A day in the life...

New Blog address: www.meettheblochers.blogspot.com

2009-12-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

I know, I know it's cheesy but after we got married, I wanted to start a new blog to share our adventures on. I have loved blogging life, and enjoy looking back over these posts to see all I have done, where I have been and what I have learned...

Please check this new address
www.meettheblochers.blogspot.com

and leave a comment so we know who is stopping by!

Lent

2009-03-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

I decided that this year for Lent I would give up sugar. I am still eating fruit, bread and other food which sugar is hidden in but I am not eating desserts, chocolate, icecream or having sugary syrups in coffee etc, you get the point. (And suddenly I am hungry)

I did this last year too and found it much harder than I imagined. Although I considered giving up something different this year to "mix things up a little", I confess I was really searching for a way to make Lent less of a sacrifice and well, really that defeats the point.

Giving up something which I enjoy and I have to be mindful to refuse is a wonderful reminder for the season of Lent. Making the choice not to eat sugar helps me remember the suffering of Jesus. Now, I am not for one moment comparing my cadbury free 40 days with Jesus suffering, I am simply saying that in the moments when I make the choice not to eat something smothered in whipped cream I am reminded to think about Jesus.

I recognise my weakness and sin and in that moment allow God's Spirit to transform a little bit more of my heart and I understand a little bit more what Christ's suffering means for my life.

Return of the blog

2009-03-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have been gone from the blogging world for some time. I am sure anyone who had this blog bookmarked gave up checking a while ago but recently life has given me a lot to think about, and I am hoping that setting aside time to blog will allow me time in the day to sit and process.

I guess we'll see what happens!!

There's this place I know

2008-04-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

Life in Seattle is busy. I have some big changes happening - watch this space for details soon - I am trying to balance preparing and processing these changes and at the same time keeping things running here. This Sunday I am planning a lunch to share with the church about our Mississippi mission trip. Next week I am co-chairing the prayer for a women's retreat. It is in a little town called Levenworth, it's very quaint. We are really hoping for good weather!!

This post is really to share this little video that my friend Amanda posted on her blog. It is a video of a girl telling the camera all about the University district of Seattle. I don't know this girl, but there is an older gentleman named Ed who I see all the time because he sells the 'Real change' paper outside the Safeway where I shop (that's the US version of the 'Big issue')

I watch movies at these movie theatres, I buy food and clothes at the shops, i drink coffee at the coffee shops. This is my life. (Except the abnormal amount of beer purchasing and partying...that's more specific to the college students, but they still let us live here!)

These are the streets I walk on every day; the community I am a part of, and the place I love.

I have also talked to this hot dog!!

Snow and Bikini's

2008-04-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have had the strangest couple of weeks. Life in Seattle has been busy work-wise as I have been putting together sldeshows and lunchoen's as a way to share about our Mississippi trip with the larger church congregation at Bethany. Tomorrow I will speak in all three services at and we will watch the slideshow, and then next Sunday the team and I will host the lunch and share more detailed stories of our time. I love being able to process our time and tell all about what God did in and through me in Mississippi, because it makes me understand more of God's power and love.

On a stranger note - what's up witht he weather? I am not sure what it has been like in England but last Saturday we had 80 degree weather in Seattle. I drove around with my friend Maggie in her convertable, we laid in the sunshine at the lake, andwere surrounded by bikini's and people swimming, and later we had a picnic as the sun went down over the water. Beautiful.

Today we had snow and hail. It was FREEZING, Colder than cold.

Also, on Tuesday I went to the multifaith day at the 'Seeds of compassion' conference. It was the day of the conference that was a panel discussion with The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Rob Bell, as well as many other significant Spriitual figureheads. It was aconversation about how we grow and develop compassion in children and each person also shared about their personal understanding of compassion and how it manifests in their lives. It was really interesting to hear the perspectives of these amazing people. I have some big thoughts to process from this comference, I am still not sure what I think about the multifaith aspect. Is it really possible to join together with other faiths over issues where we believe God is the answer/giver/foundation and others seek inside themselves? I don't know? I guess if this nasty weather keeps up I can have lots of time snuggled underblankets to think about it - or maybe I will be at the lake or the beach drinking lemonade and thinking about it...In Seattle you never know.

Pillow fight

2008-03-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons why I love Seattle. One of the reason being that it is a city who's inhabitants do not take themselves too seriously. One such illustration of this was the undersgourn pillow fight which I happliy took part in at the famous Pike Place Market this Saturday. The rules were that you showed up at the market, with your pillow hiddeen on you somehow - some poeple were better at this than others. Then at 3.15 a whistle would blow and pillows would be unleashed, for a 5 minute pillow fight, after the 5 minutes, another whistle would blow signalling the end of the fight. Pillows down and everyone goes home.

I went with a couple of friends, and met up with a few more at Pikes Market, where we all gathred pillows hidden, waiting to see if the fight would really take place. The large number of peple gathered, drew a crowd in itself, with both locals and tourists waiting to see what was going on. Others just happened to be at the market when *surprise* we are pillow fighting!

3.15 and the whistle blew. Fun, fun, fun. Everyone was good natured and simply out to have fun which made the whole experience really great. There were jids and families as well as many more mature folks who joined in the fun.

After the fight, we did leave a mound of feathers, from the few feather pillows which had burst. There are quite a few videos on youtube and I am sure other places, but I found myslef in this one, at about 35 seconds, I duck out of shot in the bottom right hand corner, I am wearing a black coat, straight hair and have a bright blue pillow. This is the whole fight, but really after a minute or two you get the idea. It's always more fun to be in a pillow fight than observing one, but enjoy!!

(So for now I am having problems up loading the video, but if you want to see it, go to www.youtube.com and search for seattle pillow ight. The first option is titled 'seattle pillow fight 2008 in Pikes market'. That's the video you want to click on!)

Mississippi 2008

2008-03-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a week long trip to Tylertown, Mississippi. It was a wonderful trip. here are a few pictures to share with y'all (see how the southern accent sticks!)

We were a team of 9; myself, Jillian, Josalyn, Keith, Kevin, Beth, Anna, George, and Caitlin. We went to the rural town of Tylertown, Mississippi. We stayed at Holy Temple ministry church, under the care of Pastor Glenn Allen. We woke each morning at about 5.30am and after breakfast and packing lunches we left for the work site. Hammers in hand by 7.30am

We were introduced to Patricia and her son Taran. Patricia is very involved in the community, and as well as being a fulltime parent, holding down a fulltime job which she has to drive over an hour each way to get to, she makes time to visit the elderly in her community. She is a beautician, and until Hurricane Katrina, she had a small beauty shop on her property which had given her a second income, but also allowed her to bless those in her community by helping them prepare for job interviews and other important events. Pastor Glenn wanted to bless Patricia and so we took on the project of restoring her beauty shop.

Patricia's parents also live on the property and their house had been very badly damaged by Katrina. All the crucial repairs had already happened for them but their front room had never been fully repaired, and so we pulled up the floor and repainted for them.

Grandma Ruby and Grandpa Lee were so blessed, Pastor Glenn told us that Lee had been so choked up on the phone when he was telling him how grateful they were to us fro helping them. I am so glad because they really blessed us. Grandma Ruby made coffee each day, and served it sweet - just like everything in Mississippi!!

We got to experience many southern delights, crawfish, fried catfish, hush puppies (corn bread balls, and peppers deep fried) as well as gallons of sweet tea.

We spent one day visiting Mendenhall, another rural town in Mississippi, made famous because it is the ministry of John Perkins, a special man passionate about racial reconciliation. Mendenhall is a town still literally divided by the train tracks in the middle of town. One side black; one side white. Mendenhall had many different projects, a school, a farm, a medical clinic plus many other programs to serve the community. It was an eye opening experience for us as white people who live in the pacific north west where racial divide is much more understated and hidden.

I have so many stories, and hope to continue sharing about my time with you all, but for now here are some pics... Enjoy!
Me trying crawfish - yum

Shopping at Piggly Wiggly!!

The start of our project

Cleaning the chairs for the beauty shop

We took some of the church members and friends out for dinner - fried catfish and fried frogs legs both made an appearance on the menu!

Me with Kevin, Anna and our new friend Taran

Pulling up the floor inthe beauty shop

George and Beth fix on the trim

the beauty shop

Hearing the story of Mendenhall

The team outside the John Perkins centre

A very tight van ride to teh mendenhall ministries farm!

Mudding hthe walls

Jill and I sample the local treats - sno balls, shaved ice and flavouring

Granpa Lee comes to see how work on the beauty shop is going

Laying the floor at Grandma Ruby's and Grandpa Lee, with Caitlin and Josalyn

Me at teh work site

Lunch break!

Eating chilli out the back of the truck - classy!!

The new shop is called Pretty ladies

We chose a pretty pink for the inside - the boys really loved it!!!

The finished result - team picture with Patricia and Taran

Thoughts on Tuesday

2008-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

I am almost a week into not eating sugar for lent, and boy, it's been a wake up call. The first few days my body was in total withdrawal and was telling me I was hungry when really I think it was just craving sugar, I ate about 6 meals on Wednesday and Thursday. Things have evened out a little but I almost inhaled a bunch of grapes the other day when the sweetness hit my taste buds! I have survived one party so far, a baby shower for my friend Tami. There were pretty cupcakes and pink and white m&m's which normally I would have eaten without a thought.
It has been a good thing for me to go without sugar because I am very conscious of what I eat now and am reminded many times a day that I am not eating sweet things, and then I remember the reason behind it all. Jesus.

We had our first service in our new church building this weekend and it really was a time of celebration. It felt bigger (it is bigger) but it still felt like family. The two bands, which play alternate weeks for the services combined, and the evening choir performed. There was such a sense of community and coming together to celebrate this awesome gift. Of course it will take some time to get used to and a 3-hour long meeting yesterday showed us all that there are some kinks to iron out, but all in all it was a success.

Combining the two previous evening services meant that there were about 500 people at the 5pm service this week. Richard preached on 'soul furniture.' A reminder that the new building is great, and certainly a gift from God but that we must make sure that this space becomes a place of prayer, the word of God, confession and hospitality. We want this new building to be an invitation to people to come broken and be met in love. It is vital that we infuse the space with the character of God. During the final songs we were invited to spread out in groups around the sanctuary, on the stage, in the prayer room etc and pray together that this would be the case for our new building. That it could be a place where people feel safe to come as a broken person and know forgiveness. This time of worship and prayer was really powerful.

On another note, I have a prayer request. As you know I am planning a trip to Mississippi in March, and (praise the Lord) our team has come together. However, we still need to find someone who can be our cook/shopper for the week. It is getting pretty last minute to find someone, and be able to raise their money to come, as well as booking tickets on fights etc. Please pray that God will provide the perfect person to join our team.

It's raining in Seattle today - shocker!

Celebration of Remembrance

2008-02-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few weeks here in Seattle, at Bethany Community Church we are moving into a very exciting new season. Sunday Feb 3rd was our last Sunday in our old church building. It has taken lots of time, prayer, planning and money, but the new building is finally ready, and this means we had to say a sad final amen in the old sanctuary.

We have out grown our present building, and at present have 5 services, in the new building we will only have 3, 9am, 10.45am and 5pm. I normally went to the 6.45pm service, and so it really was the last, last service. It will be sad as the evening service congregations mix into one. The last sermon was on remembrance, and reading from Deuteronomy we looked at how memory is important because it places us in a larger story, how it sustains relationship and how it provides faith for the future. It was a really fitting farewell and at the same time propelled us into this new season with vision and purpose.
Bethany is 92 years old, and it was cool to think of the many, many people who have gone before us and allowed us to be a part of Bethany today. We collectively carry the baton for those who have gone before us. This was a pretty inspirational part of the message for me, I want to continue to grow in my faith and support the ministry of this church to follow God's desire but also in recognition of those before me.
I know as a church we may be in for some rocky times as we try and transition a church body of about 1200 people into the new facility, new services times, some new policies, and possibly (hopefully) new members joining too. However, we don't just know God in this time of uncertainty and apprehension, we know him also as the God who gave us the vision for this new building, and who has provided the finances so far. We can trust him to continue to provide in every way we need.
So looking to the future I am excited to see where God is leading us as a community.

Deut 1:6 The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain"

What a wonderful example from history of God moving his people out of their comfort zone. The Israelites had been out of Egypt for over forty years, many of them would have been born in the wilderness. They had food every morning, water to drink, protection from their enemies - they were pretty comfortable, but God had something better. Pastor Richard used this as an illustration of where we are as a community; it was especially poignant as he preached at the 6.45pm service. I am sure he felt the strong emotions, sadness about this being that last service and anxiety about what would happen to us as a church family in the new building. I really connected to what he was saying. God has new things in store for us. We can trust him and have faith to move out of our comfortable Sunday experience into something new, knowing he is and forever will be a good God.
Please pray for our church family in this time. If you would like to see some more of the story of this new building, please feel free to check out this website www.bccsharelife.org

Here are a couple of pictures of the old sanctuary, including one of our stained glass windows.

As a part of our 'moving in' and as away to dedicate the new building, we had a 90 hour reading of the Bible. People signed up for half hour slots to come to the church and read the Bible out loud. Everyone signed in and out where they started and stopped reading, and we will keep this Bible in the prayer room in the new building. I read at 12.30pm on Tuesday and felt really honoured. I felt like I was a becoming a part of the history of this church and that felt good (and God bless those who got us all through the night to come and read!) By the time I read we were in Hosea, so I read the second half of that book and then the first couple of chapters in Joel.

I am so excited for this Sunday's celebration services!

Winter Retreat

2008-01-28T21:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I went with 53 other people from the 20's and 30's group from Bethany, lovingly known as PCEC (Post college, early career) we drove about an hour and a half out of the city to Yelm, WA. for our winter retreat. We stayed at a really beautiful camp, and enjoyed times of fellowship, worship meditation and lots of fun.

The theme of the retreat was 'Encountering God' and as a part of our sessions we did some practical things to meet with God, this included meditation, lectio devina and reflection. We would meet in small groups after each session and talk about how each experience was. We discussed which ways we 'met' with God were easiest for us and which were harder. We also shared some of the things, scriptures, convictions that we felt God put of our hearts during the quiet times. These small groups times were really special, and I really enjoyed the group I was in. None of us knew one another before the weekend so it was a great opportunity to make some new friends too.

The camp surroundings were beautiful. Set amongst huge evergreen trees and close to the mountains. We walked from our cabins to the dining hall, and next to the dining room was the lake. The weather here is freezing and the whole lake was frozen. Early Sunday morning I walked down to the lake with some new friends and we were in awe at how beautiful it was. The lake surrounded by the tall trees, and a heavy white mist hung over the frozen grey water. As branches fell, or birds dropped things onto the ice, spooky echoes bounced across the lake. When we realised what was happening we began throwing stones on to the frozen lake and making these spooky noises ourselves!! The wonders of nature.

We were staying in an old railway, the station building was the meeting hall, and we stayed in the train carriages attached to the steam engine that sits on tracks at the old station. The rooms were really nice, and again it was a great chance to get to know another set of new people. We all got to know each other at our potential worst too because we had late nights, and early mornings, central lighting and one shower. Everyone in my carriage was very gracious to one another and we enjoyed our experience as roommates!

