Hey guys,
I am writing a quick blog before our 1:30 worship time because I wanted to let you all know about some things happening in Zimbabwe, Africa.
Right now, as of January 31st, over 60,000 people living in Zimbabwe have died from a cholera epidemic that is all over Africa. As a result of the lack of fresh water, and broken, dilapitated sewer systems, there is no way to prevent the disease from spreading. Cholera symptoms include, extreme diarrhea, vomiting, extreme thirst, and leg cramps.
Health workers in Zimbabwe are exhausted and quickly running out of supplies. There are not enough workers, not enough space, and inadequate amounts of medicine.
What Zimbabwe needs right now is people to send money, and to go and help with relief.
I am asking you guys back home to prayerfully consider practical ways that you can raise money and awareness to help the suffering that is so prevelant in Zimbabwe.
What is upsetting about the spread of this disease, is that it is SO preventable and treatable!
Right now, prayer alone is not enough, as Christians, we are called to act. We need to be the answer to our own prayers, and we also need to be willing to be the change that we wholeheartedly long for.
Many people become ineffective for God because they cannot to everything, so they simply do nothing. Let us not be the generation of apathy and boredom. Let this be the generation that rises up and acts. Let us not be ineffective, but let us listen to God, and do what His will is for our lives!
Matthew 25:40-45 (New International Version)
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Friday, February 6, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
"Hope, is a terrible thing to lose"
That simple phrase tumbled in and out of my mind as we walked outside of the swinging door late that night. As two of my friends walked out the door I heard yelling and screaming. I rushed out quickly to investigate the noise, and was quickly pushed to the ground with the others. Four men were surrounding us with big guns yelling "Get on your knees! Now!". Those who resisted were roughly thrown down; gentleness was not an attribute for these men. "Get on your knees you scum!" they continued to yell. Although we easily outnumbered the four men who had us captive, they held the deciding factor in our thoughts of escape. The big steel pieces of metal gleamed in the moonlight threateningly as we sat huddled on the ground together. The men jeered and poked us with the ends of their guns, and one man broke away from the pack and went towards a white van. The other three men threw blindfolds at us and told us to put them on, or they would shoot us. Obediently, we put the blindfolds around our eyes and began to try and gather even closer together. However, as soon as we had the blindfolds secured around our eyes, we were jerked up to our feet and herded like cattle towards the white van. We were poked and prodded onto the vehicle, and by this point I did not know who was next to me, only that she was as scared as I. As we were all squished into the back of the van, I thought that maybe escape was possible, if they just left us in the trunk alone. Sadly, I heard the loud clank of the door, and a soldier sitting in the back with us was jeering and trying to scares us even more.
As the car bumped and rolled along slowly, I began to wonder "Why had they attacked us", "why were we singled out?", and worse "what were they going to do with us?". As the van slowed to a stop we all lurched forward on top of one another, but had no time to recover. Already, we were being dragged out of the van and onto squishy, wet ground. I clung to the person beside me, not able to see their face, or even ask a name; we simply held onto one another, realizing we were in this together.
