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.

Questions…

I was sitting in teaching today and we were talking about art, and what is Christian art.  As we were discussing varies things about art it stirred up a whole bunch of question…

What is Christian art? What are our limits? Do we put too many limitations to what we create… what our art is… Do we respond too much to what is acceptable to the people around us and not to what God wants us to create?  Are we too much into the box?   Are we really creating in the fear of God or is it more out of the fear of man?  Are we worried about offending other Christians?  Are we willing to stand up for Jesus the way He wants us to stand up for Him?  Even if that offends other Christians?  Even if that means being hated by man?  To what point are we willing to be “Christian”?  Is it just in our comfort zone?  These are questions I wonder.  To what point am I willing to stand up with God.  Am I only willing to stand with Him when I am in the box… or I am willing to stand with Him no matter what?  Even when it means going against what other Christians believe, am I still willing to stand with God?  I want to be willing to stand with God to the very end.  To stand with Him whatever He calls me to do,and to live fully in Him.  Is my Art really expressing what God wants me to express or am I limited to what man has set before me as expectable?  I am I working out of fear of God or out of fear of man?  What is it that is driving me? I want to work more out of fear of God and really tremble at His voice.  To walk out what He has for me, even if that is going to offend people.  

These questions really stirred my heart and made me think about where I am really at.  I love that God allows us to ask questions not expecting us to know the answer.  We can just ask and wonder… and He listens.  He really is an AMAZING God!!

Creative Friday

… this friday we had an AMAZING creative day.  our last week assignment was to improve the solo dance that we made for the week before.  our dance was inspired by a dance movie that we had to watch and then write out opinion on as well as Gods perspective on.  i created a dance inspired my ‘ walk it out’ dance that was in ‘stomp the yard’.  so i created a dance to ‘ you won’t relent’ by misty edwards.  it was lots of fun… didn’t know i had the ability to create my own dance.  yeah… so the class made some suggestions on how i could improve it, the we worked on in through out the week and preformed it for the class this week.  yup..THEN we had prophetic day… our leaders asked three musicians to come in and play.  basically we did a lot of improve.  we danced and then the musicians had to play along to how we were dancing… and then we did the opposite, the musicians played a song and we had to dance according to what they were playing.  SO MUCH FUN!   at the end of the day our leaders gave as a person within our class and we all had to pray that God would give us a word for that person.  Then we had to speak that message of feeling to the musicians and make a dance according to what we got.  wow… SO GOOD! it was and encouraging and up lifting day.  nice to just relax and enjoy playing with the Lord… FREEING is so many ways.  

we have creative week this next week… lots of dancing.  what i hear its going to be lots of FUN! I AM EXCITED!

Prayer Requests

First of all I want to thank all of you for keeping me in your prayers, it is a HUGE blessing.  I seriously can not express how much I appreciate you taking the time to pray for me.  I really think it is important that I have fellow believers interceding on my behalf.   So, thank-you very much taking the time to pray for me.

Here are a few things I need prayer for at this moment:

• Christmas Holidays is a couple months away.  If you could pray that God would show me what he wants me to do with my two and half weeks.  The base here shuts down, so I have to stay somewhere other then here.  Where to go, provision on money, what to do during the two weeks off.
• The rest of my finances are should be in by Dec. 1 2008.  I am still needing all the of finances for the outreach and the last half of my stay here.  If you could please pray for the release of finances, and that I would have patients in His timing of these finances. 
• That I would continue to seek Gods will for me.  I wouldn’t worry about what I should do after DTS, but that I would continue to seek what God wants for me and that I would know His heart for the future.  One thing that has come up is going to school for Interior Design.  If you could pray that it would become clear to me whither God wants me to pursue this right after DTS or if this is even apart of His plan for me.

Thanks again for all your support and encouragement.  Like I said before it means a lot, it really dose.  Your prayers have power and I can defiantly feel that I have people at home praying for me on the continual bases, it is quite AMAZING! 

Love and Blessings

… time for a little tour

I thought it was time to give you all a little tour of the where I live.

The living room.

This is where we do the dishes… we all take turns

Bikes… we bike and walk a bit. Its fun going down hill, but up hill is a different story. I normally give up half way home and just walk my bike back.

… and this is the whole building.

The lobby

This is the view from my window.

This is all the staff that is here this year.

The studio

Susanna… my roommate.

The living room… were we hang out.

The view from just outside my room.

My Redemptive Art

Gabby!!

Dinning Room

The dinning room… this what most of our sundays are like. ( making journals)

My loft…

Girls hallway

My room!

The view from the deck just outside my room.

THE KITCHEN… we all take turns making dinner on the weekends.

umm… where to start. It is cloudy here quite a bit and it rains about the same amount.  But when it rains its more like a light soft rain and its not that cold.  So, you can still enjoy the outdoors even though it rains a fair bit.  A normal week here is 7 o’clock breakfast. Right after breakfast we have morning chores, which we switch off every other week.  My morning chore is cleaning the guest bathroom and the staff kitchen and living room.  After chores we have Power time ( time with God).  After power time we have worship (monday, wednesday, and friday) Intercession (tuesdays with everyone, and thursday with a small group). Then depending whither it is creative week or not.  We get together in our tracks on creative weeks, and if we have teaching then we all go to the local church and have our teachings there.  Lunch is at 1 to 2, what we do after lunch changes pretty much everyday.  Mondays we have small groups and then one on one with our small group leader.  Most days we have a two hour break before supper, cause two students help out with supper prep.  Tuesdays we get together with our evangelism group and do whatever it is that we planned for that week.  I am on the street evangelism group, my group goes into Alesund and we pray, talk to different people in town or play music.  It’s different from week to week.  Wednesdays we have small groups and then our weekly chores.  Me and another girl clean the house of a local photographer.  He has done a lot for the school, so in return we help him out by cleaning his house.  Thursday we have teaching, and Friday we meet in out tracks all day.  The weekends we have off, we are free to do pretty much whatever we want.  We have dinner at 5 o’clock everyday besides sunday, which we have at 4 o’clock.  And after supper we don’t have anything for 2 hours, inless we are on dinner dishes.  The evenings are fairly free.  We have teaching on Tuesday evenings and the dance track meets wednesdays.  Yup…oh and we have supper at 9 o’clock on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.  So, our days get fairly busy.  On weekends we normally have at least on evening planned.  We will either watch a movie or have a dance party.  Sometime we go to Alesund.  Thats a little run down of how my days look like here and what my home is like.  Hope you enjoy my little tour.