I also was part of many a lively game of catchphrase and a 2-hour game of Signs - my personal favourite game of the moment.

Here are some pics of us at the camp, the train cabins, the mountains in the distance and a fun one of me playing damsel in distress on the tracks...It was a great weekend, and I am thankful for the opportunity to get out of the city for this time of refreshing and connection.

Life in 2008

2008-01-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

This email has been floating around for a while, but I just read it again and it rings so true to the way I am feeling today I wanted to share it. I have such a desire to bring more balance into my own life, as I make time to work and rest and pray. I believe this is a way of being faithful to who God made me to be - I pray for all of us on the journey to leading a life of balance.

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've traveled all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom..."

Back in Seattle again (sung to the tune of 'back in the saddle again')

2008-01-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

I have been back in Seattle now for a week - it's gone by quickly, and in a kind of blur. I think this is mainly because of jet lag and the nasty coldy flu thing I have been fighting off over the past 7 days. On the one hand it feels like my time with you in England went by so fast, and my visit was so short, but on the other it feels like I had been gone from Seattle, YWAM, and Bethany for a very long time.

I have been glad to get back into life here, and start all those things I had been putting off until the new year - suddenly it was January (how did that happen?)

Today all of the Bethany Community church Interns were introduced officially to the congregation, in all 5 services. As I write this we have done 3 of them and have the 2 evening ones to go!!
I always attend church in the evening, so this morning it was strange to be in the Church building with so many people, many of whom I had never seen before. Of course there were some familiar faces, and also some very good friends who attend in the morning but it made me realize a little more the challenge we will be facing as a church when in a few weeks we move into our new building. We will be losing 2 of our regular services by combining them and I am sure this will be a hard transition for some members of our Bethany family.

Please be praying for us as a church community as we transition. Please pray for all of the staff and ministry teams who will be working to make this transition as easy as possible for everyone.

Today I led informational meetings for the mission trip to Mississippi that I am leading through Bethany. We had low numbers which was a little disappointing, but I am more and more excited to be going as I talk about the vision for our time. The trip will be mostly what we like to call poverty relief. This means being available to be used by the church in whatever ways they need. This will be lots of home repairs, still fixing houses from hurricane Katrina as well as more long term damage that predates any of the storms. We hope there will be quite a few skilled labourers on our team to balance out people like me who come with a good attitude and a willingness to learn but couldn't apply sheet rock if our lives depended on it!

The issue of racial reconciliation is becoming more and more of a hot topic in Christian circles, and the church begins to examine its role in pursuing this process. I know that our time in small town Mississippi, as we work serving a black community will challenge my comfort zone,a nd I am sure crack open some preconceived ideas about simple fixes to the issues of racial reconciliation.

I ask for your prayers as people begin to sign up, we would like there to be 15-20 people but numbers are looking low, mostly though I want to take a team made up of the people that God wants. Please pray for wisdom for me as I prepare to lead this team.

In other news, YWAM Seattle has started the year off well too. This week we have a family visiting from North Carolina who are considering joining us on staff. They did DTS with us 4 years ago, and have always felt a pull back to Seattle and the DTS program. Please be in prayer for them and us as we meet and talk about the future of YWAM Seattle and where they could be a part of seeing that vision come to be.

I will be sending out a newsletter to you all very soon sharing highlights form the past year, prayer requests and more about the vision of YWAM for the coming season. I don't want to spoil that for you so I will end now and hope that writing this ending will be the motivation to do the final touches to the letter and get it to you!!

(However...the sunshine outside is making it hard to be in the office much longer)

Have a wonderful week!

Christmas music

2007-12-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

America and England are not the same place. I know this, but sometimes I am reminded in the funniest ways, One, that gets me every year is our different Christmas music. Firstly, we sing Christmas carols to different tunes. I think I have more or less got the US tunes figured out now, but it's an adjustment when you have sung something every year forever and suddenly you have to sing up when you have always sung down?!...anyway, we will see how I do switching back for Christmas in England this year?!

What is more sad to me however, is the omission of some of my favourite Christmas songs from playlists here. I understand that not ever song that was a hit in the UK crosses over the pond with the same following, but there are some classics that you, my American friends are missing out on.

One aspect of Christmas songs that is not carried over here, is the race for the Christmas number 1. I will try and educate you, and I hope this will bring forth understanding, as education should. Each Christmas the most popular bands wait and release their attempt for the Christmas number 1 right at the last minute, what is a more perfect stocking filler than a CD single? However, this highly contested number 1 spot, also has the old school, mum's favoutries releasing singles too, and then the novelty entiries. All together, this makes for a very interesting race. Here are a few favourites and examples of songs that either got the Chrisstmas number 1 spots, were fierce contenders or are simply glam rock classics that we as a nation refuse to let die. Enjoy!!

Weather report and Christmas music

2007-12-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I was home all day recovering from a flu bug,, this could have been a very sad day, but it wasn't and the reason it wasn't was that I got to sit inside snuggled up and watch out the window as the snow fell. Everywhere was white, and it looked magical. It is a precious gift that this blanket of white can make even the most urban environment just so beautiful.

The snow was pretty much gone by the following morning however, when the rains descended. More water than I have ever seen fell from the sky over the past two days. I considered building an ark, just incase.

Yesterday, it felt like every phone call I received was another friend telling me their room or house had flooded. There were crowds in every store that rented any kind of wet vacs, and plumbers still have a long wait list. There is a big wet mess to clear up in Seattle.

The basement at the church flooded, an inch of water across the whole floor! The staff worked hard scooping water out of the window wells and sucking up the excess water with wet vacs. It was an all day job and the de humidifiers are still on today trying to get the space back to useable. We have out home'ess womens shelter there 4 nights a week, and it is used for many other things through the week. Please pray for speedy drying and pray hard that teh musty smell soon goes away too!!

My room is in a basement and had a litte water int he corner along one wall but the carpet is up and the under lay is drying - Thanks the Lord!

Today has been really windy but the rain has been less constant so I am hoping we are through the worst of the storms now. Please pray for Seattle to stay safe and dry this winter.

On a happier note, I have been listening to Christmas music all day today, I LOVE it!! Who cannot be happy when Christmas music is playing "I wish it could be Christmas every day, so let the bells ring out for Christmas"

Christmas in November?

2007-11-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

As you know I am interning part-time at Bethany Community Church with their Missions Pastor. There are 6 other interns, Susanne, Brandon and Evy working with Youth, Kelly with children's ministries, Katie with worship and Caroline with Art ministries. The 7 of us have very different schedules and do not have any time during the week that we can even meet consistantly because of it, so although we see each other in passing or at meetings, we are never (or almost never) in the same room at the same time.

We have been trying to get together and have some 'intern time' for a while, and in a fluke of planning discovered we were all free this past Saturday afternoon. We had planned to take Christmas pictures to be the theme of our next issus of the 'Intern-al journal' (yes, I did suggest the name, can you tell?!) It is a monthly newsetter which gets put out to the congregation and our friends and family. We thought what better place to take the pictures than Saturday when we would all be together - we could even take one of all of us to make a Christmas card for the other staff at Church -Yes, we are very creative!

When we realised we would be posing for Christmas pictures we thought why not go the whole hog and have a Christmas party, which is what we did. We went to Kelly's apartment made gingerbread houses and iced Christmas cookies and listened to Christmas music. Very festive!!!

Here are a couple of pictures, this is the work station, look at all the effort going into the gingerbread houses! (L-R Suzanne, Amanda who is not an intern but lives with Kelly and is dating Brandon so she is as close as it gets!, Caroline and Brandon)

This is me posing with my gingerbread man Christmas cookie,

Katie and I pose with our gingerbread house/mobile home!!

Trick or Treat

2007-10-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

This morning was was our weekly YWAM staff meeting. We decided, in the spirit of building and developing our community, to have a less formal meeting and all bring something for a brunch. We all showed up with dishes, or tupperware full of yummys. There was a breakfast casserole, pancakes, pumpkin bread, fruit salad and a big pile of bacon! Of course, the coffee was flowing, but this morning the coffee creamer was pumpkin spice flavour - we like to be seasonally relevant(!)

Our time was spent in good conversation, and I felt totally at ease with us as a group. I know that we are going to be just fine, wherever God is taking us as YWAM, we as a community will be just fine.

There continues to be lots of conversations about what the next DTS will look like, tomorrow night some of us are going to eat dinner with another local community called 'Mustard Seed'. I look forward to hearing more about what they are doing. It feels like they are a few steps ahead of us, and rather then trying to start from scratch we should take this opportunity to learn from others around us.

I have also started working on the Mission Trip I am planning through Bethany to Mississippi. It will happen over the college spring break week in March, and will be mostly focused on poverty relief. We will be working in a very poor community and helping them wherever we can. We aim to promote the trip to skilled labourers too, and hope that we will be able to do some real building projects during our time.

I met with the church Youth Pastor, and heard his plans for the trip he will take to Costa Rica this summer. it was great to hear the plans. I also met with Megan who has led the Mississippi trip before, and will lead with me this March, and there are some huge differences in how they are approaching these short term missions. I am really seeing the need for there to be some standards set for short term mission trips through Bethany.

I think these standards will help offer a sense of consistency and this way people can know what to expect when they sign up to be a par t of a team.

The longer I am at Bethany the more I am seeing how little missions is an interest to the general congregation. Now I know that missions doesn't get everyone jumping up and down with excitement, but I think the real issue is that people do not know what's happening. With the Missions committee, I am trying to come up with ways to 'advertise' what is happening within the missions department.

We are such a huge church, weekly attendance of almost 1200 people a week, and yet I know the most effective ways share and to get people involved is through relationship. This could be a pitfall but I am choosing to see it as simply God's challenge to me. I believe he is using me. I am glad to have the space to try new things and work with them to make them fit the needs of Bethany.

The weather continues to get colder, and there has been a pretty fog to wake up to in the morning. It will not be long before it is time to bring out my heavy duty winter coat!! The pumpkins are EVERYWHERE, silly smiling faces looking at you as you walk down the street, what a strange season! However the pumpkin treats, such as the pumpkin spice lattes and the pumpkin chocolate chip bread, or the pumpkin red lentil curry are all very much appreciated, and again, it is only culturally sensitive for me to chow down whenever I get the opportunity!

Thoughts by the fire (and thank you's...)

2007-10-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

I am sitting at the dining room table in my house from here I can feel the warmth and hear the crackle of the fire burning in the fireplace. I LOVE this time of year!

Today was wet and windy, and I spent the afternoon looking after two of my favoutire little boys, Noah (10 months) and Micah (14 months). At one point, i knew it had started raining because of the loud drone as the drops hit the pavement with such force. I opened the door so the boys could see the rain, and after a few chorous's of 'Rain, rain go away' and 'It's raining, It's pouring', we closed it again and retreated onto the couch. There we snuggled up and read stories for about a half hour - having two little guys, especially these two, sitting still for that long is pretty amazing, and was a precious time for me. Just so peaceful.

I am excited to tell you a little more of the dicussions we have been having as YWAM Seattle. It has been a very uncertain season, as I am sure you have gathered from my emails and blogs, but i am hopeful that this time is coming to an end.
We seem clear and in agreement that we want to run a DTS next year. We are also sure that this school will look very different from our others and are excited as well as a little nervous as we start to create a vision statement and work towards finding the practical steps we need to take to make this happen.

We believe that as we live together in community and with purpose, we are a light in our neighbourhood, and our city. As we move forward with planning the school, we are also seeing the importance of putting some more words or definition to us as a YWAM community.

I am really praying for God's direction and more of his heart as I continue to work with Bethany Community Church and especially for the Aurora community. Every day as I walk to the church or around the lake, as I ride the bus, or get coffee I am around hurting people. From the homeless man who walks along my street with a plastic bag hat, to the insecure college student, from the little old lady that sits at the coffee cart at the lake every day to the kids going to school. So many people, each one with a different story...

Seattle is one of the least churched cities in the US (We fight for the title with Portland) It is a place that many homeless young people seem to end up. After being rejected as they drift across America, they somehow end up in the North West, in Seattle and then find acceptence from others in the same position. More conversations than I would like to hear include a story of being rejected, humiliated and abused in someway by the 'Church' or someone representing Jesus. Our ministry here cannot only be about telling people about the freedom that is found in Christ because people have already experienced the opposite. They often know more about faith and Christianity than many Christians I know, but things have been so tainted by the way Jesus has been falesly represented that they cannot believe.

We have to build trust through true relationship and by living life well. Loving and caring for oneanother in a way that shows Christ's love. We must restore hope in the hearts of the people of this city. We must invite others to live alongside us, and we must be transparent. We mustn't be afraid of rejection, but instead have integrity as we share about grace, by giving it freely.

As my desire to mobilise the church as a whole into action continues to grow and take shape, I am realising how vital it is that our ministries begin at home, with our families and our neighbours. We are called to reach out to the poor, the widows and the orphans, but we also called to love our neighbours. I want followers of Christ to get out into the Aurora neighbourhood and serve hot meals to the poor, but it must be partnered with walking next door and inviting the neighbours over for dinner, or offering to babysit or do a DIY project. I want to encourage people to really do something that involves sharing everyday life. It doesn't seem right to go out one evening a month to tutor disadvantaged children in the poor neighbourhood, or serve food at the soup kitchen, and tick that off as doing our part in the great commission. That feels more like we are serving for our benefit?

Volunteering in these ways is far from bad, infact it is a great blessing when done with the right heart. However it can't stop there, otherwise we are just another 'do-gooder' just another person who one night a month pulls out our God card. A person who makes their faith known as the reason they are serving but then goes home and yells at their family or continues an affair, or struggles with addiction all behind closed doors. This is when a seperation happens between Loving Jesus and acting like we are religious - just like the pharasees.

We are all guilty of this to some degree I am sure, I know I am. It is hard to be honest about our struggles. I think part of that might even be to do with our own expectations of what a Christian should look like. We want to be seen as perfect because deep down we think we have to be - our lives should be perfect because we are Christians, right? Please know that this is a journey I think I will always be on untill I am in heaven, learning to live in the freedom of Christ, embracing that I am fully known and fully loved, while being very aware of all my faults at the same time. However, I have had glimpses of what this freedom can be like, and I know it is the true Good news of the gospel. This is what I want people to know about my Jesus; His love, his forgiveness, his redemption and his freedom.

My prayer is that as I live life with others, they will see me. A complete person, who has as many struggles as victories, who laughs and cries, who doesn't have all the answers, but knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is loved and forgiven. I want my life to truly be a testimony of God's mercy.

My ministry in Seattle has taken a few different directions, but I see how God is refining me and us as YWAM Seattle. I have a peace and an excitement for what is happening and what will be as a result. I feel very blessed to be here, and have the opportunity to follow God's call on my life in this way. Thank you all so much for your faithful support. I hope you sense some ownership in the things God is doing here, because you play such a significant part in what's happening.

God Bless x

meetings, meetings, meetings

2007-10-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

I have spent this week in what feels like back to back meetings. Some better than others. However, I wanted to tell you about a few I am really excited about, starting with the most recent one tonight.