As we were dragged further on, I began to hear screams and shouts. The screams were from two women saying "NO, please, don't do this!" Tears begin to stream down my face out of the fear of the unknown. We were again forced to our knees, all the while the soldiers screamed insults into our faces. I could hear the soldiers discussing that they wanted "a small, scrawny one" and again fear enveloped my being. As the soldier roughly grabbed my arm, I began to shake uncontrollably from being afraid. I was pulled closer and closer to sound of the screaming women and finally forced to a halt. Their screams were terrifying, "No! Please! We haven't done anything! Please don't kill us!" they continued to cry. I felt something cold and heavy being shoved into my hands, and I could hear the soldier telling me to "pull the trigger". Numbly, I pushed the gun away, and it was immediately shoved back into my arms. I could not understand what they were saying. "Pull the trigger!" the soldiers screamed. "Who do you think you are?! Pull the trigger!!" one soldier yelled over and over. I began to struggle against the gun, pushing it away again and again. In the midst of the struggle, I heard a resounding "POP", and it was then that I heard a scream that would resonate in my nightmares forever. I heard the crying of the other woman asking "why?" and I heard the laughter of the four men. It had all happend so quickly; I could not comprehend what had happend. It was then that I realized my hand had been on the trigger, and it had pulled back in the midst the fight. I began to sob uncontrollably. The soldiers laughed at my dismay, enjoying the pain that they had inflicted on so many. I was quickly pushed back with the rest of the group and I could hear another person being dragged up to where the last woman was left screaming. I could hear the soldiers screaming at the person to "pull the trigger!",I could hear the captive struggleing against the gun, I could hear the screaming of the woman over and over, begging for mercy, I could hear the resounding "POP" of the trigger, and finally I could hear the deafening laughter of the soldiers.
*This story was a dramatization that we as a YWAM group were put through Friday night. Although some details of the this story are dramatized, children are forced into the military reguarly. The men were not nearly as rough or mean as I made the story sound, but it was still convicting notheless.
Here are some facts about human trafficking:
Human trafficking is the world's 2nd largest criminal activity after drugs, earning up to $39 billion per year.
App. 900,000 people are trafficked across international borders
80% are female and up to half are minors
Nearly 200,000 people live nslaved at this monet in the US and an additional 17,500 new victims are trafficked across the borders each year.
Modern slaves are expendable. At about $100 a pesron, it ismore costly to care for the enslaved than to replace them.
I debated on whether or not to put this story on the internet. I got the idea of putting this into a story form from one of the dts girls here named Kristi. I did not put it on here to scare you, or to be dramatic, I do so because there needs to be awareness about human trafficking. Sometimes, you have to face things that are hard to deal with. Sometimes you have to put a face to suffering, because that is what will push you into action. I love you guys, and if you have any questions or want to get into action but are not sure how, you can email me at haliE_but101@yahoo.com thanks so much!
That simple phrase tumbled in and out of my mind as we walked outside of the swinging door late that night. As two of my friends walked out the door I heard yelling and screaming. I rushed out quickly to investigate the noise, and was quickly pushed to the ground with the others. Four men were surrounding us with big guns yelling "Get on your knees! Now!". Those who resisted were roughly thrown down; gentleness was not an attribute for these men. "Get on your knees you scum!" they continued to yell. Although we easily outnumbered the four men who had us captive, they held the deciding factor in our thoughts of escape. The big steel pieces of metal gleamed in the moonlight threateningly as we sat huddled on the ground together. The men jeered and poked us with the ends of their guns, and one man broke away from the pack and went towards a white van. The other three men threw blindfolds at us and told us to put them on, or they would shoot us. Obediently, we put the blindfolds around our eyes and began to try and gather even closer together. However, as soon as we had the blindfolds secured around our eyes, we were jerked up to our feet and herded like cattle towards the white van. We were poked and prodded onto the vehicle, and by this point I did not know who was next to me, only that she was as scared as I. As we were all squished into the back of the van, I thought that maybe escape was possible, if they just left us in the trunk alone. Sadly, I heard the loud clank of the door, and a soldier sitting in the back with us was jeering and trying to scares us even more.
As the car bumped and rolled along slowly, I began to wonder "Why had they attacked us", "why were we singled out?", and worse "what were they going to do with us?". As the van slowed to a stop we all lurched forward on top of one another, but had no time to recover. Already, we were being dragged out of the van and onto squishy, wet ground. I clung to the person beside me, not able to see their face, or even ask a name; we simply held onto one another, realizing we were in this together.
