Just a little blurb…

Life has been busy, but very good here on the farm.  Last week we had a creative worship camp for high school aged kids.  It was amazing, tiring, stretching, and full of wonder.  It was great to have a week to get the focus of self and focus on other and pour out love upon them.  This week we had a speaker from KC, who was GREAT!! wow, I am still chewing on all that he said.  Its crazy to think that next week we are heading to Florida and them I am heading home.  Time has flown by.

Simple life… great life…

If this is how I could live me life… wow that would be amazing.  To live in a great community were everything loves each other so much and is constantly fighting for each other.  A community that is full of encouragement and love, that gives life to each other.  Also, who are full of creativity and are constantly creating something new with God… pouring who they are into their art… making it them.  A place of such peace and rest in the Lord, a place full of wisdom.  A place where you can enjoy the earth God created…working in the land and learning through gardening and giving life to something GREAT.  I am so blessed to be able to experience such lifestyle… a lifestyle I believe God created us for.  Where the community that we are in is our church… where we are all there for each other…and its not just about me, but all of us.  Where the grandparents impart wisdom to the young and the young listen.  Where all generations work together to accomplish the will of God.  Its simple, but hard.  I pray that there would be more communities like this raising up… this is what we long for, all of us.  If we really think of it we all long for a community that is free, safe, full of life and creativity.  Where we are living and learning from each other.  This is church.  I pray that “Churches” would come back to this reality… that you don’t have to be someone on sunday that you are not… but that you can come as you are with your pain and with your joy and know that you will be entering into a safe place that you can express where ever you are at.  Where no matter where you are at you would feel welcomed and at home.  A place that you can be vulnerable and know that you are safe to do so, cause we are all dealing with something.  We are human, so why can’t we fight and go through it together, instead of trying to do it all on your own.  This is what I long for, and I believe God longs for too… so, I pray that we would work together to have this again.  To have COMMUNITY that is our CHURCH.  

My thought of the week.

I am on a journey…

I woke up at 7 am one the 30th of May to get ready to start my journey home and then to North Carolina.  I was getting all my stuff together and decided to double check that I had everything.  I was shocked to discover that my ticket home was not booked for the 30th but for the 20th.  My heart sunk… then remembering God’s promised for me and what He says in His word.                  ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7                                                                                       I took that… and trusted that that was true for me… so I prayed that God would guild me and lead me.  And it was amazing the peace that God gave me the whole trip home.

From Aalesund to Olso I got to travel with one of the students mom… it was very nice to have a travel buddy.  On the flight to Oslo got to sit beside this very nice Italian man.  He really opened up to me and told me how hard it was for him to live in a different country where the people are so different then what he was used to.  That he felt very lonely in Norway… and I even got to pray for him.  He was so blessed by that and asked me more questions about my relationship with God.  It was wonderful!!

When I got to Oslo, I got my bags almost right away and had plenty of time to rebook my tickets and get to my flight to Amsterdam.  Upon my arrive to Amsterdam I found out that my flight to Minneapolis was delayed till the next morning at 8.  So, I got put up in a very nice hotel and got a nice dinner and breakfast then next morning.  It was bittersweet…  it gave me sometime to relax and process a little bit.  I also met some lovely ladies when I was going to the shuttle bus… I got to talk with them and have dinner with them.  Which was nice… they were all from the Winnipeg area.  But because of this delay I couldn’t get on my connecting flight from Winnipeg back to Minneapolis.  Which was a bummer cause that would mean I couldn’t see my parents.  But that also changed, cause then decided to drive to Minneapolis to visit me.  Which was very nice of them.  That being said… I found out later that the lady that rebooked my flight and allowed  me to pick up my flight in the middle was something that is normally not done.  She did me a huge favor that I didn’t know.  Also, because my parents drove to see me I decided to see if I could get on a later flight, that way I could spend a little more time with them.  Once again they did me a big favor to switch my flight.  So, even though it didn’t work out as planned.  God really answered all my prayers and made everything work out.  All the people I talked to were very helpful and I know that I had God’s favor.  And I got to spend more time with my parents then if I would have come home to Winnipeg.  So… it was a journey for sure, but a very good one.  

