and school year if I choose to. I believe I have made my decision, but I want to make sure I leave enough time for the Lord to speak to me if His will conflicts with mine at this point. I would appreciate your prayers in this decision.

We booked our first "Outdoor Encounters" trip about a week ago! The trip will be a group of high school students from a local church and they will come in April. The Lord has been me many things through this program and patience is up at the top of the list.