I have just got home from a meeting with about 15 people, representing 4 different faith communities in the Aurora Neighbourhood. We met to talk about 'Food on Aurora'. It was a time to find out more about what these local churches were doing to get food out the people living on Aurora and to see where we can help and support one another - also making sure we are not overlapping.
At Bethany we have a small food bank/pantry and at Crosspoint Church they have 'Good Friday' ministry which takes food to the people staying in the motels on Aurora. As we talked we saw how many connections we each also had as churches with other services, food banks, drop-in centres just to name a few. I was so excited to hear all the things that are happening, and really, really excited to meet more specifically to find ways to link in Bethany Community Church to what's happening. It made me so happy to see all of us there together, not determined to make our things bigger or better, no competitiveness, just people seeking ways to serve and encourage one another as we are all striving to reach out to our community.
I am so pumped up as I write this i think it will take me a while to fall asleep as I have a million thoughts and ideas running through my mind (i am hoping blogging this might help?!) What an awesome opportunity to truly represent the body of Christ as we serve together!!

Another meeting was last night when i met with the Missions Committee at Bethany. October is Missions month at the church and we have quite a few events coming up to plan. It was the first time I had met some of the people and it was good to get to know them and see their hearts for missions. The big planning happened around our 'missionary meet and greet' it will be a time for church members to come, eat dessert and talk to some of the missionaries Bethany supports. We will have a number of our missionaries in town for that night, and i hope the event gets the support from the church that we would like!

Finally, Wednesday mornings are our YWAM staff meetings. It is hard to explain these times well (i hvae started this sentence many times but it comes out wrong) I can say that today felt like a sweet time of being honest together. Some good things were shared some really sad things and some more questions for us to figure out. Today felt like we made at least one big decision, which was to move forward with YWAM having a flat leadership structure and not a base director/leader. For many reasons this has been a hard decision to make, but personally I believe it is the right direction for us as a base to be heading. I look forward to having more information to share with you about this process in the coming weeks as we figure it out. Thanks you for your prayers for all of us YWAM folk, we appreciate it greatly.

I am now going to try and sleep...

A new season

2007-09-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to the sound of heavy rain on my window, it was the first morning in a while when it was really, really hard to get out of bed, and I thought to myself, Autumn is very much here, and not even just pretty autumn, leaves changing colour and all that, but the real Autumn, cold wet days thrown in there too!!

I have spent the morning finishing my article for the Intern magazine that will go out each month from the church. I had to write a little bit about myself, and then take a picture of myself with a pumpkin - we decided that we would make the pictures Autumn appropriate and since pumpkins are everywhere now, it seemed like a good idea?!! What do you think?

Last week, we had a staff retreat with the rest of the Bethany Community Church staff and interns. We talked a lot about casting a vision, and that for each different area of ministry we have to know our vision, refine our vision and be able to cast that vision ina way that others can grasp and be excited about too. It made me think a lot about YWAM and also my time with Bethany this year.

I feel a little bit detached from my vision at the moment, I have become focussed on doing what I am doing, but without the larger focus of why I am doing it. This is when things can start to seem emtpy. This new internship at church and the new phase YWAM is in seems like the perfect opportunity to take stock, recast a vision.

There will be a lot of challenges this year as I am working to create more opportunities to serve our community. My vision is to see everyone have an opportunity to use their unique gifts, talents, passions and skills in reaching people for the Lord. I realise of course that before people can do this, they must first understand more of who they are in Christ. In YWAM and the local church I have the chance to do this. In all I am doing and all the connections I am making, the priority is building up individuals. Helping them believe in themselves and see who they are, and who they were created to be.

Please be praying for me to find a good balance in my life, with all the different hats I am wearing.
Please pray for the relationships I am building and that they will lead to us serving our community well.
Please pray for YWAM as we continue to wrok through this new and strange season.

A whole lot of wedding!!

2007-09-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went to 2 weddings. Actually, one was a reception for a wedding that happened out of State, but still it was an excuse to get dresesd up and enjoy the good company of good friends.

In the morning, my good friends, and old small group leaders Tim and Sarah got married. It was a beautiful wedding, the sun was shining which was a good thing because the wedding was outside on a dock! I did a couple of readings in the wedding, and my true British came out for all to hear. I read Pooh Bear quotes...this is why Sarah and I are such good friends, our mutual love of all things Pooh. My favourite was this one...

"Pooh and Piglet walked home thoughtfully together in the golden evening, and for a long time they were silent.
"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh" said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh "What do you say Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet
"Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing" he said.

Instead of lighting the unity candle, they poured sand. This was a practical choice because it would have been hard to light the candle with the wind blowing, but actually the sand ceremony turned out really well, and was another place their personalities and humor shone through, as Sarah's sand seemed to have a mind of it's own.

My friend Wendy and I with Sarah

I am so blessed to have friends like this and felt very honored tp be a part of their special day. The following lunch and specially created cocktails was an added treat, and after the toast and rounds of fantastic chocolate cake we all left feeling very stuffed.

Round two happened a little later in the evening, and after a nap!! John and Britta are another couple from the same small group and they got married in Colorado, where Britta is from In August. John is from Washington so this was their reception/celebration for friends and family who couldn't make it out to the wedding.

More food, amazing food again and then dancing (to work off all of the food)

As you can see most of us took full advantage of the dual event day and managed an outfit change!!

Me with my friends Brice and Rachel

Me with Britta (the bride, in red) and Aaron and Nicole

Birthday!

2007-09-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

I had a very special birthday - thank you for all your cards and messages, i felt very loved!

I just thought I would share a pic from my celebrations.

Here are Zara and I getting cupcakes at my favourite place, Cupcake Royale.

First week

2007-09-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had a few meetings at Bethany to talk more about what I will be doing this year. I am going to be overseeing developing local missions for the church. The church is just a couple of blocks from a main road in Seattle called Aurora. The Aurora area is known for its high drug and prostitution activity. A task force of 8 people from Bethany have compiled a ton of information and research about the area and discovered that living amongst the crime and poverty, there are also more wealthy homes, there are families living in the motels and lots of children growing up in the area too. The research was to determine how Bethany could best serve this local community, what were the highest areas of need.

The research concluded that there wasn't one specific need that stood out. Instead it simply concluded that there was a whole community living there, and all areas of it have needs, Bethany church houses a woman's shelter in our basement for a few nights a week. This ministry, Tabitha place was established about a year ago and is the first stage of a bigger vision for our local area. The idea is to start new outreaches that can come under the umbrella of the Tabitha ministry and that it would keep the same standards and be run in the same way in regards to the ways volunteers are trained, cared for and brought in to the team. The volunteers with Tabitha are so well and intentionally taken care of that they have had a very low turnover and people still love what they are doing!

I am going to be exploring possible ways to serve and get more of the church body involved with local mission. It will be a challenge, but i am excited for it!!

I am also going to be working with the missions board to create standards for the short term mission trips that Bethany takes each year. This is where my YWAM years will come in handy!!! I look forward to sharing some of the things we have learnt and helping the church to make these trips the most impacting for the people going and the people they are serving.

I am also going to be working with Megan, the college Pastor to plan the College groups mission trip to Mississippi in March.

This week will be my first real week. A totally new schedule. YWAM and Bethany work fitting in to my week. Discipline needed to get all i need to do done!! I am also seeing how much better i need to be at planning ahead, things like packing lunches in the morning and taking them with me, and also going grocery shop isn't able to be such a spontaneous decision and i need to plan or I won't eat!

My birthday is this Thursday but I won't be celebrating until the following weekend because this Saturday I have a special wedding to go to. My old small group leaders from church, now very special friends Tim and Sarah are getting married. I am reading in the wedding - my barely recognisable British accent seems to get me a lot of such gigs!!!!

I look forward to updating you again soon with more news from both YWAM and the church...and i also will try to find fun and interesting things to take pictures of and post them.

Watch this space.

It's September already!

2007-09-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

It's September, and in my head this marks the start of a new year - I have just never left 'School year' mode.

I am excited to let you know that my internship with Bethany Community Church begins this week! I am so looking forward to this new challenge and work environment. I am working with the MIssions Pastor, Chris and the College and Community Pastor, Megan.

I had a meeting this morning and we discussed the needs that they have and the time commitments for those, to try and make a schedule of some sort for my week. The Internship involves also attending the weekly staff meetings, meeting one on one with the Pastors I am working with and also a Theology meeting each week. I look forward to having some more input in my week.

It looks like my main responsibility will be developing local missions in the community around the church. I will be putting teams together and training, briefing and de-breifing them as they serve. I hope to develop opportunities for all ages in the church community to be involved in serviing.

This is a pretty broad description, but I hope as I get started, as i meet with people and begin to have conversations, it will take a more specific shape. I am also excited to work with other areas of the church, in the Sunday school and college ministry talking about missions and living a missional life.

With the rest of my time, I am involved in YWAM meetings and discussing our future. I am beginning to meet regularly with a couple of other staff to really pray and focus on the DTS program. We have LOTS to do to get the program up and running the way we want for next year, but I believe God will be leading us in the direction we need to go, and trust that it to His hands.

So I am in the posture of taking a deep breath, poised with anticipation, knowing things are about to really pick up pace!
I look forward to running the next year with you!

Strength Finders Results

2007-08-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

This test was made up ofabout a hundred questions which we completed in a specific time, online. Our results we sent to a lady named Kara Thompson, a YWAMer based in Las Vegas. She complied our results and came to Seattle to discuss the results. We disussed what they meant for us as individuals and also for us as a group.

It was a great tool for us to understand ourselves and oneanother better.

Here are my top five strengths, as identified though this and a short explanation of them,

1.DEVELOPER - Realising potential in others
You are drawn to people with the goal to see them succeed. You look for ways to help them grgow - and others seek you out because there is some understanding that your help is genuine and personally fulfilling.
You should partner with those who have INDIVIDUALISATION as a strength, they wll help you identlfy where a person's greatest strengths lie (your theme may lead you to encourage in areas where they lack real strength) *Avoid supporting those who are constantly struggling in their role.
-You seek out roles where my primary responsibilty is to facilitate growth (ie.teaching, coaching, managing)
-You notice when my associates grow and tell them specifically
-You make a point of mentoring and developing others

2.HARMONY - You have aggreement as a guiding value
As you look for the practical side of things you help others find a point to begin agreement. Your tolerance for different views and your ability to adjust are great assets (as long as there are no basic value clashes)
Partner with those who have a COMMAND/ACTIVATOR strength, they will help to confront conflict head-on (particulary in situatios where your efforts to bring resolve have been unsuccessful)
-You have the aility to see common ground between conflicted people and can asist by pointin gout commonalities.
-You can draw people together and your openess to differing perspectives will bring understanding to others.

3.EMPATHY - Instinctive ability to understand
You anticipate needs and questions, and have theability to ut into words what others are feeling, even when they cannot. You do not necessarily agree, condone or sympathise, but you understand - Others are drawn to this.
Partner with those who have a COMMAND/ACTIVATOR strength to help you take needed action especially when people's feelings may suffer.
Partner with EMPATHY strengths to check your observations are correct.
-You practise namin gyour feelings and those you observe in others - this allows people to work better together
-You build trust by letting others know that you know how they are feeling and over time refine your non-verbal communication skills.

4. RELATOR - Your attitude toward relationships: Relationship is valuable only when it is genuine!
YOu are more interested in character and personality than status or job title - this strength can serve as a model for others.
Partner with those who have WOO as a strength, for initial contacts...You are comfortable with intimacy - the more you share the more you risk! And the more you prove your care is genuine
-You help others to know each other better
-This trait is not for an overly formal organisation, a workplace that encourages friendship is best
-You learn about the people you meet (this is a catalyst for trusting relationships)
-You let your caring show (ie.Mentoring)

5. CONNECTEDNESS - Apart of something larger
YOur faith is strong and motivates you to responsibilty. Your perspective can be a comfort to others as you find meanin gin difficult events. You should partner with those with a COMMUNICATION strength, they can help you put into words the intuitive connections you sense.
-You are a bridge-builder for people of different cultures
-You can lead in building teams where each member feels important and you can help them see the big picture
-You should look at listening and counseling roles

YWAM Seattle's Philosophy of Ministry

2007-08-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Our ministry philosophy is based on a belief in the historic Christian faith and reflected in both the Apostles's Creed and the Nicrene Creed. In addition, the following words help to capture the values that continuallg guide out r lives and ministries:

Commuunity & Connectedness-
Our faith was never meant to be lived-out in isolation, but is best experienced and expressed as a body. God calls us to grow together, to serve together, to laugh and cry and learn together. Anything less is at best, empty religion.

Integrity & Authenticity-
Unless we are willing to be real with God and with each other, then we are spinning our wheels in terms of genuine spirituality. The more intimate, raw and honest our ministry becomes, the greater our impact will be on the emerging generation.

Equipping & Mentoring-
Empowering people to become who God wants them to be by helping them identify God's call on their lives, maximise their potential and intergrate them as a team. Relationship and personal accountability is key in this process.

Creativity & Flexibility-
In order to avoid stagnation and continue moving forward, we must always be innovative in our thinking and receptive in our attitude towards change. Our comunity should be one who can receive the new wine of God's Spirit without bursting, and at the same time preserve the rich foundations that preceded it.

YWAM Seattle is a community of people dedicated to producing mission-minded disciples.

Email

2007-08-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is a copy of the email I sent out, I just wanted to make sure anyone not on my list who is interested can read it!

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for your patience, I know i have not been faithful in keeping you updated with what's happening here in Seattle and for that I apologise. I am making a commitment to you that my blog will be updated much more regularly from this point, as this new season continues to unfold.

For now this is my update. It's quite long, just to warn you!

YWAM Seattle has decided not to run programs for the coming year. Many of us on staff have been here for many years and speaking personally I have felt drained by the pace and intensity of the DTS. It felt like my life was put on hold for 6 months while we ran the program. At first this didn't seem like a big deal, but over time this has created strained relationships not only within our YWAM community but especially in the wider community that we have built here in Seattle.

This does not fit at all with the Philosophy of ministry we have at YWAM Seattle (see my blog for detals of this), and I believe God has personally spoken to each one of us here about the inconsistency or seeming lack of integrity this shows our students. We are giving them a taste of community but not of a sustainable community. Not one they could ever hope to recreate in their homes or at their colleges or wherever they go after DTS. Not even one we are able to sustain after they leave.

I personally believe that true community is a very missional way to live and to share Christ with those who don't know him. I believe that we have a calling to develop our community as a tool and a foundation for our programs, especially DTS.

As staff we have not made much time to intentionally develop our community outside of working our programs together. We do not have to be intentional with one another because our schedules dictate we spend every waking second together for 6 months. Within that schedule however there does not seem to be much space to genuinely care for each other because of our time commitment to our students.

I hope this is making sense.

All that to say somewhere along the way, it seems like we lost our vision. Speaking personally, I felt lost in the DTS and trapped in running it the way it has always been run,. I know we run a good program here, but I also know it can and needs to be changed and made better in some areas. As staff we need to take a step back and do some learning and growing, make some mistakes and learn from them too. Make concious decisions about some key areas in our lives, so as we live life we can truly be transparent to each other, our students and our city. Trusting that God will be seen there.