So, tonight at 7 I leave for North Carolina and will start my next journey there tomorrow.  

Thanks for all your prayers… I don’t believe that this would have all worked out the way it did without them. Thanks so much!!

Spoken Word

So… this last week we had a creative project.  We decided to have a moving cafe and do an open mike.  In contribution to that we had a little spoken word workshop to create something we could bring to the open mike.  I thought I would share with you mine…

I am going to a forest

full of wonderful big trees

Oak trees

Pine tress

Ahh… the smell brings me home

Home…

what a wonderful place

Beautiful

Glorious

Sun

Wonderful summer day

Shining so bright

waking up the morning dew, Sparkling

no glising off the flowers

The beautiful victorious one

The anointed one

who is bright in battle

bringing forth a new day

a new life

a new beginning

of relaxation

of complete rest with awe and wonder

to be

to gaze

to become in awe of the splender

of His beauty

and walk into His 

almighty presents

and sit

rest

belong

belong

and know all the 

extrodinary things about 

I AM and i am

who I was created to be

who I have become 

and who I ought to be

to become fully alive 

in the calling of being me

who I was intended to be

to belong

and fall asleep

in Your loving arms as the sun goes down

and awaken in the dawn

gazing upon the splender 

of Your art peice

displayed across the sky

smelling the sweet smell of pancakes

grilling in my mama’s kitchen

reality

what is that?

is it here

or is it there

who can really say

I can only remember 

driving on the lawnmower 

with my grandpa

and picking flowers in the fields

for my grandma

those were the days

I can’t wait to see my grandpa again

from where I belong

from where I was always ment to be

The Kingdom

Do you know?

know that its you 

that scares me the most

but why is that?

all I want  is to be creative

and spread my Fathers love

I need to get out of this box

this box that brings me down

comparing

critising

but I am going to break free

from this box 

I have created for myself

And bring forth who I really am

the reality of who I am 

the reality of where I belong

and where I am from

breaking this silance in my mind

and filling it with the 

awe and wonder  of

YOU!

Thats all for now… maybe I will post some photo of the open mike nights.  There were tons of fun!! We had a great time meeting locals and sharing our art.

January

January has been a busy, challenging and exciting mouth.  I don’t have a lot of time… but I will give you a quick overview in what has all been happening in my life…

In the beginning of the year we were told that we were going to do a dance video to one of the music tracks songs.  I believe I wrote in one of my posts about it.  We started by praying of a topic… then we gave the dance track what we came up with so they could create a song.  There were three groups and from those songs we choose the one we felt God wanted up to use.  After that our leaders prayed about ideas and a dance to go along with it.  They choose me to be apart of the acting and solo dance.  So my weekends have been filled with filming sence for the dance video and dancing my solo piece.  We have finished all the filming… we are not just waiting for the editing to be done and hopefully I will be able to post it so you can see what we have been up too here.

We were also asked to create a dance that showed our heart for an injustice in the world and we would use that on our mini-outreach ( which I am on right now) as a dance tour.  We have all been working very hard this week to put together this show.  So far our hard work has really paid off… we have had two show so far and we have two more to come.  

Along with all the dance track stuff we were doing… we also had are regular teaching… the first week we had on evangelism.  The second week we had on missions… this week was very interesting.  He taught on adapting to the culture we would be going to and meeting them in their culture… not making them adapt to our culture then bring the gospel.  He shard a lot from his life as a long term missionary… about the rewards and challenges that he and his family has had and how God has lead them to where they are now.  The third week or last week was on Identity.   This week was a little different, cause most of our staff was away on a conferance… so we had the leadership lead the week instead.  It was a very good and busy week.  We were invited to the two of the leaderships places for supper and the other two nights we had some of the refuges that are here come over for dinner and fellowship.   It was so nice to hang out with them and get to know them.  A lot of them have been here for around 3 months and don’t have much contact with people outside of their community.  So, it was very nice to be able to serve them and befriend them.  There were a couple of women that we exchanged numbers with… so hopefully we will have time to hang out with them a couple of times. 

