30 Days.

Made it to the thirty day mark.

We are well into serving the community now. And have our first teams arriving this week.

I wanted to share with you one off my favorite days so far. A week ago Saturday three other teammates and I went to the train station in town and met a group of kids whos parents are working most of the day and night too. The kids have a rough life and a program was started awhile back to give the kids a safe place to be and learn. We met about 15 kids. Sweet kids with beautiful smiles and dreams of their future. Their lesson that day was a story, where we taught them English words every once in awhile. Like the four seasons because they have two here- wet and dry. Then we got to color with them and get to know them better. This Saturday we get to go back and teach the lesson ourselves. It was a sweet time that reminded me so much of my group of kids at Tuesday help back home.

I have been going to a CH for three weeks now. This week three of us went on our own with out translators. The message is translated for us in headphones. It's been so sweet to sing in their language to Father and see the passion in that place for Father and their city. Sometimes I stop singing and just listen to everyone around be and thank J for these people who love Him so much in a place where that's not popular. I am so happy to have found a CH that loves J and is passionate to live lives that look like Him.

We meet in small groups to debrief our time here and process things. This last week I shared my story with my girls and through that was able to see how Father has been with me and has been so so good to me all these years. I have gone through a lot (especially in my time spent in SA) but He has always been there. I have seen and experienced a lot but physically I'm okay. He has never allowed be to be touched. My heart and has been broken up a bit but with His help it's healing. It was a sweet realization while telling my story how much he loves and cares for me. Always has and always will.

How to PR.
Our team is interning into a 21 day Fst. We are PRing for breakthrough and for that which the Father promised us for the summer to come to be. I would appreciate any PRs in that direction for our team. For me personally I will be PRing that I hear His voice clearer and that my ears are tuned to the Father and not the lies and the snake who says them. There are also a few questions I came here with that I am looking for answers for too

Always for POP and chances to meet with locals to talk about J.
For health and energy as we enter our 2nd third of the trip
For our teams coming in to experience all that Father has for them here.

Proof that I am alive.

I made it. Team Time.

Hi all. So sorry that it has taken so long to post an update.

My team and I have been in country for just over two weeks.

We were in training for one week learning about the culture we were stepping into and those we would be sharing with and serving. It was also a week of getting to know our team. We are from three different states and three different communities within our movement. By the time we were lining up outside the closed airport early in the morning to move to our host City we were one team.

Stepping off the plane in our host city showed us how different this place is than where we trained. First of all it wasn't hot and the air full of moisture. There's a breeze. The temp is noticeably cooler. Everyone here has a smile on their face. After getting to our home for the next couple months we were sent out I explore the city, find where to do laundry, buy groceries and Pr over some of the locations we will be visiting over the summer.

Our first week has been filled with language lessons and getting to know this city and how to get around in it. We were able to check out a few places that we will be serving this summer. I am excited to be able to use some of my sewing and creative skills at one place. We also met most of our translators and went out Into the city to talk to people.

One more language lesson then our schedule will normalize for the summer with team time in the mornings and serving in the afternoons.

Ways to PR for my team and I.
-that our language lessons will stick an we will be able to communicate even at a basic level with locals
-that we will continue to be united as a team
-for those who the Father wants us to meet and share Him with
-for whole families to know Him
-continued health and energy throughout the summer.

Two WEEKS.

In two weeks I will be making sure I have everything in my bags and heading to the airport soon to leave for the summer. 

That went fast. It feels like I just signed up for this trip. And now its right around the corner.

People keep asking, "Are you ready?" "Are you getting excited?"

Ready. Physically, No.  Right now my life is 78% in boxes. I just moved this last weekend and am still trying to settle into the new house and find a spot for all my stuff (which I have way too much of anyways). Mentally, Yes. I am ready to leave the states and experience a new place, people and culture.

Excited, of course, wouldn't you be.  I don't get nervous before trips anymore. It feels right. This is what I am made for. My father already knows what is going to happen every day I am away. And I hold to the truth that he doesn't give me more than I can deal with. So besides a little bit of nerves going thru security (but that happens no matter where I fly) I am ready (all except packing and that one last shot I have to get) and excited to see what happens this summer.

Thank you for checking in. I will be updating through out the summer, probably with pictures and cryptic stories.

T-shirts that bring light.

My friend and I have designed a t-shirt to fund raise for our trips to SE Asia.  

We wanted to design a shirt around light. We have seen a theme of LIGHT in the last few months.