As we were dragged further on, I began to hear screams and shouts. The screams were from two women saying "NO, please, don't do this!" Tears begin to stream down my face out of the fear of the unknown. We were again forced to our knees, all the while the soldiers screamed insults into our faces. I could hear the soldiers discussing that they wanted "a small, scrawny one" and again fear enveloped my being. As the soldier roughly grabbed my arm, I began to shake uncontrollably from being afraid. I was pulled closer and closer to sound of the screaming women and finally forced to a halt. Their screams were terrifying, "No! Please! We haven't done anything! Please don't kill us!" they continued to cry. I felt something cold and heavy being shoved into my hands, and I could hear the soldier telling me to "pull the trigger". Numbly, I pushed the gun away, and it was immediately shoved back into my arms. I could not understand what they were saying. "Pull the trigger!" the soldiers screamed. "Who do you think you are?! Pull the trigger!!" one soldier yelled over and over. I began to struggle against the gun, pushing it away again and again. In the midst of the struggle, I heard a resounding "POP", and it was then that I heard a scream that would resonate in my nightmares forever. I heard the crying of the other woman asking "why?" and I heard the laughter of the four men. It had all happend so quickly; I could not comprehend what had happend. It was then that I realized my hand had been on the trigger, and it had pulled back in the midst the fight. I began to sob uncontrollably. The soldiers laughed at my dismay, enjoying the pain that they had inflicted on so many. I was quickly pushed back with the rest of the group and I could hear another person being dragged up to where the last woman was left screaming. I could hear the soldiers screaming at the person to "pull the trigger!",I could hear the captive struggleing against the gun, I could hear the screaming of the woman over and over, begging for mercy, I could hear the resounding "POP" of the trigger, and finally I could hear the deafening laughter of the soldiers.
*This story was a dramatization that we as a YWAM group were put through Friday night. Although some details of the this story are dramatized, children are forced into the military reguarly. The men were not nearly as rough or mean as I made the story sound, but it was still convicting notheless.
Here are some facts about human trafficking:
Human trafficking is the world's 2nd largest criminal activity after drugs, earning up to $39 billion per year.
App. 900,000 people are trafficked across international borders
80% are female and up to half are minors
Nearly 200,000 people live nslaved at this monet in the US and an additional 17,500 new victims are trafficked across the borders each year.
Modern slaves are expendable. At about $100 a pesron, it ismore costly to care for the enslaved than to replace them.
I debated on whether or not to put this story on the internet. I got the idea of putting this into a story form from one of the dts girls here named Kristi. I did not put it on here to scare you, or to be dramatic, I do so because there needs to be awareness about human trafficking. Sometimes, you have to face things that are hard to deal with. Sometimes you have to put a face to suffering, because that is what will push you into action. I love you guys, and if you have any questions or want to get into action but are not sure how, you can email me at haliE_but101@yahoo.com thanks so much!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Stand.On.Your.Head.
This week we had the pleasure of hearing from Jim Stiers at the beginning of the week and from Mekiesha Smith again at the end of the week. Jim as a young man started YWAM Brazil and was once the president of YWAM. He is an amazing example of how we are to live our lives in obedience with God. Here are some quotes from this week:
Jim Stier:
"In this world, any kind of satisfaction we get; the price of that satisfaction will grow and grow, while the satisfaction will diminish."
"My depression was not a fixed temperment, just an emotional habit."
"We try to punish ourselves into purity, when in reality that doesn't work. Punishing ourselves creates inside of us an empty feeling, feeling ashamed, neediness, and our refusal to forgive ourselves. Guilt doesn't purify anything.
What works: Focusing on the character of God. As we focus on Him we begin to feel full, full of hope and God begins to purify us."
"Emotions make very bad leaders, but very good servants."
"Am I content to be a good "culteral" Christian with mediocre existents who is dried up, or am I going to endure the stretching and molding of God in my life?"
"Love is the constant sacrificial giving of ones self, regardless of return."