We also had AMAZING teaching this week.. it was about getting out of the box.  He talked about not allowing fear, comparison, critism, arogance, egoism, and control to keep us from doing the will of God. How God wants us to free of all those things and when we find our true Identity in God and that God can set us free from all these things and through that freedom we can find our true identity in God, also finding true freedom.  he also thought that through our freedom and identity in God we can start to dream big with Him.  That God gave us dreams, desires and gifts that He created in us to use… all we have to do and give them back to Him, give Him back the right and allow Him to use these things.  God can only do through us what we allow Him to do… if you we don’t have faith or believe that these things are possible, then they won’t be.  But if we believe in a BIG and GOOD God and believe that HE CAN TO ALL THINGS WHO STRENGTHENS US… then we can move mountains and do amazing things.  But first we need to give up our rights to Him, then He will give Himself back to us.  Wow!! God is good, and He is teaching me that so often I minimize Him to this small little box and don’t allow Him to be as BIG as He should be in me life.  I pray to whomever reads this blog… that you to can get revelation on God’s GREATNESS and that you can see how much He loves you and what’s to do AMAZING things through you, if only you would let Him.  Yes, Lord reveal your Love to the nations, let people see how much you heart breaks for them and wants them to KNOW YOU… Unveil their eyes and their hearts, so they my see you and hear your sweet voice… that their hearts can truly grasp your goodness and AMAZING love towards them. I thank you that you are fighting for each and everyone of them to come to know you, and I pray that you will not relent that you will continue to fight for each and everyone of their hearts… cause once they get just one little glimps of your love towards them.  I believe they won’t be able to help themselves, but to fall at your feet at worship you.  I pray that you these words would be yours and that you would would reveal you love to many through these words and that they can see you grace and mercy for them.  That they can have a heart understanding of the Cross and your love behind the message of the cross.  Let them see you in Jesus name I pray.

Germany Pictures

My travel adventure…

I found myself lying in my bed

Thinking about the journey I am just about to take

A little nervous I was

Writing down all the scriptures

That talk about God as our provider and protector

I was encouraged by how long they list was

 

Praying once more through they journey

I fell asleep

Waking early in the morning cause I couldn’t sleep

Praying some more that all would work out

Finally, it was time

Saying a couple good byes to the one that were a wake

I left the base with another student

Walking down the steep slippery hill

We made it

I see the bus

Just in time

We started… here we go no turning back now

Still a little nervous about traveling on my own

But finding the peace of God with me

Know that in all things He will protect and provide for me

One hour later we arrived at the airport

Here I go

Feeling the speed of the plane pull me to my seat

Always my favorite part about flying

And take off

I am on my way

 