To give myself some more structure for the coming season, and also to have an opportunity to work more closely with the local church here in Seattle, I am applying to intern with my church part time for the coming year. I know this will stretch and challenge me within areas of ministry and make me get out of my comfort zone too.

I would be working alongside the Missions Pastor as well as the woman who overseas church community. I am still talking with the head Pastor about exactly what this will look like but am so excited about what I will learn and how this time will infuse the new plans and ideas I/we have for the DTS next fall.

As part of my application to intern, I have to answer some questions about my life story and personal vision and goals etc. I have not spent much time refining these since I joined YWAM staff 4 years ago. It has been a great opportunity to really seek the Lord.

During our time together as a staff we have done personality tests and Strength finders as well as the spiritual gifts tests (I'll post some of my results on my blog, if you are interested!)

These tests or tools, have really been affirming to me in the choices I have made to be a part of YWAM staff. In light of the new decisions I am having to make, I have been re-examining them. Again, they have been useful in helping me make sense of my desire and vision for the soming year. Working alongside my church this year, the ideas I have for developing community and building connections for us as YWAM, and creating the DTS to be a place to help facilitate our students in developing community and connections as they serve are all things that are reflected in my core values and giftings.

This is turning into a very long email, so if you have read this far I really appreciate you sticking with it!

I will continue to update my blog regularly through this process and more than ever would love to hear your thoughts and ask for your prayers.

If you have questions please ask them. a BIG desire of mine is to really keep the connection I have with you and share what I am learning as well and continuing to learn from the ministry and community you share in Selsdon. (If you are not from SBC please ignore that sentence and just know how much you are appreciated, and how much I would love to hear your thoughts also)

We are renting the Grey house for this next year, and continuing to fund raise at this point with a view to buying it if possible next summer.

Thanks for reading, please check my blog for updates. Let me know what you think and tell me how you are doing. I will be back in Croydon for Christmas!!!

In His hands,
Chrissie x

Wedding fun and Mission Adventures keep me busy

2007-07-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

Things here are still very undecided, but we had a welcome distraction when 2 of our former students got married, and 16 of the 21 other students came in for the wedding!

Thought you would like to see a few pictures,
Here are some of us all dressed up fancy

This is the view of Mount Rainier from the reception venue. On a clear day I can see this mountain from where I live, but we always see it from the other direction. It was a perfect day, and the mountain was breath taking as you can see.

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouraging words, I look forward to sharing with you soon some of what God has been showing me.
Hope your day was as beautiful and sunny as mine!

MISSION ADVENTURES 2007 UPDATE

This afternoon and evening I was at the church where we are hosting Mission Adventures. Our first 2 teams arrived on Sunday and are here for 10 days. There are about 30 students here, please keep them in your prayers as they spend time in lectures, playing games and also serving the city in many different ways. Please pray they are stretched, and that they have to rely on God during this time. That this trip really changes them as individuals as well as those they meet, serve and love in Seattle. Please pray that the lessons they learn and the growth in relationships with God will be lasting.

I am spending quite some hours over the coming weeks, in the kitchen making and clearing up meals. The temperature are climbing here in Seattle, into teh high 90's this week. Please pray for all of us as we cope with the heat! Please pray it is not a distraction, and that we will choose to keep good attitudes and hearts towards one another! SOmetimes crazy heat can make me pretty crabby!

and now for something completely different

2007-07-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

It is with a sad but peaceful heart that I let you all know that we have decided not to run a DTS this autumn.

We have been contacting all of the prospective students and letting them know, please be praying for spiritual protection for them as they deal with the consequences of this decision. We do not want this to be a place for the enemy to discourage them, but a time for them to draw close to God.

We hope that they will go on to do a DTS at another location, and have been recommending them to a couple that we know have similar vision and location to us. However, I am aware of how much goes into choosing a location in the first place and want to continue to be sensitive as I have conversations with the students in this time.

As a base, the coming year will look very different as we head out in different directions. We want to continue to meet together, encouraging one another at the same time as learning together and growing as staff.

I was having a hard time feeling a little lost in this whole decision, even though I see that we do not have the staff to run a DTS, I still feel like that leaves me lots of open space. A colleague reminded me hat as we are training and discipling others it is key to keep refining and growing personally. I desire to know God in a deeper way in this time, and I know that God will use that to bring fruit.

Please be praying for me as I look ahead to this year and set some personal goals and refine my vision, at the same time as I live and serve this city and my community. I am excited for what this year could be, and also scared that it seems so open. My church has started a series of teaching called 'breathe', alternating the teaching from topics of 'inhaling' activities, such as reading the bible and solitude, and 'exhaling' ones such as generosity and hospitality.

Last night, the message was on hospitality. The Pastor was able to give me a new perspective on the idea of hospitality. He said it was less about cultivating long-term relationships, that is friendship; hospitality is about bridging the gap and sharing life with people you wouldn't necessarily be in relationship without some intentionality. Having someone over for dinner, or simply having conversation where you really listen and really share with someone. That is hospitality. Knowing people without labels, as soon as we put someone on a box, we are no longer practicising hospitality; we are not knocking down walls, but building them up. I am excited to learn more as this series continues, and believe that God has given me this time to really learn more about myself, and the person he has created me to be.

I hope this makes sense, but realise it may not. Please email me if you have any questions, I would be happy to try and answer them.

Base Update

2007-06-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

I believe that God is really working in and through us as a YWAM base.

An update about the Grey house is that we didn't get the money we needed for the down payment, so we thought that was the end of the line. We were told that the owner wanted to do something with the money this summer and was looking for a quick sale, but now he has offered that we rent for another year and try to raise the money we need! Crazy.

This brings up many more questions, everything seems to be connected.

We have been thinking about making some really big changes to improve the DTS program, and started by extending it, which i still believe will help us make the school all it can be. Now we just have to ask ourselves an honest question - do we have enough time to plan out the whole school before September.

We are also low on staff, but high on vision. Most everyone has a big project or ministry they are wanting to develop but every year we give up these things for 6 months for the DTS. To do that again seems to be sending the wrong message to the students, do as i say not as i do. We stop some of the big things God has called us to, to staff the school. When you think about it, that really just doesn't make sense.

We are praying about whether the school should be postponed until next year. Finding people to rent the house through us for the year, maybe staff, or just others looking for an intentional community.

We would have time to develop our own ministries, as well as grow together as a staff, encouraging and supporting each other in our dreams. Continuing to raise money to buy the house, and also raise our profile within the city.

I am excited to develop our relationships with the churches in the local area. Share our knowledge about missions and help them in anyways we can to prepare for trips. I would also like to develop some teaching materials for youth groups, sharing about different cultures and the way God is moving in countries across the world, as well as in the city of Seattle.

Thee are lots of new things happening here, and everything is still a little up in the air. I switch between feeling very excited and raring to go in these new adventures and feeling very sad and a little overwhelmed by the reality of not having a school.

Please be praying that the big decisions that are being made by me and all of us as a staff.

I will be sure to let you know when conclusions have been reached and then be more specific about what my year will look like, thank you again, God Bless

Maryland - Tornado and gelato

2007-06-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

I am writing this from Maryland. I am here with my housemates for her brothers wedding. I am here to be an extra pair of hands with Zara, and also to have a little getaway from Seattle!

I am staying with my friend Amanda at her parent’s house, which has become a surrogate home away from home for me over the past few years.

Our flights from Seattle were all delayed because of bad weather so we didn't arrive until about 3am - and it’s been full of adventure since!

The first highlight is the tornado. Yes, tornado.

We went out yesterday to the shops in warm sunny weather. An hour or so later as we got back in the car to come home and saw that the clouds had got pretty dark.
On the way home the radio show broadcast a severe weather warning, which included a tornado warning. He said the weather front had started where we had been shopping and then was moving in a SW direction towards where Amanda parents live, and where we were headed. The dark clouds were so dark, and were right behind us, and moving in fast. The radio kept telling us to abandon our vehicles and hide in a ditch if we saw a tornado! We were a little bit freaked out. I have never been in a tornado before!

We got home and Amanda’s Dad had got out the portable black and white TV and was watching the weather reports that were still saying the tornado conditions were heading fast towards us! We headed down to their basement with some snacks, candles and the dog. Only a few minutes after we settled down there the power went out. It was surreal for the next 45 minutes, but the tornado never formed and the warning was reduced to a severe thunderstorm. We went back upstairs!!

A few hours later, the rain had stopped and we headed out to get gelato. Italian ice, in a million flavours from 'The Cow' gelato shop. Another East coast treat, its delicious.

Last minute preparations for the wedding continue around me.

Retreat

2007-06-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, the staff of YWAM Seattle (15 of us, minus kids) headed about an hour north of the city to a place called Bellingham, to Lake Samish and a camp called Lutherwood. It was so pretty and with gorgeous weather all weekend, we made the most of our off time!

We were meeting to try and put on paper some of the Value and Purpose of YWAM Seattle as an organisation, and hope that by doing this, we can set ourselves goals and expectations in line with those values.

I think as a group it was what we needed to get away, spend quality time together, and have time to talk, share, listen, laugh and debate together.

We had lots of fun outside of the meeting too, we took a canoe out onto the lake, played frisbee, bocce ball, and also played on this thing called the Blob. It is a huge inflatable cushion that sits at the edge of the lake, one person jumps onto the Blob from a high platform, and that launches the other person who is lying on the far end of the blob into the water! It was so uch fun. The whole going onthe Bob has made me thnk a lot about hw i confront things that scare or intimidate me.

The guys were playing on the Blob for hours, and i had thought it had looked fun, but knew i would be scared. What if i fell off? How embarassing. What if i got hurt? And on and on. Towards the end of the afternoon my friend Amy suggested that we have a go. Her encouragement was the push i needed. It was awesome!! During my turn on the Blob i felt so free. Like i had faced a fear, and refused to let it hold me back. Yes!

Now i have to take the Blob revelation on into life...

The retreat was a special time for us as a base as well as for me personally, I hope to post some blobbing pictures soon!

A life of Honesty

2007-05-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

At Church this week the message was all about living honestly. They talked about how we must embrace the good things and the bad at the same time. How can it make sense that we can enjoy the beauty of life and the sadness and disappointment we feel at the same time? The message was based on Psalm 13, in which David cries out to God, sharing his hurt and frustration, but also praising and thanking HIm. He embraces his pain and frustration with God, "How long will you forget me?" How many times have i cried out to God, "How long." How long until I get a hold on this struggle in my life, how long will i be single, how long, how long...? These things are real struggles, things that don't have easy or simple solutions. Things that can make me feel isolated and lonely, distant from God. How can I fully embrace these feelings, be honest with God, myself and others, when i am also aware of how much joy I have in my life.

I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to come to Seattle and be a part of YWAM Seattle. To have visited so many places, and met so many incredible people. So blessed to have such an amazing support system in my life. A family, friends and a home church that not only support me both in prayer and financiallly but continue to be interested in what is happening in my life and encourage me all the time! I am part of a wonderful community, people who are invested in me and care a lot. People who don't just keep things surface-y but want to go deeper, and challenge me in so many ways.

I am so happy when I can look out of the window on days like today and see the sun shining and see the beauty of creation. How blessed that I have a wonderful second family here in Seattle, that i get to see Zara growing up, and to have her as a reminder of how amazing this world is; to laugh with her and see how excited she gets about little things in life that I take for granted, and don't think about being note-worthy at all - like crayons for example!

I don't know if I will ever fully know how to do this 'life' thing well, but I am trying, i guess that's all we are asked to do?! It is a relief to know that living in the space between the hard to understand, conflicting thoughts and feelings is one of the things that unites us as people. We just have to make space for both. Fully entering into life with someone means being there through the good and the bad, sometimes at the same time. For us to be known by others we must contiue to try and be honest, not edited. Sharing without fear, isn't that what we're called to? A life of vulnerability and intimacy.

Let the process continue. I hope you find peace and comfort in this psalm also.

Psalm 13

1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he is good to me.

Memorial Day Bar-B-Q!

2007-05-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

In England there was Bank holiday Monday, but here in the States we celebrated Memorial Day today. My friends, Sean and Heather had a big celebration and invited people over for a Bar-B-Q. The weather had been up and down all day, but as the party began at about 4pm the sun was shining.

It was so much fun to see so many friends all in one place; people i work with in YWAM, people i used to work with, former students as well as new friends were all there. We ate lots of good food, and enjoyed our time together. Here are just a few pics to share with you.
The garden

Heather and I

All the food, yummy! (and 2 pregnant bellies!)

Grillin'

Post Church thoughts...

2007-05-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

I am always frustrated by how quickly the new ideas, thoughts and teaching seems to seep out of my brain as I leave church on Sunday. I am hoping that writing this blog will help me retain some of tonights message and help me apply it practically to my life.

Tonight I was the final sermon from II Samuel, and the series on the life of David we (Bethany Community Church, Seattle) have been doing since last winter. The message was from II Samuel, chapter 22 "David's last Song"

There were lots of good points but i just want to share a couple that i have been left thinking through. The first one if that David knew the reality of God's provision, and that it is only in our moments of need, that we cry out and can truly know His provision. If we live a life of safety it can make us complacent and arrogant, but if we always live a little beyond what we can do alone we will know God as he comes and meets us in our need as he provides.

How easy it is to live in comfort, I know I do a lot, hold back from dreaming big with God because of fear of what that might mean, and fear that I am unable to make it happen for myself. When that is exactly where God wants be to be. Standing with my hands raised, palms open, vulnerable and desperate for Him.

The other thought which i really appreciated was about the story of our lives and how God works to weave that with us. In II Sam 22, so many times David talks about how he has done something "I chased my enemies and destroyed them", (38) but at the same time as being grateful to God, he names him as his source, "you have armed we with strength for the battle" (40) Back and forth, David is thankful of what he was able to do, and acknowledging God as the source. It really is such an amazing illustration of God weaving the stories of our lives together with us. Stories of gratitude and transformation.

Rarely does God give us specific answers to the big questions we ask of him about our lives, but he will give us the next step to take and as we are obedient we learn more about God's character in each step. When I look back on my life, what are the final words I will be singing? Will i have chosen a safe life, or will i look back on a life of adventure with God? I hope it can be in the same vein as David, that even though i am far from perfect, I will know and face the consequencs of my human faliure, but still recognise God's hand firmly on my life, and praise Him for the blessings I have known, and the story he wrote with my life.

Please Lord, give me courage to go where you send me, to love those who croos my path and to be the woman you had in mind when you created me.

Back in Seattle!

2007-05-11T17:42:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note to say I arrived safely back in Seattle, immigration was very smooth so thank you for all your prayers.

Now what? A question I have been asked by others and asking myself a lot recently. I wish there was a simple answer - there is a simple answer but it involves me making solid choices, and that is where i struggle.

I have a lot of options to choose from, all good paths to take.

We were talking in a staff meeting the other day about the privilege of choice. I had started to feel frustrated with the process of choosing and planning the next step I want to take, and this reminded me just how blessed I am to even have the opportunity to choose based on what i would like or feel called to do rather than simply doing things to survive.

I am really interested in getting some training in Christian counselling. So much of my job entails doing this in a certain capacity and I am eager to have more to offer the students. I have been thinking about this for a while but now feel it is time to take action, and decide the when and where of it - I will keep you posted.