Mekeisha Smith:
"This God we have made and because we have made Him; because we have created HIm, He can never surprise us, never overhwlem us nor astonish nor transcend us." -A.W. Tozer
"Truth has the power to effect your life; but your perception of truth effects it more."
"We should not judge God's character by other people. One should look at the original"
"Many people believe they can't do everything, so sadly, they just do nothing."
"Where are we?! Because, God is not missing in action! HE is calling and we are not responding! We are allowing everything to distract us from the heart of God! When we do this we are saying "I don't care about others, and I don't want to feel the pain that others feel" As Christians, if we refuse to act in this world, people are left with no representation of Christ."
" People can watch horrible suffering and while they watch they will say "oh my god, that is horrible" and go back to eating there dinner."
"Condemnation is NO motivation, the only motivation we should have is God. We don't have time for condemnation, just conviction and CHANGE. Feel the pain, and then let if fuel you for service."
"We should be praying for a call to stay, because we clearly are called to go." -Keith Green
"May the Lamb that was slain recieve the reward of His suffering" -Moravian Missionaries who sold themselves into life long slavery so that they could minister to slaves (This was the last thing they said to there families as they were shipped off to the island to live as slaves and never see their families again.)"
As you can see we have learned SO much this week. Not only are we all convicted, but we are ready to act! I pray that we will REMEMBER all that is being taught to us. Now that I am aware of these things, I am held to an even higher standard, because I know the truth! I am praying for everyone back home, I hope you all are well! I love ya'll.
Jim Stier:
"In this world, any kind of satisfaction we get; the price of that satisfaction will grow and grow, while the satisfaction will diminish."
"My depression was not a fixed temperment, just an emotional habit."
"We try to punish ourselves into purity, when in reality that doesn't work. Punishing ourselves creates inside of us an empty feeling, feeling ashamed, neediness, and our refusal to forgive ourselves. Guilt doesn't purify anything.
What works: Focusing on the character of God. As we focus on Him we begin to feel full, full of hope and God begins to purify us."
"Emotions make very bad leaders, but very good servants."
"Am I content to be a good "culteral" Christian with mediocre existents who is dried up, or am I going to endure the stretching and molding of God in my life?"
"Love is the constant sacrificial giving of ones self, regardless of return."
Mekeisha Smith:
"This God we have made and because we have made Him; because we have created HIm, He can never surprise us, never overhwlem us nor astonish nor transcend us." -A.W. Tozer
"Truth has the power to effect your life; but your perception of truth effects it more."
"We should not judge God's character by other people. One should look at the original"
"Many people believe they can't do everything, so sadly, they just do nothing."
"Where are we?! Because, God is not missing in action! HE is calling and we are not responding! We are allowing everything to distract us from the heart of God! When we do this we are saying "I don't care about others, and I don't want to feel the pain that others feel" As Christians, if we refuse to act in this world, people are left with no representation of Christ."
" People can watch horrible suffering and while they watch they will say "oh my god, that is horrible" and go back to eating there dinner."
"Condemnation is NO motivation, the only motivation we should have is God. We don't have time for condemnation, just conviction and CHANGE. Feel the pain, and then let if fuel you for service."
"We should be praying for a call to stay, because we clearly are called to go." -Keith Green
"May the Lamb that was slain recieve the reward of His suffering" -Moravian Missionaries who sold themselves into life long slavery so that they could minister to slaves (This was the last thing they said to there families as they were shipped off to the island to live as slaves and never see their families again.)"
As you can see we have learned SO much this week. Not only are we all convicted, but we are ready to act! I pray that we will REMEMBER all that is being taught to us. Now that I am aware of these things, I am held to an even higher standard, because I know the truth! I am praying for everyone back home, I hope you all are well! I love ya'll.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
"A Time For Everything"
Hey guys!