How we are to be a light to the world. 

How light beats darkness. 

Where there is light there is no darkness.

Adult shirts

Kid shirts

Even Tanks.

Click HERE to purchase a shirt and to support our trips. 

2 month, 2 days

I'm 2 month and 2 days from leaving for the summer. 

Its going quick and soon I will be boarding a plane and saying goodbye to America for a bit. There are many things that I will miss. Much much to look forward to.  

Last night we had dinner with someone who knows a bit more about our summer than we did. And all the new information we heard only confirms that this summer is going to be so special.  So much more is happening than what we know and can see. 

So far I have seen 28% of my funds come in.  I have started a few fundraisers and have faith that more will continue to come in.  Thank you to all who have given! If you have received my letter and have a few more questions before deciding to partnering with me, comment below and I will get a hold of you and try to answer any questions. 

The other side of the world.

This last week I have been working on sending out letters once again.

If you would like one please let me know in the comments. 

Yup! I'm going overseas this summer again.

I'm going to Southeast Asia.
(Due to security reasons I can't be more specific about this.)

I will be going with others from our church network. There were going to be many teams like ours there trying to share God and his love with those we meet. 

I'm excited about this. 

I'm lucky to work a job that would allow me to leave for the summer and return in the fall.

I will write more as time goes on.

I will use this place to post updates through the summer too.

Lets do this again.

I haven’t written on here lately because when I look at my life I think - There is nothing to share. Nothing exciting happens.   But, I have missed writing on here and sharing so I want to start again. So excuse the mess as I begin to blog again.

I am a lunch lady who wakes up at before the sun and with my coworkers we cook lunch for about 3000 students each day. 

I am a single almost thirty year old who can count the number of friends she has ( Here in this country. If the world was smaller it would be a different story.) on her hands.

I am a daughter who lives 10 hours away from her parents.

I am a sister who lives a block down the hill from her little sister.

I am in love with travel, the world and cultures but for now I live in the Middle of America.

I live in a little two bedroom house with one roommate and no dishwasher. but we do have a garage we don’t park in and a backyard I plan on using a lot this summer.


I am so many other things and non of them seem very exciting to me these days. There is so much before me and I am excited to see where life takes me. I try not to dwell on the fact that I sit on the couch more than I would like. Or that my calendar stays pretty empty each week. Or that when asked who I hang out with I only come up with two answers and one of which is my sister. Okay maybe I do.  Sometimes its hard to forget that being alone can be lonely. 

So I have recently decided I want to change that. Step one was to have friends over for Sunday dinner after church.  What they thought was a lot of work, making pulled pork in the crockpot, was easy and enjoyable because I got to share my life with others today. We sat around our little table and shared stores of our lives and laughed and learned.

COMMUNITY. That is what we are made for. That is what we all long for. That is what I want to be a part of.

So while my life doesn’t seem exciting and worthy of being written about. Maybe there is someone out there who is where I am at wondering how to be apart of this crazy world and not just watch it happen from our couch or our front porch but be a part of it.

Trip newsletter.

I have been home for awhile now.  I have started a new job and at the end of the month I will be moving to a new house.   I sent out these letters to many but wanted to share it with all of you too.  This summer was amazing. Below is a little bit about how the summer went.  

 

Team 5 of 5

 The rest of the Interns and I are back home now.  We have been since Saturday. Our time went really fast there at the end. I will try to fill you in on how the Lord worked in our last few weeks in Italy. 

Here is Sydney's blog of our last team.  Check it out and how the Lord worked thru our last team. 

This team was a team full of faith.  They hit the ground in Italy knowing and hoping and praying for miracles.  They knew from the start the the Lord was going to do big things. They prayed to be used everyday.

From day one, prayer walking around the city, it was easier. There was a weight lifted off the city that had been there all summer.  Just like all the teams before they took what the last teams did and built on it.  Each night while teams were out on the street for ministry there was a team that interceded for them and the nation and the ETC movement. All summer we learned that prayer is powerful and needed. We decided to have a team praying while others were sharing on the streets.

The Lord worked through our short term team and our staff to bring many healings to those on the streets of the city. We were able to share His goodness and bring hope to many.  We met a group that came over on the boats and were able to give them bags, soccer balls and some food to make their first days and journey north a little easier.

I was able to attend a DBS and watch the word speak truth to three young men. I was also able to listen to a story that brought a young man to Italy and as a group we were able to speak truth and freedom to him and his heart. Two evenings that I will remember for a long time.