It has been good to be back here in Seattle, it has been really nice to catch up with friends here, and get back into the swing of life.

We are in the process of changing our DTS program, we will be extending it from 5 months to nearer 9 months. We believe this will allow us time with the students post outreach, to process all their learning and experience more thoroughly and help make the transition to life after YWAM easier. We also hope it will give us the opportunity to better prepare our students for the next steps they are taking in life. Our desire is that DTS will be so much more than 5 months they once had which don't relate at all to their "real lives", we want the things they learn and experience to go with them in to life.

This is taking lots of meetings and planning. Please be praying for us as we decide details of what this program will look like and also for potential students not to be put off by the extra time and money and that this fall the right students will be here. (We accepted our first student today!!!)

Another BIG, actually HUGE thing that is happening here in YWAM Seattle is that we are moving forward trying to buy the grey house. We have never owned property but believe that this is a step God is wanting us to take. The house costs $715,000.

We are starting our fund-raising efforts now and sending out letters and such next week. Our website will be updated with an online donation link too. This is a really exciting but also busy and slightly anxious time also for all of us. Please pray for God's provision to be known, for us to contact the right people and for this house to be a testimony of God's faithfulness, that for years to some will be full of students loving this city for God.

more pics...

2007-03-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

We were in Zambia during rainy season - this picture does not do justice to the downpours we experienced!!

This is Eunice, she is 7 years old but because of malnutrition she is so small. She went to the school at the church we worked with and so we saw her most days, she was so timid at first but by the end she would always smile when she saw us.

Our last couple of days in Zambia we went to Livingstone. We went on a walking safari - yes that is us just a few feet away from 2 Rhinos!!!

Zambia Pictures

2007-03-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Finally I am back with my computer, so here are a few pics from our time in Zambia.
Here is a picture of me with Pastor Jacob, his wife Annie and their family. We atayed with them for a few nights, it was a lot of fun to get to experience real family life.
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This is us telling a story at one of the schools we visited. As you can see the school was very basic, it didn't even have 4 walls and the seats were made from branches. We LOVED the children we met.

This was another school we went to.

Our team was invited to a wedding while we were there, so we all got dressed up! Quite a change from the grubby work clothes we wore the rest of the time!! We scrub up pretty well.

We lived on a farm 20 minutes outside of town, there were 2 families who lived and worked there with us. We got pretty close to them, especially the kids, here in a picture with me and Mwansa, the boy, Rachel, the oldest daughter, and Francesca the little girl.

The hardest thing...

2007-02-19T04:28:00.000-08:00

Last week we were able to go and speak at a government highschool. We addressed issues of being a teenager, of course we talked about HIV and AIDS. I think all of us felt that we could offer some hope to these young people that they are the generation who can change their country. They have all these songs about AIDS and have a lot of information, but we challenged them that if they are not living it out is doesn't matter. We also talked and had discussions about other issues such as drinking and drugs and the students were able to share with them about how similar life in America is for teenagers...Until the talk about satanism and human sacrifices, which i guess is a very big problem in the area we are in and especially for school kids. The drink blood from a sacrifice and then are led to money and wealth and good fortune. It gave me shivers as they described these experiences. The teacher stopped the discussion and said that we were here to talk about the big issues - all 90 students began to shout that it was a big problem and she relented and let them talk. Crazy.

We also visited an orphanage this week which was so hard for me. I held a 3 month old baby boy named Voupe, which means gift. He is 3 months old, and is dying from HIV/AIDS. I just wept as i held him, i rocked him and prayed over him, and then cleaned his face. He had bed sores from lying in his crib. Even though the place was clean, they have 26 staff for 113 children, and the infants just don't get attention unless they need clean nappies or to be fed.

Leaving the orphanage was the hardest thing i have done here, his beautiful little face just looking up at me as i said goodbye.

This country is dying from this infection, and the generation who has to change it has lost hope...please pray for Hope.

Only 2 weeks left!!

2007-02-12T03:06:00.000-08:00

Time is flying by here, it is hard to believe we are coming to an end. Next Sunday will be our last at the church because weleave for Livingstone and Victoria Falls on the 25th.

The most eventfull day this week was when we went to do Home Based Care in a remote village. They told us it was about a 30 minute drive, but we weren't surprised it turned out to be a lot longer. And our trip made us see the didication that the HBC volunteers have, as they bike to this village each week to give care and encouragement.

Back to our journey. The rain had made one of the dirt paths we tried to drive (in our regular mini bus) undrivable, so we drove back and tried another one. This time the wheels spun and we were well and truly stuck. They tried to lay leaves and branches for the tires to grip but nothing worked. The decided we should walk because the village was "close".

An hour of walking in the scorching heat later and we arrived! We were already tired and knew we would have to walk back to the van!

We visited a man with TB and took time to pray with him. We left and headed for the next house which we were told would be our last one because of time...all that way and we only got to visit 2 patients. However, our walk to the next house took us about half and hour! This time an older man with what looked like severe parkinsons spoke softy of the troubles he had, that he hadn't been able to walk without help for 5 years and that his shaking made it impossible for him to do things. He also kept a wash cloth in his hands and would wipe the constant stream of drool from his mouth. This man was so precious, i was overwhelmed with compassion for him, and how helpless he was. So vulnerable. He was blessed to have a caring and healthy wife who had taken on the sole of bread winner for their family, but how many elderly here don't have people to care for them and are left alone?

It all seems so unfair. His condition could be treated but they have no money or transport to get medical care and so they simply exist and trust God with their futures. This mans name was Rogers, please pray for him and his family.

Then we headed back to the van...at lweast 10 minutes of this walk was on a very narrow mud track with 10foot hig grass surrounding us. Definatley made me feel like i was in Africa!!

We also encountered the divil ants (our nickname) they are about 1 inch long with huge red bums and they bite SO HARD. Not nice.

This week we also had some friends over for dinner, we did a puppet show for the kids after we ae which they loved, and then turned into a dance party! It was alot of fun, and we are really going to be sad to leave them.

Yesterday i took some pictures of the beautiful flowers and plants that are on the farm. Somuch vibrant colour everywhere! The fruit trees too, and the children showed me where the orange tree was. I thought they had misunderstood me when we arrived at what i had thought was a lime tree, because of the green fruit, but then they peeled one and we ate it, and what do you know, it was an orange. A green orange - I love Africa!!!

The rainy season, they weren't kidding!!!

2007-02-02T02:01:00.000-08:00

I have less than no time to write this update. There are 4 computers in the town of Luyansha and they are slow, so as a team we take over for a good few hours. On one of the computers, the i key that doesn't work so for future reference if it seems i am mispelling everything with that letter- i might just have that computer!

The rains have come, it have been raining for over 12 hours nonstop. We have lost power a few times and had some 'romantic' candlelit evenings eating peanut butter and jelly sandwichs for dinner!!! All part of the fun of outreach.

Please pray for us not to be discouraged, some of the work we are planning to do is outside and so may get cancelled if the weather is bad. It can be frustrating to not be doing as much as we want so please pray that the team continues to get along well and find useful things to do with our time.

Personally i am loving the slower pace. I have got to read more and journal more, have amazing quiet times, and get at least 8 hours sleep a night, even when breakfast is at 6.30am!!!

We have been going to a lot of schools and meeting many, many children who have many many sad stories. I hope our songs, dances and stories can bring them a little joy. We have been telling and acting out the story of Daniel and the lions den, having them make lion masks! We talk a lot about trusting God, and also have a dance to the song 'Dare you to move' by Switchfoot that has the same message and goes over well.

The most enjoyable part of being with these kids is having them teach us songs and dances. They are precious as they sing so loud, with such heart, and wiggle their little bodies as they dance, it is awesome. They could teack J-Lo a move or two!!!

We went to a wedding this past weekend and it was quite the cultural experience. The bridal party, groomsmen and bridesmaids dance into and out of the church, and actually every time they enter or leave the room even at the reception place, they had a new dance that goes with it!!!

It was so much fun, a couple of the girls on the team did dances dedicated to the bride and groom adm we all enjoyed learning some of the traditional moves! I think they just enjoyed that we tried, but i know we looked pretty silly.

I continue to take pictures i wish i could share with you to explain some of the stories i write but i guess that will have to wait until March...

I miss you and think of home often - (Seattle and Croydon!!!!)

Thank you for your prayers, we appreciate them. We have all kept pretty healthy and i know that is a result of prayer so thank you.

The things kids say...

2007-01-26T02:44:00.000-08:00

On Thursday we drove out to a village school called Maposa, it has 196 students and 4 teachers. One room, with clay wayys and a straw roof (to give you a visual). We were pretty far out in the bush. The kids were so excited to see us. They loved our pupets shows, dancing, songs and the Bible story we told and acted out about Daniel and how he loved and trusted God.

As we were playing with the parachute - which they also loved and were facinated by, a little boy called Moses came up to a girl on the team and began asking her something in Bemba, the native language. She took him to the teahcer to have him translate and we all fell in love with him a little bit more when we found out he was asking if we were going to paint them to look like us, he thought we were painted because he had never seen white people before!!

On another note, the team is doing well. They had to kill a baby spitting cobra next to our house the other day, one of the girls on the team spotted it!! It was only a few feet from her so we are very glad she wasn't hurt.

I am loving africa, and learning more and more Bemba words everyday. I have learnt thunder (inpoopoonga) and rain (infulla) - i guess this gives you an idea of the weather we have been having - it is their rainy season. The monsoon type storms break up the humidity though so we welcome them even as we run in to save our laundry from the line int he garden!!!

Home based Care and other stories from Zambia

2007-01-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

Today we went with the Home Based Care teams for the first time, we will be fgoing out with them twice a eek. They go and visit the sick in the communiyt, oraying and encouraging them with scripture, as well as helping them practically in any way they can.

We were in pairs. We went to a house where Elizabeth lived, a woman in her 70's. She sat on a mat in the front garden, sitting in her own urine, unable to get to the bathroom, flys all around her, and on the piece of bread which was her meal for the day. Her son was her carer but he was also taking care of his children while his wife was away. Elizabeth was not able to speak much, but we prayed with her. Then the carers saud we were going to bathe her. We helped her up and walked her to the back of the house where there was an outhouse, and a fire heating some water. We helped her undress and then helped her to bathe, and wahed here soiled clothes. We redressed her and took her back to her mat. She looked a million times better just with fresh clothes. She semed brighter and more alert, but it broke my heart.

We also visited a mother and her son we are sick with HIV/AIDS, she lost her husband last year and now takes care of her sons aged 4 and 10. The elder boy is not sick, and all the time we were visitin gwith them i just kept looking at his beautiful smiling face, he had so much joy. At the back of my mind i kepy wondering what his life would look like in a few months or a few years, and if his smile would fade?

We then visited Nicolas, he had been orphaned from AIDS and now lives with his uncle, he looks about 8 but told us he is 16 years old. He has sores all over his body and lookd weak and tired. He asked for prayer for healing. I flet so small. As i prayed i asked God to give me the faith to pray for this beautiful and frightened young man to be healed, for me to believe the words i was praying. Please pray for him also. I am asking for a miracle for Nicolas.

Life with the team continues to be fun. The farm gives us plenty of work and we all fall into bed about 9pm!! We do get up at 6 though so i guess it all even out. Last night we were kept awake by the hugest rainstorm. Lighteneing filled our little room, anf thunder rocked mangos out of the tree!

The night before we were kept awake by the pigs that live justa few meters from us. They are so noisy, and like to be the noisiest at about 5am!

Our first African church service last week was amazing and everything i could have imagined church to be and much more. During worship i broke down, and cried the worship was just so powerful. People singing and dancing, falling on their faces weeping and just shouting and screaming!! I LOVED it and can't wait to go back this week.

We are all keeping well and noone has got sick so far. On of the girls on the team had to take it easy one day because she had a mild case of heat stroke, but after drinking more water she was fine, and i think we all took that as a reminder for us to be taking water breaks!!

We also visited orphan schools and have loved dancing for them, doing own clown and puppet routines as well as teaching them fun songs and dances!! We will be doing lots more of this too!!

This is just the tip of the iceberg but time is limited and internet slow. I have to go and meet the team at the store to grocery shop!!

We're in Zambia!!

2007-01-12T02:23:00.000-08:00

After a very long time of travelling, planes and airports and too much airplane food, we finally arrived here in Zambia. We then had a 4 hour bus ride to the farm where we are staying.

Last night, the jetlag meant we were all awake in the middle of the night, and of course as we struggled with mosquito nets and hearing bugs and deciding if we needed the toilet badly enoguh to get out of our beds, we laughed harder than i have in a long time!!! We really are on outreach.

The place where we are staying is pretty basic but nice and i know already we will be sad to leave in 2 months.

The team is doing well and all seem to be adjusting pretty easily so far. It is really hot and humid, so we are trying to remember to drink enough water, luckily the water in the taps at the farm we are staying at is from a spring and is safe to drink.

We have been good at taking our malaria medicine at the right time, but a few people have learnt that you must not take it on an empty stomach or you will get sick!

Today we are in otwn exchanging money, grocery shopping and emailing, and later we will meet with Pastor Jacob and find out more details of our weekly schedule. So far they have been very concerned that er rest and recover from our travelling!

The countryis beautiful and just the way i imagined from TV. As we drove along the main road, little villages of mud huts appear every mile or so. I can't believe we are here.

The place where we are staying has mango trees everywhere including next to our houses and we have enjoyed lots already, they are delicious - we did discover though, that they fall from the tree at random times during the night, we we really scared by the banging until we realised what was happening. I think the tin roof on our little brick houses makes it sound a lot more threatening than it is.

We have encountered a few big bugs, one giant snail, a millipede and a huge flying thing which had settle in my bra overnight - quite the surprise when i went to get dressed thismorning. The snakes that come out during the rainy season have kept away so far but the other team that is here saw a souple last week!!

I look foprward to updating you soon...please keep praying for us!!

Commissioning Service

2007-01-07T00:57:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night we held the commissioning Service for the DTS. This is a time for us to celebrate what God has done in the last 14 weeks, and then look forwards to our time on outreach. The base leaders pray and commission the Outreach Team Leaders and then we as leaders pray for our team members. It is a special night.

The team leaves for Thailand on Monday and we leave for Zambia on Tuesday. I can't believe it is coming so fast, i have to do my packing tomorrow - yikes, nothing like leaving things to the last minute!

Once in Zambia we will be working with an organisation called 'Hands at Work', who are serving the HIV/AIDS community. We will be doing kids programs in the schools which they have set up and run, because Zambia has no public school system. Children who have lost parents to HIV/AIDS can not afford to go to school, and so do not receive an education. The man we will be working with is called Pastor Jacob. He and his wife started 18 schools for children who are orphaned or disadvantaged by HIV/AIDS, the disease which 16% of Zambians now have.

We have lots of fun ideas and are taking lots of supplies to help us love on these kids. We have been practising puppets and clown routines as well as a hip-hop dance, you can just imagine how cool I look doing that!!) So I am excited to share those with the kids we meet and make them smile.

We will also be taking trips out to the villages and doing home care visits with people who are dying of AIDS. We will help take care of them in simple ways, and spend time praying and ministering to them as well as taking care of their physical needs the best way we can.