Getting lost in the book I took to occupy my travel time

I was landing before I knew it

Patiently waiting for the everyone around me to leave

So I could get my bags I walked to the train station

The train promptly arrived soon after I got down

Here I go

My first train ride

Still lost in my book

I didn’t pay to much attention to the sensory around me

But what I did see what kind of boring anyways

They city of the Olso was very pretty

Lots of older buildings on the way to the central station

Well here I am not at central station

Asking God to lead me

I felt so small

In this big station all alone

With only God strength to lean on

There was nothing I could to be remain strong and keep going

Walking around searching for the bus station

Oh, there finally found the way to go

Walking across the bridge

Passing a homeless man

They thinking about how much I have

I pondering the thought of being homeless

How it much feel to always be alone

No place to go home too

Or at least not a warm comfortable home

How grateful I am for all that I have

 And that I was going to a warm place

Even though I didn’t know must of the people there

I knew it that it was a loving family

I continued walking where I found my way

Realizing my bus only leaves in a couple hours

I sat down and continued reading

It was a great way to pass by the time

I could see the bus around the corner

Getting ready to go outside

The door doesn’t open

Oh no all they people rush in front of me to the other door

Changing doors

Fef I am outside

People pile around

Pushing

Wanting to get a seat on the bus

Getting closer to the front

Still people squeezing past

I can see the stairs

I think I will get in

Finally, stepping up to pay for my ride

Seated comfortably in my seat

Ready for my two hour journey to the next plan ride

This time to Germany

Getting closer to where I need to go

Lining up to get my boarding pass

Taking a seat

Know I had a couple hours to wait

Starting reading again

Then realized I was in the wrong spot

Good thing I had lots of time

Going through to the international flights

Sit down again to wait once more

Check periodically for the gate that my flight was departing from

Sweet, gate 12

Only half an hour left

Then I am on my way

5 min. to boarding

everyone rushes to the line

but they weren’t as pushy this time

waiting

now getting a seat

yes, I can relax

almost there

take off

Germany here I come

Excitement starting to build

Rushing out to catch the bus to Mannheim

Oh no, they only take cash

Run, run, run need to quickly get cash

Run , run, run sweet he waited for me

Sitting down

Slowly starting to relax again

Two hours later

Mannheim

Yes, final part of my trip

Almost there

What a long day

Looking at the times

Sweet I have sometime to something to eat

Well… I guess not

Missed the first train, now I have to wait half an hour

Relax, eat, wait, read a little

Here it comes

And Here I am

Made it

Wasn’t too bad

Time for bed

Mini-Outreach

We just got back from our first mini-outreach… for our mini-outreaches we split into our tracks, and we all went to different cities.  The music track stayed at the base, the art track went to a town 2 hrs. north of here and we went to Averoya a island about 3 hrs north of our base.  

On Monday we prepared for the week… we need to prepare a teaching for the confirmation classes that we would be leading and a dance for some dance classes that we were going to be teaching to the high school.  So needless to say it was a pretty busy day of preparing all these things and trying to make it so that the youth would enjoy them.  

Tuesday we left sometime in the morning for Averoya,  we needed to get there before 3 o’clock for our first confirmation class.  My group was the first to teach and taught of the longings of our heart and how you can fulfill these longings with out God, and how God created them and how He wants to meet these longings.  I did the main teaching on that and the two girls that I was with helped out with translation and applications… also we one of the girls sang the song “Oh, how He loves us” ( I think that’s what it is called) at the end, which was very nice.  Then we had another confirmation class at 5, I believe and the taught on mending wounds and forgiveness.  We had a time of prayer where the youth could ask for forgiveness for their sins and receive God’s love for them.  It was like a mini plumb-line.  It was neat to see God work, and how the youth really took what we said to heart.  After our classes were done we went to the family’s house that we would be staying with and had some dinner and went over our classes to see what we could change to make them better and more suitable to the youth that were attending.  

Wednesday we had the morning off, so we had time to go over our confirmation class and change what needed to be changed.  We also had team time everyday, so one of us lead a section of time in worship and whatever we wanted to do during that time… which mostly was a time of prayer for the day.  Then at noon we went to the school that we were teaching the dance classes.  So, each day we had 2.5 hrs. with the youth… which gave us time to teach them a dance that then could show to the rest of their classmates at the end of the day.  We split into three groups, we had a hip-hop, old school jazz, and modern class.  Me and another girl taught the modern class, it worked out well the first day we had  a smaller group of grade 8 girls… half of them having some dance background.  They were all really into it and one of them told us afterward that she wanted to take a modern class now, so that was encouraging, that we inspired her to continue on with it.  Then in the evening the second group lead the confirmation class for the second time…. then we had a free evening.