Well, another week has started, and it has been great! We have a new speaker and his name is Jim Stier. His teaching style is very different from Mekeisha's, but he still has some very good topics and points. In my next blog I will give ya'll some quotes of what we have been learning about! This weekend was very relaxing and fun. We visited a non-denominational church called "Church on a Hill". It was different from what I'm use to because they had many different speakers preach. My favorite part was the worship and the coffee shop :). After church we went to play soccer, which was a lot of fun. I unfortunately am VERY out of shape...so it was a bit challenging. It is tuesday and I am still unrealistically sore from playing. As a result of realizing how out of shape I am, me and my roomates were going to get up early this morning and run, however, that plan fell through due to being SO tired! It is sunny today, and everything is green and pretty! I am enjoying it here so much, and I thank God that I have this opportunity to set aside so much time to get to know my creator!
I love you all, and I miss you.
More to come SOON...
Well, another week has started, and it has been great! We have a new speaker and his name is Jim Stier. His teaching style is very different from Mekeisha's, but he still has some very good topics and points. In my next blog I will give ya'll some quotes of what we have been learning about! This weekend was very relaxing and fun. We visited a non-denominational church called "Church on a Hill". It was different from what I'm use to because they had many different speakers preach. My favorite part was the worship and the coffee shop :). After church we went to play soccer, which was a lot of fun. I unfortunately am VERY out of shape...so it was a bit challenging. It is tuesday and I am still unrealistically sore from playing. As a result of realizing how out of shape I am, me and my roomates were going to get up early this morning and run, however, that plan fell through due to being SO tired! It is sunny today, and everything is green and pretty! I am enjoying it here so much, and I thank God that I have this opportunity to set aside so much time to get to know my creator!
I love you all, and I miss you.
More to come SOON...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Love.Worship.Obey.
Greetings ya'll!
Today was a really relaxing day. We had class from 9:30 to 12:30 and after that we had free time! A group of girls from our team decided that we would go to a Ukranian restraunt and eat, and then we would go the mall. It was really nice to be able to walk around and hang out.
We have been learning so much from class, and here are a few quotes we have been learning:
On Hearing God's Voice
"If your frustrations in your life serve their highest purpose, they will chase you into the throne room."
"When God speaks: Universes are created, stars are born, laws are put into motion, nations are created, angels hush, and so much more."
"However God chooses to speak to you, do NOT make Him shout."
"When we learn to hear from God ourselves it removes the middle man, so you hear exactly what God intended."
What Keeps Me From Hearing God
1.lack of recognition of God's voice
2. Sin (believing what I hold in my hand is more important than God)
3. Spiritual Warfare
4. God is silent
5. Our unwillingness to ask questions
6. Our unwillingness to wait
All For Christ
"Our question in life should not be "where will I go when I die?" but "who will I love while I'm alive?"
"I believe that God has called enough men and women to reach all of the unreached tribes of the earth. It is not God who does not call; it is men who do not respond."-Isobel Kuuhn (Missionary to China and Thailand)
"When you get closer to the heart of God you learn how to take up your cross and join the fellowship of suffering"
"Live your life so fully for God, that your life is useless for anything else."
"Missions exists, because worship doesn't"-John Piper
"God has not called us specifically to martydom, but he has called us to be a living sacrifice"
"Jesus is our DAILY bread; yesterday's quiet time is not going to get you through today's trials"
"A gift withough a heart behind it is a bribe. God asks for our heart, not our gifts." -Samuel Chadwic
"If a commission by a king is considered an honor, how can acommissioin by the heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"-David Livingstone
Sorry if these quotes don't make sense, these were just some of the ones that I felt like should be put on here! I love you all, and miss you bunches!
Today was a really relaxing day. We had class from 9:30 to 12:30 and after that we had free time! A group of girls from our team decided that we would go to a Ukranian restraunt and eat, and then we would go the mall. It was really nice to be able to walk around and hang out.
We have been learning so much from class, and here are a few quotes we have been learning:
On Hearing God's Voice
"If your frustrations in your life serve their highest purpose, they will chase you into the throne room."