Please pray for us
For safe travels, we leave Tuesday 9th Jan and arrive Thursday 11th Jan.
For grace at immigration and that we will get our Zambia visas without any problems
For health for the team
For UNITY!!!!That we might be a true example of Christ's love through our actions towards each other
For amazing opportunities to share our stories with people in Zambia

Thank you so much, and i look forward to seeing you SBC ers this spring when the team and I will debrief in London on our way back to Seattle. We will be sharing at the morning Service, so mark that one in your diaries March 4th 2007!!

Winter wonderland

2007-01-07T00:37:00.000-08:00

I feel like i have really embraced the cold weather this winter season, and participated in some colder activities. Seattle got quite a lot of snow a little while back and right as the heaviest and most beautiful flakes started to fall Brandi and I were walking home. The was a wonderful calmness that fell with the snow and it there was a magical feeling in the air. Here we are out in the snow!!

We celebrated Jolene's birthday with a night of ice skating fun, what a very cold and extremely funny way to spend a night! Our time was made evn better by the music they played, we sang our hearts out as we skated to the likes of Enrique Igleasis and Kelly Clarkson!!

DTS Christmas...(Yes, another Christmas blog!)

2007-01-07T00:07:00.000-08:00

We also did some festive celebrating with the DTS student. We made a brunch for them and did secret Santa gifts, as well as playing games including Pass the parcel, and then having the gingerbread house making challenge!! Enjoy the pics...

This team won the creative award for their gingerbread Seattle scene, including the space needle, Lake Union and the mountains!!

Christmas Ships

2007-01-06T17:25:00.001-08:00

This year we as YWAM Seattle made a new friend, his name is Steve. He is a businessman who lives in Seattle, his son has done a DTS in Australia which is how he knew of our organisation, he found us, and is wanting to help us in whichever ways he can. A couple of weeks ago, we the staff were told that the details of our Christmas party would be a surprise, and that we simply had to be at a certain place at a certain time and dress warmly. At that certain place and time, we piled into the van and started driving (a few people knew the surprise because they planned it - which is how we knew where to go!!) We drove to a beach, and there at the end of a dock was a boat covered in Christmas light. We were told that this was to be our party venue, and to climb aboard - and how Steve fitsinto this whole story, is that he was the boats owner and captain!

We were all very excited as we don't get to hang out on classy boats very often. I for one was wishing that i had chosen my outfit with more emphasis on 'Christmas Party' and less on warmth, because i felt decidedly underdressed!! As we got onboard, Steve told us the plan for our evening. We would be following the Christmas ships. Here in Seattle they have an event around Christmas called the Christmas Ships. They are cruise ships decorated for Christmas, they have a dinner on board and choirs that sing Christmas songs, however they sail and stop at different beaches for the concerts, so people can come and watch from the shore too, As they Christmas ships sail, many other smaller boats, just like ours sail alongside them and stop in the water to hear the music and watch the other ships.

It was so much fun being together on this boat, just laughing, drinking hot chocolate, eating good munchies and did i mention the laughing?!!

Here are a few pics from the night...
Coming soon!!

When the ships stopped we would walk around to the front of our boat and watch the choirs from there. It was such a wonderful way to celebrate together another year of YWAM Seattle...and what a blessing to be able to celebrate in such style!!

Christmas 2006

2007-01-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

I thought i would write in seperate posts instead of one huge long piece of writing to hold your interest!!

I hope you all had wonderful Christmas's and were able to spend time with good friends and family. I had a great Christmas, but of course i missed being at home with my family. On Christmas Eve some other YWAM friends came over for lunch, the kids played and opened some presents. It was really nice to celebrate together, this autumn has been so busy, it was nice to be together and just enjoy hanging out, without any agendas. In the evening I went to the candlelight service at my Church. We sang lots of Chrsitmas carols and then before the last one, Joy to the world, they turned all the lights off in the church, and just had some large candles burning at the front. Our Pastor lit a small candle from one of these and then from his candle 2 more were lit, then the people holding these candles walked up the aisle lighting the candle of the first person sitting in each row. From theirs, each person in the row would light their candles, and pass the light along the row. Slowly the building filled with light - it was beautiful.

My friends Katie and Amanda were spending the night so we went home and played cards and games before heading off to sleep, and waiting for Santa to pay a visit!

On Christmas Day we woke up, had a really nice breakfast and then opened presents, That was alot of fun, especially because Zara was really enjoying her 2nd and was understanding that there were fun things in the boxes wrapped up under the tree! Here we are opening some presents, of course, stilli n our PJ's!

I got some nice presents and felt very spoilt! When the presents were opened, we headed to Starbucks for a Christmas treat, it isn't Christmas anymore without a gingerbread latte!

Then we went on to Greenlake, and take a walk, it was such a beautiful day, a little chilly but the sun was out too.

At 4 o'clock i left and went to my friend's Phil and Amy's house for Christmas dinner. I made roast potatoes, which tasted amazing, if i do say so myself! We sat down to a delicious meal, after which we watched 'Home Alone' my absolute favourite Christmas movie!! Emma who is 4 had never seen it and i loved being able to share it with her. I spent the night there, Emma and I had a slumber party!

So that was my Christmas... how was yours?

So much to say...

2007-01-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, this will indeed me a multifacited blog, covering the wide range of things that have happened since i last put finger to key and left a post on here. I am sorry that it has been so long!

First of all i should mention Thanksgiving. This holiday takes place the last Thursday of November. I was blessed to spend this this years celebrations with my housemates and their family. We ate an amazing turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and spent lots of time sitting round the table, talking and laughing. It was exactly what i needed.

November had been a tough month for me emotionally and spiritually i was burnt out, as a result of being so busy mentally and physically. It is always so hard for me to ask for help when i am struggling. I was trying to do everything myself and really becoming much too independant. It felt like if i let anything go, everything would crumble, and if that happened, I felt like I would be the one left to pick it all up again, which felt like more work than simply holding onto everything in the first place!! The weekend after Thanksgiving I took a mini retreat and stayed at my friend Sarah's house. I had lots of time alone to pray, journal, read and think. This time was so important for me to be able to get my perspective back. I realised that my focus had switched from discipling and serving the students and showing Christs' love to them, my community and the city of Seattle. Instead my time and stress was taken up with making schedules and lists, then checking off said lists or maybe just making even more lists?!! I was so caught up in this whirlwind that i didn't know how to stop.

After this time away i really able to do the things i would have said were my priority, and hand over or make less important the things that had been consuming my time but brought me no life whatsoever. Since then I have truly been able to enjoy this school much more, and especially my one on one times, which i would have said were my favourite parts of the week, but somehow became such a burden. I was reminded how much i love what i do, and also gave me a huge illustration of God's grace at work in my life during a time when i had nothing to give and could have potentially done some damage to the people and relationships i care about here as i was living in my own strength, and feeling very stressed. I see His covering so evident during that time.

Here is picture from the Thanksgiving parade, the cheerleaders brave the weather and smile as they spread holiday cheer!

A time for everything...

2006-11-18T19:44:00.000-08:00

On Friday mornings we have a time of student worship, where the students plan and lead the time. We have had people dance, share their favourite songs as well as leading us in rousing chorus of '"I am a C, I am a C.H. I am a C.H.R.I.S.T.I.A.N"
I have enjoyed seeing them take ownership and worship using their gifts. I know as a community we gain so much from one another when we step out in our passions and gifts and ahre them.

This week Funky was leading the student worship time. This week, the lectures had been about Worship, and what that means. As Funky had been praying about the worship time, he felt he wasn't supposed to do the songs he had practiced. That is shouldn't be a time when we work from a formula of how to make worship happen. He shared this with us and then said he wanted to give us a space to be free to just worship in the ways we wanted.

He started our time off by reading us the children's book called 'The giving tree' Its really sweet, if you have never read it I would highly recommend it. The story is below.

Then he just left space.

I am always nervous about what will happen in times like that. There is always the risk that people will just sit there, and as a leader I always feel an obligation to lead out. In some ways it is my responsibility, but it is also ok to let things get uncomfortable sometimes, to give the students the chance to feel God prompting and act on it. Which is what I did yesterday. I just sat.

Thank someone started playing guitar. Someone else was singing to God. Other people read out Psalms, and shared other Bible verses. People prayed out to God in worship. It was a precious time, and I know it was a true time of worship.

THE GIVING TREE

Once there was a giving tree who loved a little boy.
And everyday the boy would come to play
Swinging from the branches, sleeping in the shade
Laughing all the summer's hours away.
And so they love,
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon the boy grew older and one day he came and said,
"Can you give me some money, tree, to buy something I've found?"
"I have no money," said the tree, "Just apples, twigs and leaves."
"But you can take my apples, boy, and sell them in the town."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon again the boy came back and he said to the tree,
"I'm now a man and I must have a house that's all my home."
"I can't give you a house" he said, "The forest is my house."
"But you may cut my branches off and build yourself a home"
And so he did.
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And time went by and the boy came back with sadness in his eyes.
"My life has turned so cold," he says, "and I need sunny days."
"I've nothing but my trunk," he says, "But you can cut it down
And build yourself a boat and sail away."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And after years the boy came back, both of them were old.
"I really cannot help you if you ask for another gift."
"I'm nothing but an old stump now. I'm sorry but I've nothing more to give"
"I do not need very much now, just a quiet place to rest,"
The boy, he whispered, with a weary smile.
"Well", said the tree, "An old stump is still good for that."
"Come, boy", he said, "Sit down, sit down and rest a while."
And so he did and
Oh, the trees was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad

VISA NEWS!!!

2006-11-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give you all an update about my visa situation. As you know I traveled up to Vancouver, Canada on Sunday afternoon for my appointment on Monday (Oct 31st). I was very nervous about this trip because in recent years visas like the Religious worker Visa I was applying for have been harder to get. I was so blessed that friends from my small group at church had offered to drive me. Vancouver is about 2 ½ hours away by car. We had a really fun day traveling and hanging out it the city, It made the trip something so different than just a time to worry about the visa stuff, it became a time to get to know one another better and enjoy a beautiful cit on a beautiful day. This element of not being alone in the ‘scary visa process’ was felt again because I was staying with my good friends Wade and Joanna Pallister, and their daughter. They welcomed me into their home as a part of the family and I felt very much taken care of by them during my visit.

Here are some pictures of my trip. The beautiful views in Washington as we drove up, a view of Vancouver and me with the girls from my smallgroup in Vancouver...Hope these will keep you interested as you read - this is along posting!

Unfortunately, I came down with a nasty stomach bug Sunday night and was up all night except for an hour between 7 and 8am when I slept. I had a cab coming to get me for my interview at 8.45am so without a shower or any prep I left the house feeling terrible! The visa interview process only lasted a couple of hours but it felt longer, especially because to get to the bathrooms you had to go down from the 20th floor and through security again before returning through another security check and being escorted back hoping that you had not missed your number being called. Not fun.

I had all the paperwork I was asked for and the interviewer was very polite. At the interview they do not give you a decision about whether or not the visa will be issued, but I was told to return tomorrow to pick up my passport.. I travelled home, and slept. Feeling hopeful about the interview but still very poorly.

That evening I woke up and was feeling very empty. My friends were having dinner with the DTS students at their base, YWAM Vancouver and invited me to come with them. I am so glad that I did. It was fun to see another school and at the same time made me miss my students back in Seattle. One of the American girls on staff said she really wanted to pray for me and the visa situation. As she and another American staff guy prayed, they prayed a blessing over me and welcomed me into their home country and thanked me for giving my heart to their country. It was a special prayer time for me and I believe it played a big part in the final visa outcome.

I also had calls and text messages from friends, and students in America and the UK, They told me they had been praying interceding and fasting on my behalf. I had verses of scripture given to me that spoke of God’s peace.

I have never felt as embraced as I have felt in this process.

I returned to collect my passport on Tuesday afternoon, and was blown away and so very thankful to God when I saw they had granted me a five-year visa!

I believe that God allowed me to come to the end of myself to show me once again of his faithfulness. He really was all I had to get me through that day, and he was enough. Even if it wasn’t as pleasant as I think it could have been I see God’s hand and feel his love for me in the simplicity of getting my visa.

The rest of my time in Vancouver was spent hanging out with my friends. I was able to go out trick or treating in the nighbourhood with them and their daughter, who is 2 dressed as a baby leopard, with little ears and a coat and the cutest face paint, they pulled her in a wagon full of blankets to keep her warm and she was so excited about all the chocolate she was getting! Their whole neighbourhood was out and it was such a fun environment. Seeing the whole community saying hi and catching up with one another as they handed out sweets and caught up with how each other was doing. In a city, like so many where you can go for years with out seeing your neighbours let alone being invited into their homes, it is a time not to be missed when they do open up their homes and lives for the night.

I am writing this sitting on the train back into Seattle. I have just been calling my friends and filling them in on the details of my trip!

So now what? I feel like this is the start of a whole new chapter in my life. A new confidence about the work I am doing and a new motivation to grow and develop the DTS program as well as and maybe even more my own vision for Seattle and how I am going to start!

I look forward to traveling without so much anxiety and that means my trips home will hopefully be more frequent!!

Autumn Time

2006-10-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

The weather in Seattle has been beautiful (until this weekend, when the rains have come!) but until then...the past week we had sunshine every day and temps in the high 60's. The chill in the air told us it was Autumn, but still it was beautiful. In America, you know its the 'fall' when the pumpkins come out, in the supermarkets there are huge barrels of them, in the bakeries and cafes pumpkin scones are on the menu, the smoothie place gets their seasonal pumpkin smoothes out and last but not least every coffee shop worth its caffeine has now got their pumpkin Spice Latte ready to warm you.

This week, I enjoyed shopping for pumpkins with my friends - we got a big one (see the pics!) We took them home and carved pictures in them, one had the Seattle skyline, very artistic! Then we roasted the seeds, and made some salty and some sweet - the perfect treat.

At Small Group we enjoyed some more seasonal goodies, Pumpkin, as well as Apple Spice Cupcakes. Yummy! This Harvest Season is being much celebrated and enjoyed here in Seattle!

On Saturday, with the rain beating on the windows, my housemate and I cooked up some hearty Butternut Squash and Leek soup and then a Spiced Pear cake, which was very good with a cup of tea!

The leaves are finally turning and the evenings are getting darker earlier...This time of year makes me very sentimental.

Renewing the Spirit of Your Mind

2006-10-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

Our first speaker, Patrick Dodson, recorded some of the teaching sessions he did during the DTS, he has one online already and plans on posting the rest of them soon. If you are interested to know more of what we are learning, please download or listen to them, they are in the podcast section of his web site, patrickdodson.net - the podcast is called Renewing the spirit of your mind'.

He taught on the 'Character and Nature of God' and 'Renewing the Spirit of your mind'. First we looked at who God is to each of us and why we see him in certain ways. looking out how our family and authority figures have effected our image of God. We also looked more at the true character of God and specifically how he can be seen the the domains, Media, Healthcare, Education, Government, Arts, Business and Family & Community.

God should not only be in certain areas of our life. It can be so easy to have a job somewhere that feels like it has nothing to do with your Christianity, i mean you people know you are a Christian and you can treat people well, but actually your work - how can God be in that?