Thursday… we had to walk up early, cause we had our dance class in the morning.  We had the 10th graders this time, but because there wasn’t a lot of students we only had hip-hop and swing classes.  So, I joined in with the hip-hop class.  It was kind of nice to have the morning off and just join in with another class.  After the class the school invited us to have lunch there, which was very nice of them.    Then we went home for a little nap and off again to our last confirmation class.  I was a little more nervous this time, cause I had to change quite a bit and I wanted it to be good.  But once I started teaching  the nerves went away, I felt actually very comfortable speaking in front of them.  It was so AMAZING how I was lead by the holy spirt and felt like I had done this speech a million times.  Maybe, because I did it that many time in my head before the class, who knows.  Yeah, then that evening we went to this elderly couples house for dinner… wow, it was so nice.  The moment you walked into their door you felt the warmth, it was like they were my grandparents.  They made this most AMAZING fish dish and potatoes and veggies.  The neat thing was that it was Thanksgiving for the people who were from the states and it sure felt like thanksgiving.  Us all gathered around have a fantastic meal… it made me feel more like a family.  After the meal we prayed for the couple… I really can’t describe the how the holy spirit was moving in that place… about half us there really got a mothers heart and prayed on her behalf.  It was just so neat to see, and that we could give them something back in return for the amazing meal that they had provided for us.  Then we went back to our home and watched a movie and had apple crisp for thanksgiving.  It was such a lovely evening, it really made me miss my family and how thankful I am to have family that is so supportive of me and love me so much.  I have realized that it is rear to come from  such a family and to also have that with the extended family is well.  I am truly blessed with the family that God had given me.

Friday we also had the morning off, well off meaning we had breakfast at nine, then we had power-time, and then we had team time and then we got ourselves ready to go to our last day of teaching dance.  Because so many of the students also take the confirmation classes, the students mainly consisted of the the youth that we had in the confirmation classes.  It was nice to see them all again and to do something different we them.  Then we had a rehearsal for the the show that we were having for the youth club in the evening.  After that we went home had some dinner went over out schedule for the the weekend and had some time to rest.  Then at 8 we went back to the school… set up for the show, went through some details and got to show a about 9 of our dances to the youth club.   Being able to do a dance show for the youth club was an answer to prayer, cause the pervious years weren’t allowed to do anything with the youth club.  So, it was a nice of them to let us do something for them this year.  We weren’t allowed to stay for long after and hang out, but we are hoping that in the years to come they can hang out with the youth before and after a little bit.  

Saturday/Sunday we got to sleep in which was nice… but after that is was go go go. The church had organized a sleep-over for the the 6th graders for the 1st advent.  So we prepared food and stuff for them and then went to the church to meet about 40 eleven year old kids.  The rest of the night was filled with games, we had a little disco, and they made a prayer chain with beads.  They also were apart of the service on Sunday so we went through all their roles that they were going to do.  A couple them wrote out prayers, some read, we had a dance and drama  that they did for everyone and the they also had a song that they all sang.  Then Sunday we cleaned eat and drove back to the base.

Even though we had tons of fun together and grow together to be more like a family, it was really nice to come home to the base and see everyone else again.  It was a very good experience, which helped prepared us more for out outreach in march.  Thanks so much… I will be posted pictures from them mini-outreach soon, they will be added on to this post.