"When God speaks: Universes are created, stars are born, laws are put into motion, nations are created, angels hush, and so much more."
"However God chooses to speak to you, do NOT make Him shout."
"When we learn to hear from God ourselves it removes the middle man, so you hear exactly what God intended."
What Keeps Me From Hearing God
1.lack of recognition of God's voice
2. Sin (believing what I hold in my hand is more important than God)
3. Spiritual Warfare
4. God is silent
5. Our unwillingness to ask questions
6. Our unwillingness to wait
All For Christ
"Our question in life should not be "where will I go when I die?" but "who will I love while I'm alive?"
"I believe that God has called enough men and women to reach all of the unreached tribes of the earth. It is not God who does not call; it is men who do not respond."-Isobel Kuuhn (Missionary to China and Thailand)
"When you get closer to the heart of God you learn how to take up your cross and join the fellowship of suffering"
"Live your life so fully for God, that your life is useless for anything else."
"Missions exists, because worship doesn't"-John Piper
"God has not called us specifically to martydom, but he has called us to be a living sacrifice"
"Jesus is our DAILY bread; yesterday's quiet time is not going to get you through today's trials"
"A gift withough a heart behind it is a bribe. God asks for our heart, not our gifts." -Samuel Chadwic
"If a commission by a king is considered an honor, how can acommissioin by the heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"-David Livingstone
Sorry if these quotes don't make sense, these were just some of the ones that I felt like should be put on here! I love you all, and miss you bunches!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Oregon Trail; More Spiritual Growth Then Expected
Hey from Oregon! The internet has been down for awhile, and I have been aching to update you guys on what has been going on!
Yesterday our team heard from a lady named Mekeisha Smith. This lady speaks with amazing passion and TRUTH. When I have my journal with me next time I will write some quotes of what we have been learning...it is truly life-changing material! Here is my schedule:
7:15-8:30 AM : Wake up, take shower, eat granola bar do devotions
8:30-10:45:Class time (This week Mekeisha Smith Spoke on "Hearing God's Voice)
10:45-11:00:Break time (Coffee and donated starbucks baked goods available)
11:00-12:30: Class (Mekeisha Smith)
12:30-1:30: Lunch, Break time
1:30-3:00: Class (Bible Meditation, or Some other class)
3:00-5:00: Active Work Service ( I work in the Childcare and take care of Staff members kids, lots of fun:) )
5:15-7:00: dinner, break time
7:00-whenever: Outreach, YWAM values...or occasionally break time
This is just a rough schedule, sometimes we do different kinds of things. Yesterday we got to do a rope course, and it was really team building. It was awesome to see a group of strangers work together to get everyone through the course, and also see strangers putting other strangers needs before their own. I have discussed with many of my team members and we are all amazed at how fast we have all bonded. We all decided that obviously it is Christ that has made that possible! I am keeping you all in my prayers, and the verse at the top of my blog describes everything I am feeling at this moment! I love every single one of you, and I miss your beautiful southern faces!
Yesterday our team heard from a lady named Mekeisha Smith. This lady speaks with amazing passion and TRUTH. When I have my journal with me next time I will write some quotes of what we have been learning...it is truly life-changing material! Here is my schedule:
7:15-8:30 AM : Wake up, take shower, eat granola bar do devotions
8:30-10:45:Class time (This week Mekeisha Smith Spoke on "Hearing God's Voice)
10:45-11:00:Break time (Coffee and donated starbucks baked goods available)
11:00-12:30: Class (Mekeisha Smith)
12:30-1:30: Lunch, Break time
1:30-3:00: Class (Bible Meditation, or Some other class)
3:00-5:00: Active Work Service ( I work in the Childcare and take care of Staff members kids, lots of fun:) )
5:15-7:00: dinner, break time
7:00-whenever: Outreach, YWAM values...or occasionally break time
This is just a rough schedule, sometimes we do different kinds of things. Yesterday we got to do a rope course, and it was really team building. It was awesome to see a group of strangers work together to get everyone through the course, and also see strangers putting other strangers needs before their own. I have discussed with many of my team members and we are all amazed at how fast we have all bonded. We all decided that obviously it is Christ that has made that possible! I am keeping you all in my prayers, and the verse at the top of my blog describes everything I am feeling at this moment! I love every single one of you, and I miss your beautiful southern faces!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Oregon:True Life
Hey Ya'll!