Patrick went through each domain of society and showed how God's character reflects in each one...for example the Arts, God is beautiful, mysterious, a creator and we can identify with him as we create art. It seemed so simple but it made so much sense. I feel like i need to go over my notes and take it all in so i can apply it in the areas of my life.

The week ended with us looking at our identities. How our lives and passions show us some of the identity God has given us. We mapped out some of the identity traits we have, under the catagories (l) How God see me, such as Daughter, friend. (ll) How i see myself, such as encourager (lll) How my family/community see me.

It was really interesting to consider these things and see what my life says about my identity! Sometimes we, or I search so hard for a true identity, and it was a relief to see that so many answers were staring me in the face! I believe our identity grows and develops with us but at the core there are something which never change. I have already done some soul searching about this since last week, and i believe God is teaching me more about who i am in Him.

The podcasts are great, so if you have an ipod and a long commute - or you know someone that does, send them to this page, or if you need some entertainment while you are cooking dinner then give it a listen!

Putting names to faces...

2006-10-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

Here is our school pic -

Back Row
Ben(s), Jordan [The Space Needle!] Funky, Sarah, Chris, Bubba(s)
Second Row
Sam(s), Brandi, Becky, Ann Iren, Amy, Rachel, Evangleyn, Allena, April
Thrid Row
Heidi, Me, Stephanie, Amanda(s), Connie
(s) = staff

Here we all are! We take our teams to this park because it is great to take pctures, but it is also a unique place to do intercession for the city. On a good day, which it was last Monday, you can see for miles. Mount Rainier was out, the ferries we all on the water, the city was busy with life.

It was a special time to hear God's heart for this city, and join Him in bringing transformation!

All the students started their weekly outreaches this past week. For the next three monthe they will be volunteering at 2 different places each week. Homeless shelters, afterschool care facilities, an elderly home, and working with Refugees. Everyone had such great attitudes as they went out this week, and served. It was cool to see their enthusiasm, and a reminder to me of what a privilege it is to get to be out in the city, buliding reletionships with people who are not seen as desirable by many in society.

On Friday night we take Hot Chocolate downtown to a few different parks, and along the waterfront. We took the DTS for the first time this Friday night, and had such a great time. The weather is really starting to turn here, and the nights are getting much colder, so the Hot Chocolate was gladly received.

I met a man, probably in his late 50's, an African American, who's name was Robert. He was a little hard to understand as he spoke to us, he was an alcoholic. He started to talk a little about his life before the streets. His father had been a Pastor in the South, and he had grown uo knowing the Lord. He kept repeating how he 'knew the Word from Genesis to Revelation'. He kept saying how he had been 'backsliding' and how he hadn't been preaching the word even though he knew it and how he was punished for that. Then he looked at me and said something about how empty his life was, and how much it hurts him inside to be away from God. He broke down and started crying. This older man was standing on the streets, in dirty clothes, beer cans all around, and he was so broken.

I believe in that moment i was able to see his heart. He said he was ready to be off the streets, that from ' next week' it was all going to change. We asked if we could pray with Him and he agreed, so we did. It is so hard to make a change to get off the streets. People we meet make claims like this all the time, and it is hard not to disregard them without a second thought. Sometimes it can seem so hopeless. I don't think Robert has family around, just his street friends, but i am praying that if he is really wanting to make a change, people who can help and encourage him will come alongside him this week and be the support he needs.

I am praying that if he is still out on the streets this Friday night, i will have the chance to talk to Robert again.

Small Group Girls

2006-10-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

We had our first small group meeting on Friday nights, and talked about what our times together would be like. I have 3 girls in the group and i am excited for them to get to know each other and me better and to share together as we learn.

Here are their pictures, so please be praying for them individually, and for us as a group that we might develop good friendships and be able to support, love and encourage one another.

April

Brandi

Stephanie

Introductions DTS 2006

2006-09-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Discipleship Training School 2006 has begun!!

Our students have arrived...Well, most of them. We had 2 girls drop out last minute, leaving our school with 15 students. This is a much smaller number than schools I have worked with in the past, but I trust, and already see how God moving in this smaller group of people - I know we are in His hands.

I thought you would like to see a picture, so here are a few from our first days together...

Here we all are, staff and students at Gasworks park, and below is a view of the city from the park. It has been such beautiful weather since the students arrived!

Here are some of the students eating dinner together for the first time at the house.

We have spent the first couple of days orienting the students to Seattle and the local neighbourhood, which they have seemed to enjoy. Yesterday they did a scavenger hunt or 'tour de la U-District', as we like to call it they had to take pictures at different locations in the area, each place was worth a different number of points!

One of the things to do was to try Bubble Tea. Its an Asian drink, almost like a milkshake but with big tapioca pearls in, so you drink it through a huge straw! With a high Asian population in this area of the city, many going to the University of Washington to study, there are tons of good food and drink places locally, and it is always fun to introduce people to some of the delicious treats we have all come to love. Bubble tea, especially the 'bubbles' however, is an acquired taste!

We have also been sharing our testimonies with one another. We believe that each persons story is important, and that we learn about God and each other as we share the stories of our lives. As we share something, it can release healing I someone else and as they share we can be touched. God is awesome like that. As staff we shared first. We had all spent time praying about the things we should talk about. I felt pretty confident about the things I was going to say, but it is never the easiest thing to put yourself out there. God was faithful to give me peace as I shared and it went well. We want to invite the students into a place of vulnerability, but we understand we must lead by example.

Thismorning and afternoon, the students shared their stories. Again, I am blown away by the experiences some of these young people have had. Drug and alcohol addiction, physical and sexual abuse, rejection and so many broken families. Many of the students this year have also been ostracised by Christian friends and family, when they have shared their struggles. It was so sad to hear them, story after story. So many of them are starting this season broken, and wounded, I guess we are all in different stages of healing...

I am feeling so many emotions and feel pretty heave about some of the things I heard, yet, I know God and I know His grace and mercy is constant. I believe that He has an amazing plan for each of the students individually and as a whole school also and I am expectant for the coming months.

We haven't even started our lectures and I feel like I am already learning so much - Please keep u in your prayers. A special prayer request being for protection for the students now they have been vulnerable with one another, that they will walk out in the freedom that can bring them, and not listen to the lies of the enemy telling them they made a mistake, or that they are loved any less because of the things we know of their lives. I know Satan hates that these young people have come here and given these next few months to God, to grow in their relationship with Him, and he would do anything to stop them from fully entering in.

Birthdays, Bar-B-Q's and a Billion things on a 'To Do' list!!

2006-09-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

That about sums up my week!

Thanks for reading. It is Sunday night and I am preparing for the busy week ahead. Our Discipleship Training school starts next Sunday, but we have students arriving as early as Wednesday, so things are getting crazy as all the last minute details have to come together. I have been having some anxiety about everything, so please pray that this will not continue to be an issue, that I will be able to rest and sleep well and that I will know God's peace even in the hectic-ness of the next couple of weeks.

DTS is such an adjustment from the life and schedule I have been living. I am willing and eager to be leading this school, but at the same time, if I am honest I feel like I am giving up a lot to do it, and that's hard. As well as leading the school, I am trying to plan an outreach overseas, and work on my visa and an my support raising stuff. I believe that God gives us strength to do the things we need to, and I am praying for his wisdom to know how to spend my time.

In the middle of all the rushing around, I made time to celebrate my birthday. We were actually on a staff training retreat for the day and so we had cake after our evening meeting. A special and unique part of my birthday happened at dinnertime. The retreat place we stayed at has a large dining room where all the guests come to eat. We were there with one other group named 'Elder Hostel' It is a retreat for senior citizens, so as we were eating, my friend Bubba went to the front, announced it was my birthday and had all the elderly people sing 'Happy Birthday' to me - it was precious!!!!

The small group o attend through my church had a Bar-B-Q last night which was also fun, and this morning my housemate Amanda threw me a Birthday brunch. Here we all are...

It was so nice to catch up and enjoy being with all the girls. It will probably be a while before we get to be all together again, with everyone's schedules getting busy as the DTS starts for us, as well as the new school year for my friends who are studying.

I have felt very loved during this Birthday week. I have come to appreciate more and more the wonderful friends and family that bless my life so much. God is teaching me more and more about how to love well and I am able to understand it much better because of you all, and the way you love me. Thank you.

I will be in touch soon and let you know how the new students are doing...

Wholeness?

2006-09-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe how fast this year has flown by. As the things get ticked off my list, I have a revelation that very soon, all the pages of applications in files in the office will become people in front of me! People from all over the place, physically from across the country and a few across the globe, but also spiritually and emotionally. Each person will arrive telling their own story.

I think I have refined how I see our role as staff. The more I am a part of this program, the more I am challenged and motivated by the idea of becoming whole in Christ.

I have been on a wild ride as I have been seeking this in my life. Searching for God's healing and transformation, to understand myself better. To be able to look at my life experiences and challenge things in my own thoughts and behaviour that do not fit with God's plans. It has been a painful journey at times, and has taken effort on my part, and a strength that can only have come from God.

I am not saying I'm done, or fixed, (I am not sure I ever will be before heaven), but I do know I am more whole now. I see how people have loved me to this place. I see how God has walked with me. Given me revelation of my own heart when I asked, and also forgiven me. I know he cries with me, but I also know He rejoices with me in the freedom which is found as a result.

I feel more broken and raw than ever...A part of me is scared that will mean I can't do a good job leading this school, but God tells me it'll be our best work yet?! I have confidence in who God makes me to be. I know this is where he has brought me.

This morning in our meeting Zach talked about how we must be confident to ask good questions as staff. He used examples from Genesis when God asks Adam and Eve where they are. In this case it was a physical place, but for each of us we must be asking ourselves and each other where we are in our walk with God, and where we are with the struggles we have. He also talked about the story in the gospels of the woman at the well and how Jesus asked her really good questions, which revealed her heart. But then later, how the disciples failed to ask Jesus why he had been talking to her. They missed out on hearing that amazing story and learning more about the Kingdom because they didn't ask.

As staff I want us to be good at asking questions, helping students to process, verbally or just thoughtfully through the things in their lives. I look forward to this weekend when we will have a training session about asking questions, I am sure we'll all learn a lot. I believe this is such an important step in them walking in the freedom of wholeness with Christ.

DTS Prep...

2006-09-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

We started our first week of Staff Training today, (yesterday was Labour Day, a national holiday so we Bar-B-Qued and fellowshiped as we celebrated at baby Abby's dedication - But normally our weeks start on Monday too!)

We began with an All-Base meeting thismorning, which was fun, and at the end we took our staff pictures, so i included mine foor you to see! It was a good time to wait on the Lord together and hear what he has to say about our city. We had a scripture from Jeremiah 29:4-7, when God tells Israel to go and be a part of Babylon, to build houses, to plant gardens, to give their children in marriage, and to work for the prosperity of the city. God has used this verse to speak direction to us as a base since the beginning, it spoke as a conformation of God calling each of us to Seattle.

Today when others were sharing things or verses that people felt God had spoken to them, there was a theme of spiritual warfare, and the spiritual climate of the city which kept coming up. Things about all the depravity and sin in our city. I felt that we were being challenged to be more aware of the things which are strongholds in the place where we live. Ben talked about how each bad choice has a spiritual attachment, and when there is a place where many people are making the same bad choices over and over, the door opens and the enemy has his foot in the door. It becomes a stronghold over the city. I felt challenged to remember that as we make the decisions each day in our own homes, we can effect that spiritual climate. We are not perfect but we can try to chose well.

As I prepare for the DTS, I want to be more concious of the struggles in my own life and the battle I am fighting personally, I also we want to be fighting on behalf of our students as they prepare to make a good choice and give the next 6 months of their lives to the Lord. We, as a community want to keep fighting for our city too, in prayer and also in action in our own lives.

This week we will be sharing our stories together and praying for each other. I believe that this is an essential part of the preperation we'll do for the DTS. Knowing where each person comes from and some of the significant things in their lives can give us new understanding and help us journey better together in the season ahead.

The next few weeks will be crazy, with time out to celebrate my birthday in the middle! so please pray for strength and energy for all of us, and that we will rest when we need to.

West Coast Staff Conference, August 26-28th 2006

2006-08-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

I am writing this a little tired from our very long drive. We left the conference in Chico, CA, at about 4.30pm yesterday and drove straight through the night arriving home at just after 5am thismorning. At that time I went to bed, waking up at about 1pm - needless to say my body is a little confused!

However, our time in Chico we wonderful. The YWAM base in Chico is an old hotel with natural hot springs, so it looks pretty grand. They have a pool and some sports facilities so we were able to enjoy time in the sunshine (when we weren't in meetings!)

It was good for so many reasons for me and I think this will be the first of many entries about our time as I process this week.

Our base here in Seattle is in a stage of transition right now. We are losing a large number of staff as people leave to pursue new things, this is exciting, but leaves us without as many people to facilitate the programs we run. We now have about 15 staff (and 9 kids!) so it was a special and much needed time to reconnect with one another as we are looking to God for direction and vision for our next season as a base.

Having just the 13 of us at the conference (one family was unable to attend) meant we were able to fit into one of the bedrooms each afternoon and for an hour and a half could talk through what we were learning in the teaching times and share the things God was speaking to us. It was so special to sit together like this and I know that I feel closer to the others through that time.

I had an opportunity to share the desire that God has given for for intercession. The morning session had talked about how intercession is a core value of YWAM as a mission and how in more recent times we have lost our passion for it and have not been faithful to sit before God in the way he called us to. I know that God has been speaking to me about this for a while in regards to our base, but I have not known what to do about it and so have done nothing. I felt very convicted and shared this with my friends at our meeting. I know that God has such a huge heart for the people and city of Seattle and I know he has things he wants to share with us but we have not given Him an opportunity by simply asking.

I plan on building the topic of intercession into the coming DTS and hope to grow a crazy passion in the hearts of our students to hear God as they pray. I know God is continuing to grow this passion in me and I want to make time for it to be a part of my life and not simply something I do while a program is running.

It is a big tension here in YWAM Seattle, to make our lives sustainable. That we wouldn't be a certain way and do certain things like volunteering downtown, and praying together just during the DTS, or Mission Adventures. We want to live lives which students would come alongside during those programs, but that would be real and true to who we are throughout the year. We must model lives which are attainable, that needs to be our goal... I haven't fully finished this thought in my head, and I certainly don't have a 'how to' list, so I guess 'Watch this Space?!'

Animal Pancakes

2006-08-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have a good friend in Seattle called Heather. Her family was in town visiting, and her dad has a very unique culinary talent. When they were visiting before, he had treated us all to it, and so I guess its almost a tradition now. He makes Animal Pancakes. Maybe that doesn't sound too impressive but trust me these pancakes are amazing.

He can make ANY animal you could ask for! This time I asked for a butterfly, people got cats and elephants and someone even requested a Liger (a mix between a Lion and a Tiger, from 'Napoloen Dynamite')

I hope you enjoy the pictures, we certainly enjoyed the pancakes!!

Thank you Mr. Isaac!

Grease Lightning...

2006-07-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night I had SO much fun. They have outdoor movie nights in the summer in a nearby town. They have painted a big screen on the side of a building and open up the car park for people to bring, blankets, chairs, and even couches! to sit on to watch the nights film. This Saturday was 'Grease sing-a-long' night.