Freedom

Two weeks ago now we had Plumb-line… Its a week that we discover our true identity in Christ and the things in our lives that are hindering us for walking in that.  We take some time to pray and repenting of the areas in out life that are not agreeing with our Identity in Christ.  I realized as the week went on how much my view on freedom was distorted.  I am not entirely sure what my view was, but it wasn’t the right view.  We were going through the different stones that can me on our walls to keep God out of lives.  There are two walls, rejection, and rebellious wall.  The rejection wall has stones such as insecurity, self-hatred, inferiority, guilt, self-pity, depression, failure, despairing, and more. and the-rebellious wall have stones to cover up things those that are on the rejection wall, it has stones such as, hostility, sophistication, superiority, competitive, dominant, manipulation, critical, controlling, possessive, and more.  All these stones are stones that God doesn’t want in our lives… and thats why we have to repent of them.  God didn’t create us with any of these stones…. He never wanted us to live our lives hating ourselves or being so inferior to others that we become a afraid of man and can’t speak out what we want too, or do the things we want to cause it involves standing up for something.  I realized how much we are, I am kept captive in so many of these areas and its a lie to say that that is “just the way I am”.  But its NOT, God created me to walk in freedom and to care what people to think, but not be controlled by what people think.  I realized after going through all these things that the only way we, I can experience true freedom is by walking in the identity that the Lord created me to be, and that is by walking in the fear of the Lord NOT in the fear of man.  because, I believe that you are either walking in the fear of man or the fear of the Lord you can’t be walking in both.

 Realizing that that all the things of the past are not apart of my identity. Not even the things that happened to be are apart of who I am, God never intended them to happen or for me to carry them.  That is why Jesus died on the cross, for my sins that I have done and the sins that have been done to me… both of them are no longer apart of who I am, but the way God originally intended me to be is who I am now in Christ. Once this became real to my heart (cause I knew it in my mind) I realized the true freedom that God has given to all of us.

A little adventure…

Last weekend a few of us took a trip to some of the islands around us.  It was good to get out and about and enjoy the sentry around us.  It was really cool we had to go under the ocean to get to the the islands… they have tunnels here that are actually dug under the ocean and you drive through them to get to the other side.  We stumbled upon a light house while we were actually looking for a different light house.  It was funny cause it reminded me of the “scenic” routes my dad loves to take us on when we are on road trips, actually it can be at anytime really. Yeah… and after the light house we went to a old church… I am not sure about all the history of it, but it was built along the coast so people could come from the other islands to attend… the church was actually demolished at one point, the cool thing is that they numbered all the rocks before it was demolished so they could put it back together again later.  I guess the were expecting it.  I wish  I knew more of the history on, but it was neat non the less to see it and know the little a do know.  After we went to a cave… I think the best part of the cave was when one of the girls who was with us started to sing “He loves us” and the dance track just learnt a dance to that song… and every one joined in, either in dance or singing.  It was quite AMAZING! … And here a some picture of our little adventure…

Hope you enjoy the pictures… Just thought I would give you a quick feed back on the the prayer request that I posted a couple weeks ago… I first want to say thank you so much for all your prayers.  I see the power of prayer more and more and how it is so amazing how God works when the Church is working together.  Thank-you.  

• Shortly after I posted the prayer request… my Christmas holidays perfectly fell into place.  I found a very cheap trip to Germany. Where I will be staying with one of the girls from small group for a week, I will also hopefully be visiting my Aunt and Uncle and their family (who will be out to visit my Uncles family for Christmas).  For the second week I will be going to Switzerland and visiting another girl, who I do my weekly chores with.  Because I will be in the south of Germany the train ride to Switzerland is not far away at all.  It will be really nice to see family again and also be around the family of the girls I will be visiting.  I am really excited for Christmas and happy that I won’t be spending it alone. 
• Interior Design: I felt like God was telling me to put it aside for now, that I should wait for His timing.  I know that if God wants me to go into Interior Design it will happen already, and it will happen when I am prepared for all the challenges that I will face.  Also I believe I am in a very special season in my life right now… and I need to enjoy THIS season and really live with in THIS season that I am in.  I don’t want to take any focus off of this season and loss out one what God want to do in me through this time that I have set apart.
• First I want to thank all for you who have supported my financially and prayerfully specifically with finances, it has been a HUGE blessing to see how God provides.  We serve an AMAZING God and I know that He will provide for all the is needed for the rest of my stay here.  I ask that you would continue to pray for financial provision for the rest of my stay here. As I am still owing most of the last half, which is around 5000 CAD, depending on the exchange rate.

Thanks again for all your support, I really can’t thank you enough.