It is my second day here in Oregon, and I thought I would give everyone the run-down on what has been going on here!
Monday morning I took my flight from Charlotte at 6AM to the Atlanta airport. It was probably the shortest flight ever, and I arrived in Atl at around 6:45AM. I had no trouble at all finding my connecting flight because I only had to walk down the hall and I was at the gate that I needed. I got on that flight and had the pleasure of sitting by a Woman named Ginger who was a Christian! She prayed for me before we landed, and we had a really pleasent flight together. Although, we didn't realize until five hours into the seven hour flight that we could watch the movies on our individual screens for free (we thought you had to pay, and had been making fun of our seat partner for watching them and "paying" so much) I landed in Oregon tired, but excited to be on the ground. From there, I met two "YWAMER's" who helped me get my bags and drove me to the base. At this point in time everything was pretty much a blur (due to the constant tear flow, and jet lag). I met all the people who were extremely nice, but I was still really homesick. I ended up going to bed really early that night. I woke up at four in the morning freaking out and wanting to come home, but I texted my mom and she got me through it. The next morning I woke up still crying and I still wanted to come home. Fortunately, I went to the morning class (after devotions) and I got to hear everyone's stories of how they came to YWAM and what life was like before YWAM. It was SO encouraging. After that, I had class three more times, with work duty (in child care) and lunch and dinner in between. The most exciting thing I did today was going to downtown Salem and "street evangelizing". What I really liked about their type of "street evangelizing" is their focus on building relationships first, before overwhelming people with evangelizing to them. It was really interesting to just talk to people and see what their views were on different things.
Sorry this is so gramatically awful. I am in a hurry!
BUT I love all of you and miss you SO much!!!
It is my second day here in Oregon, and I thought I would give everyone the run-down on what has been going on here!
Monday morning I took my flight from Charlotte at 6AM to the Atlanta airport. It was probably the shortest flight ever, and I arrived in Atl at around 6:45AM. I had no trouble at all finding my connecting flight because I only had to walk down the hall and I was at the gate that I needed. I got on that flight and had the pleasure of sitting by a Woman named Ginger who was a Christian! She prayed for me before we landed, and we had a really pleasent flight together. Although, we didn't realize until five hours into the seven hour flight that we could watch the movies on our individual screens for free (we thought you had to pay, and had been making fun of our seat partner for watching them and "paying" so much) I landed in Oregon tired, but excited to be on the ground. From there, I met two "YWAMER's" who helped me get my bags and drove me to the base. At this point in time everything was pretty much a blur (due to the constant tear flow, and jet lag). I met all the people who were extremely nice, but I was still really homesick. I ended up going to bed really early that night. I woke up at four in the morning freaking out and wanting to come home, but I texted my mom and she got me through it. The next morning I woke up still crying and I still wanted to come home. Fortunately, I went to the morning class (after devotions) and I got to hear everyone's stories of how they came to YWAM and what life was like before YWAM. It was SO encouraging. After that, I had class three more times, with work duty (in child care) and lunch and dinner in between. The most exciting thing I did today was going to downtown Salem and "street evangelizing". What I really liked about their type of "street evangelizing" is their focus on building relationships first, before overwhelming people with evangelizing to them. It was really interesting to just talk to people and see what their views were on different things.
Sorry this is so gramatically awful. I am in a hurry!
BUT I love all of you and miss you SO much!!!
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