I am sure you have figured out that they showed Grease, but they also had the word up throughout the movie a=so we all could sing our hearts out. Beforehand they had people teach the hand jive too so we join in the dancing.

There were people of all ages gathered in a small car park, singing, drinking pop, snuggling under blankets, laughing, and not minding the short rain showers to enjoy this movie together!

I had a blast!!!!

Passion in Action

2006-07-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing morning. It is the final week of our Mission Adventures program, and also our biggest with nearly 60 people!! I am doing a full week with them at the church. I was feeling a little overwhelmed as I imagined the office work piling up for me when I start back on Monday morning. My bad attitude soon ended as when I met the teams and also when I realized that my good friends Wade and Joanna Pallister were coming to speak. Wade and Jo work with YWAM Vancouver and come to speak each summer as well as on each DTS we hold here so they are a part of the furniture really, we love to have them here.

I have been so blessed by the things God has spoken to me through their teaching and especially in my friendship with Joanna. The first time we met was 4 years ago during my DTS when my school went to Vancouver, Canada for a conference. There was a session which ended with the speaker challenging all of us to dance, I forget the context now but I remember the feeling. I wanted to dance SO badly, I felt God encouraging me to step out, to give up my pride and dance for Him, but I was frozen to the floor. I was so inhibited and embarrassed by how I would look. Joanna saw my face and walked across the room to me, she encouraged me to dance, telling me that I could do it. She took both my hands and began jumping, slowly and gently, but she jumped with me, she helped me overcome my fear. By the end of the conference I loved dancing and jumping before God. It is one of my most favorite memories and a time that I felt such a connection with God.

This week Wade and Jo have been speaking on the four P's of mission Adventures, (see Mission Adventures blog for details) This morning they spoke on 'Passion'. We had been talking about children trapped in bonded labor and as Christians what does our faith say our part can/should/could be in finding a solution. I agree with Wade and Jo that as part of taking about passion their needs to be an opportunity to take action! They explained to the group that to take action and make a difference we have to make a choice that takes us to somewhere uncomfortable. We must chose to give our all and be passionate about what we do.

They put on some music and read some scriptures which talk about dancing before God, they challenged all the students to dance passionately. They were challenged to dance for the people being held in slavery, dance for Jesus and how he died for us and dance to show us choosing to do something uncomfortable. Invited to shut their eyes and not worry about what everyone else was doing.

The teams this week are from 2 churches and their are lots of parents and leaders, so I wasn't sure how this would go over. I had also been frustrated by one of the boys here this week, he has had a bad attitude about lots of things and after being cross with him, I became sad that he was missing all the things God was speaking. I admit I was waiting for his bad attitude to surface again in this situation. So I prayed for him, and the group as the music started, and I knew God was going to do something.

Then I danced.

I jumped and shouted.

It was amazing!!!!

...and when I looked up at one point, I saw the room moving, alive with passion!! The leaders and parents jumping and dancing with the best of them. Then he caught my eye, the kid who had been driving me crazy, he was headbanging, eyes shut, passionately dancing for the Lord.

Then I lost it, and I was jumping and dancing and crying as I felt God transformations happening around me. And in me too, as I felt him take the pride from my heart, and again surrender my fear of the future to His plan. Tonight as I sit here and write this, I realize the freedom and lightness in my heart, and I know that I am blessed to be falling more and more in love with our Lord.

Greenlake and friends

2006-07-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

I live in Seattle. I have been here for a while now but just when I think I know this city I discover something new that I love. This is what happened last summer when I moved just a few minutes up the road from where I had been living. I had new and fun places to walk to and I found that it was only a 10 minute walk to Greenlake. Greenlake is a beautiful park with, yes you guessed it, a lake!

Over the past year I have spent many hours at Greenlake. It is nice to walk around the lake, if I am hanging out with any kids the playground is fun, and it is wonderful to people watch!

Last week I went there with my friends Amanda and Ashley. We walked past the basket ball courts which were alive and sweaty with the enthusiastic ball game. We avoided walking over any of the field that the baseball game was on, and we marveled at the circus tricks being taught and practiced on the other side of the grass. It was the place to be and everyone was!!! The sunny weather encouraged the whole city outside.

We sat on the steps which go down into the shallow swimming area, and looked out into the lake. Some swimmers were deep in the water, people were throwing themselves off of the diving boards on the floating platform. Beyond that there lake was scattered with yellow and blue peddle-o's, a few canoes and even a windsurfer! We sat and watched the kids playing and laughing in the water. We didn't say much to each other but we were all smiling.

Then we moved on and sat on the grass around the outside of the lake, and found a spot to sit and catch some sun. We watched as people young and old whizzed by on their bikes, mums ran with babies in jogging strollers, people rollerbladed (some good, others who seemed to have taken their lives in their hands when they put the skates on!) We saw many people walking dogs, and a few even pushing their dogs in dog strollers - no, I'm not kidding. So many people. So many lives.

I confess that sometimes I get overwhelmed by numbers. The number of people in this city who don't know who Jesus is. The number of people who have rejected Him. The number of people who are actively following other religions, or who are living the new age lifestyle. Most of all I get overwhelmed by the number of people living in this city and have no interest in a relationship with God, people that just don't care.

How do we even begin to reach them? I believe that God has a plan for this city, just like every other and I pray that he continues to develop our passion for Seattle and the people here. That he continues to gives us creative ideas for reaching people and sharing who He really is.

The thing about Seattle is that so many people are hurting, I guess it is like that everywhere, but I know it is true for Seattle. I pray each day for more of God's heart for this city.

Mission Adventures

2006-07-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Another summer is here, and our mission Adventures program is well under way. This year I am not working full time with it because of all the work to do this time of year for DTS, instead I am working there just 2 or 3 days a week.

The mission Adventures program is designed to equip teenagers for their missions trip. They come to Seattle for 4 days of training and then go onto either into the city here, or to San Francisco, Costa Rica, or Mexico for a week. It is an opportunity for the kids to get their hearts right with God before going overseas to minister to others.

During the 4 day training there are times of worship - singing and also other creative worship such as painting and writing. We also have times of teaching, based on the four P's, something that the Mission Adventures team was given when praying about the program many years ago (taken from Psalm 51). God spoke about teaching on PASSION, PURPOSE, PASSION AND PROCLAMATION. Since MA began over 60,000 young people have been trained using this pattern.

As a part of the training in Seattle we also cover issues of injustice in the world and try to make the young people more aware of the world around them and help them to find God's heart for the people involved. We cover topics such as bonded labor, prostitution and sex trafficking. It has been great to see the response that these times have had.

Last summer we introduced a prayer room to our program, having the kids sign up for hour slots throughout the day and night for the whole time they are in Seattle. We have a prayer room again this year, with a few different elements, but again we have seen the kids be excited about getting up and out of bed at 3am to spend an hour with God. I hope and pray that their experiences in that room will transform not only the cities and people they are praying for but also that it will transform their relationships with God as they learn to make time to sit in his presence and listen. This is one of the most exciting parts of the summer for me.

I have been involved in a lot of cooking so far this summer! Making meals for 50+ just isn't a daunting prospect anymore. We have a joke list of ways to know you are in YWAM - One of them is that when you are asked to cook a meal for 80 you don't flinch, but you don't know how to cook for just 3 or 4!!! Another thing on our list which I am also reminded of this summer as I wait our on the street to be picked up is...You know you are a YWAMer when you travel around in a 15 passenger van, and you don't think it is odd if there are only 2 of you in it!!!

We have a great summer staff this year and they are doing a great job, but it can be really tiring so please pray for strength for them as they invest in the kids who come through Mission Adventures this summer. Please also pray that the kids who come through will not forget the things they learn and the things God is speaking to them, that their lives will be transformed. The theme of the summer this year is 'Detox', and my prayer is that their lives will be totally rid of the junk that keeps distance between us and God, an that they will be transormed and ready to go and to be the people they were created to be.

Cherries

2006-07-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if cherry season officially began this week but in grocery stores and produes markets in seattle it did! They were everywhere, and very inexpensive, so in my house we stocked up. I want to say that between us we finished off 8lbs of bing cherries in less than a week. (We had 3 visitors and made a pie, so it wasn't like we gourged ourselves, well, much!)

I have never enjoyed cherries as much as i have this year. They looks so pretty sitting in a bowl, they make the kitchen smell so nice, and they taste amazing, so sweet and juicy. Each time i walked through the kitchen today i took a cherry to munch on, and it got me thinking "what did i eat before this week?"

This cherry season is really short. Juicy cherries for a second and then gone again.

A sweet, sweet season. But it is only a season.

That's why we appreciate the cherries SO much when they are here. We make the most of them. We enjoy them while they are here. There is no point trying to keep them around for longer, they just get nasty, sour or squishy.

It reminds me again that life is full of seasons. Some are enjoyable and wonderful (like cherries!) and others may be hard, painful and sad. But we can rest knowing that are lives will be filled with every season and each one only lasts a certain amount of time. Our only constant is God and he is faithful to give us all we need in every season.

Louisana

2006-06-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

I was in Lake Charles, Louisiana for a week, working with YWAM's Mission Adventures program. I was hosting a team of 36 from Friendswood Texas, and we were joined by about 260 other young people from across the country!
The Gulf Coast Outreach was designed to help rebuilding some of the neighbourhoods in Louisiana, which were destroyed during hurricane Rita.
Rita struck September 24th 2005, it was a category 5 storm. It came just a couple of weeks after Katrina, and the huge loss of life there shadowed the devastation of Rita in Louisiana.

Our team worked in the Booker. T neighbourhood of Fisherville, Louisiana. It is a low income area, and most of the houses had been rented before Rita hit. Before the storm there had been a mandatory evacuation and many of the residents have never returned. Their houses sit, full of furniture, possessions, memories and now toxic mold.

We worked hard emptying out the houses and putting everything into huge dumpsters. The team wore full Haz-Mat suits,, masks with filers, hard hats and gloves to protect them inside the houses. I was so impressed with their hard work and good attitudes despite the 105 degree heat and 90% humidity! We all sweated a lot!!!!

During the week we cleared out 4 houses, ripped the dry wall and plaster from the walls, and pulled out the insulation, leaving shells ready to be rebuilt.

We were able to meet many of the local people still living in the neighbourhood. I hope we were able to offer them some hope for the future by being there. Letting them know they were not forgotten is a big part of what they need. We made time in the week to listen to peoples stories from the hurricane. At the mall we asked people, we even went door to door one day I one of the very effected areas to ask people about their experiences.

I admit I was very naive about how much damage Rita had done. One day we drove to Holly Beach and Cameron, towns on the coast where the storm first hit land. Whole neighbourhoods wiped out. It was so sad. As we prayer walked up and down the beach we asked God for transformation in this place, and for lives and community to be rebuilt. The day we went it was pouring rain, really heavy drops of rain non-stop for hours. As we walked along, wearing huge bin bags to protect us, we saw toothbrushes, bedsheets, toys, bed posts and clothes still strewn up and down the beach. Proof of the lives that used to call Holly Beach home, and are now scattered across the country. It was so sad to see that a year later there are rows of concrete foundations where houses once stood.

On Saturday we held a Hope Festival, at the local park in the neighourhood we had been working in. We went door to door inviting people and were expectant for a wonderful afternoon. At 2o'clock, people started coming, we saw many of the friends we had made during our time. We had a band playing, a drama which shows God's unconditional love, as well as free food and ice lollies, face painting and a free raffle. We had a really special time and we saw many of the local people laughing and having fun, which we hope did give them some more hope for themselves and their community.

The team of young people I was with were amazing. I had worked with many of them last year in Costa Rica and it was special to reconnect. They all had a great time and worked really hard. More than that though, they also met God during the sessions and worship times in the week. They were challenged during the committment service and all of them had a testimony of something God had done in their lives during the week. It was so encouraging to see them so on fire and with such a desire to see God's kingdom advancing amongst their friends and community. I believe God will continue to use them in mighty ways back in Houston.

All 300 of us stayed in a church (which actually used to be a huge supermarket!) There were 120 girls in the room where I slept. We had 2 hoses which were our showers for the week! It was challenging and busy week but well worth it.

Thank you for all your prayers, they were much appreciated and I know they made a difference. Please keep praying for the team to remember what they saw and experienced and help them to apply it in their lives. Also please send up a prayer for the Gulf Coast region of America as it tries to rebuild from these storms, and for protection for this years hurricane season.

Here are a few pictures from the week. Some from our prayer walk at Holly Beach, one of (half) of the girls room!, one of the girls on my team, a picture of me with Laurence at the Hope Festival in Booker T.

2006-04-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

I was looking online last night and found a recipe for lemon bunt cake. One thing you should know about me is that i love lemon cake. So i decided to make it. I checked the cupboards and then shopped for the final few ingredients. Perfect. Katie came over to help me ...and the cake making began. We measured, poured, counted, stirred, whisked and sprayed until we were ready to put it in the oven. Now all we had to do was wait.

The timer pinged and the sweet smell filled the kitchen. We pulled it out and put on the glaze...yes the glaze. Everything was perfect. Now to turn the cake out onto the plate. I could see it, the cake would be a masterpiece, from somewhere people would gasp at its beauty, and make mmmmm noises when they saw it, their lips watering.

So my day dream ended when we realised that it was well and trylu stuck in teh pan. Actually, as we discovered, only the top half was stuck. And here we are in the kitchen surrounded by a sweet aroma, with half a cake plopped out onto the cake and the other half still in the plan. A little more spatula action and the second half falls out too; not quite, but ironically almost perfectly lined up on top of the first.

Trying not to be too discouraged by the mess that was our cake, we did the only thing we could. Added the final glaze, and let it cool.

We came back a little while later ready to eat, and eat we did. And......it was delicious. It tasted evey bit as yummy as i had imagined.

It got me thinking, sometimes even with the best made plans things don't turn out how you think. I guess i am thinking about my life. I know at 16 i had big plans of going onto school, teaching, pretty sure i never planned to even visit America, let alone Kyrgyzstan, Thailand or China, and yet, all these years on this is how things have turned out.

I have been here in Seattle almost 4 years, travelled all over the world, seen things and had experiences that i never imagined. Things are not how i would have planned them but they are just as sweet. I am only just starting to understand the freedom that i could experience if i can truly embrace the idea that I don't need to always be in control. That God's plans for me are better than the ones i see. His plans are to give me a furture and a hope. I can surrender my plans to God. Giving them to him with my hands open, and a willing heart, to trust Him for the future - even if it doesn't look like what i thought it would.

I guess it's a lesson that i am just going to have to keep on learning...

2006-04-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

I mean it this time. I am going to start blogging.

2006-02-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning, looked up to see bright sunshine pouring through the window. It made me happy. It's funny how the simple things can make a day so much better.
Julie planned a picnic down at Gasworks park, I love how we do anything to get ouside as soon as its not raining. I mean, a picnic in February?! Only in Seattle....and that's why I love living here.

Let's give this blog thing a try!

2006-01-31T21:10:00.000-08:00

I thought this would be a fun way to keep you all updated with news and pictures from Seattle, and will i hope be easier for me to update you all with whats going on...i guess we'll see.