laughter

This last week at the hostel in Skjolden has been nothing short of amazing... We have hiked, done work projects, studied the Word, lasted through hours of discussion and philosophical conversations with Patrick and Darrell, we have camped, we have laughed, we have cried, we have bonded, and well, basically we've done it all :) haha

praises:
the girls. God has blessed me with an amazing group of girls, each of us struggling through life situations, and yet, each of us holding onto this opportunity for bonding and learning from one another

the leaders. Patrick has done an incredible job leading our team, I praise God for how He is working through Patrick, not only to lead us, but also to challenge us and spur us on toward growth.

my growth. God has taken hold of my life, challenged me, convicted me, blessed me, rejoiced over me, and shown me His love in ways I have never before experienced.

laughter and freedom. These last two weeks, I have laughed longer, and more frequently, than I have in a very very long time. Also, and along that same line, as God has opened my eyes to who He has made me to be (personality and character traits, passions, etc.) I have felt more freedom and confidence to be the person God has designed me to be than I ever have before.

I love my team. Bonding and relating takes great effort, but oh how its worth it!

prayers:
tomorrow begins our major construction projects on the hostel and throughout the town, pray for energy, strength, consistent and blessed time in the Word.

Wednesday through Friday our international teams will be arriving...pray for us during that time too, being surrounded by 25 other students from starkly different cultures can be overwhelming and tiring...please pray for our girls, that we would continue to grow closer even as more students come and more of our energy is sapped.

Discipleship week begins on Monday...pray that God would prepare our hearts for that time and for all He has for us to learn, for growth, and greater awe of His person, and for even greater unity amongst all our teams as one big team for the week.

that God would continue preparing us for Latvia, its about two weeks away, might He do in, and through, us more than we could ever ask or imagine.

All praise be to the Lord of lords and the King of kings!
I love you guys! thank you so much for your prayers and words of encouragement!

are you all in?

I'm alive! and I'm in Skjolden, Norway! sorry its taken so long to update my blog (which I promised to be regular about), but this is the first opportunity i've had to get onto a computer...so, here we go...

Norway has been amazing...why?...it is exactly where I am supposed to be. From day one, God has been challenging me, renewing me, reviving my joy, chipping away at my cold heart...God is good. Our team has been such a blessing, and what an experience it has been with the women...leading these amazing girls has already been a great journey and left me praising at answered prayers...God has given me more than enough energy to hike the mountains, all while being able to listen and engage in deep conversation with the girls...and oh how our God works, every single member of our team is the perfect addition, we are all desiring to grow in the same areas and I cannot wait to watch as God begins to stretch and mold us all...how sweet!

are you all in? two hours ago, our team finished our 24 hours of alone time with the Lord...a time purposed to begin preparing us for all that God has ahead of us this summer...the result...for the team it was a realization that our relationships with God are all or nothing, a full surrender of everything, thus, are you all in? this is the challenge, and if so, what does that mean for each one of us?...what did this 24 include for me? a realization of God's presence with me at every moment this past year, He will never leave me nor forsake me, He is here; an understanding that God has a transforming work to do in each of our lives this summer, which begins with a renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2); and a processing of the question that has been running through my mind ever since arriving in Norway...who am I? yes, I am God's, and yes, I desire for my identity to be found solely in Him. but, deeper than that, who am I as a daughter of the King? outside of all the expectations I, wrongly, set for myself and the masks I hide behind, who has He created me to be? what passions, what characteristics shine forth, what does He have for me...who am I?

this summer will be difficult, already has been difficult, this summer will be amazing, already has been amazing, this summer will be fun, already has been fun...this summer I am exactly, exactly, where God wants me.

I am all in.

Isaiah 43:18-19 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

I love you guys! :)

P.S. I'm loving the Isaiah commentary, Dad! Absolutely mind boggling, leaves me speechless each time I read through it :) love you!

and...I'm off!

5am tomorrow morning I leave to Phoenix and then depart for Bergen, Norway! Pray for safe travels and a sweet time of bonding as we meet up for the first time as a team :)

can't wait to share this experience with you all!

packing...how in the world?!

and...the countdown has begun! 5 days left of American life and then I will be boarding a jet plane straight for Norway...seriously! I say seriously, not only to remind you of how soon all this is approaching, but also for my own sake...the reality of me going again this summer has yet to sink in. I am ecstatic, terrified, curious, full of thoughts and questions, and still, it all seems like one big dream...

Well, at least until I continue in my pathetic attempts to pack, then everything begins to feel a bit more real. I really am going back to Norway and Latvia this summer, I really will be able to see the same kids from my study last time, the same kids I fell in love with, and I really do have to fit clothing and necessities for 8 weeks into my hiking backpack...oh yay! and oye vey! :)

and before I head out, here are a few things that have been on my mind lately:
-- memorizing 1 Peter...an incredible book. My study Bible introduces 1 Peter with having a key word of suffering and a central theme of victory over suffering. I am confident and eager for God to use this book of Scripture to grow my teammates and I into men and women who place their full hope and joy in the One who is to come- the One who is Just, who never forsakes, who loves beyond comprehension, the One whose ways cannot be understood, and the One who will be praised and glorified for all of eternity. And I pray for all those we encounter, that we may always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that we have, but with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

-- I was blessed by a sermon on fellowship the other day, and, in all seriousness, it was one of the best sermons I have heard on this subject. If you're interested, you can listen to it here: http://my.ekklesia360.com/Clients/sermonaudioplayer.php?CMSCODE=EKK&siteid=2060&sermonid=63468&useSkin=skin_plain.xml&CMS_LINK=http://my.ekklesia360.com
I pray for this fellowship of the saints amongst my team, and the girls on the team. I pray for the challenge and the sweet result- provoking one another on toward love, sincere, deep love, flowing from a pure heart... I would share my notes with you, but I'm pretty sure I just rewrote the entire sermon :) If you listen to it, I assure you it won't be a waste of your time, and if by chance it is...well, then I don't know what to tell you :)

-- the reality of the situation...what will this summer look like?

• 4 1/2 weeks in Norway: major construction projects, discipleship camp, engaging with the youth in town, camping and hiking excursions...I will be difficult to reach during this period as I will have very limited access to a computer. I am hoping, though, to update my blog about once a week and work through emails about every other week (this is the ideal, which may not be possible, but i will try!)
  
• 2 1/2 weeks, or so, in Latvia: Bible, English, and sports camp with an orphanage and about 70 youth from town. 3 days prior to the camp, and 3 days following, we will be in the capitol city of Riga preparing and then debriefing. I will be able to write a few times while in Riga, but I will have no computer access at camp... which I love! (being without technology can be great fun)
• 1 week in Italy: this week is not a part of the Norway/Latvia trip, but is sure to be a blast...I am going with the team directors and their two little boys as a nanny and a friend :)
  
• Please pray for: Open eyes and open hearts, amongst both our team and all those we meet; unity, fellowship of the saints; a team that prays without ceasing; a desire for growth; servant hearts; that we would spend and be spent; and that God would reign victorious in our hearts, our team, and every kid at camp in Latvia.
  
• all in all: God has excited me beyond words for this summer and I cannot wait to experience all that He has planned. I am excited and eager for growth, challenge, hardships, laughter, unity, friendships, a broken heart, greater depth and intimacy with our Maker, and a greater awe of Him and His beautiful creation! I will take lots of pictures!!

I'll end with a quote from the sermon I mentioned above:
"Jesus is the Son of God, the Heir of all things, the Father's agent in creation, the Radiance of God's glory, the exact representation of His being, the Sustainer of all things, the One who made purification for sins, the Exalted One."
All praise be to His name!