Yup! I arrived in Salem Wednesday afternoon! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you how the rest of my trip was...
The week after leaving Barranquilla, our team spent some time doing some programs for the local schools, doing prayer walks around the city, free day at the beach, and having team time. It wasn't a super busy crazy week, but it was nice to be able to reflect on all God had done up til that point and encourage each other.
The next week, the other half of the team left for Bogota. It was really sad to see them go, but they had an awesome time there.
The other half of the team (the half I was on) stayed in Cartagena. We spent the week in a village in Cartagena helping a Christian elementary school set up through YWAM Cartagena. We did kid's programs, picked up trash, peeled paint, cleaned bathrooms, and helped serve lunch to the kids at the school. This week was a little hard for me. I got a little homesick for my family, friends, and just plain America. But God, being always faithful, gave me the strength to get through the week strong and with a good attitude.
The week after, we worked on the construction site. YWAM Cartagena is working on building another house for more DTS students to stay in, since they have a very limited space. It was really fun digging holes and sweating all day. I didn't think I'd enjoy it very much, but it nice to have a change and do some physical work.
The following week (this past week), we stayed in Santa Marta, a city located along the coast. There, we worked with a church. Unfortuneatly, the pastor in charge of our ministry time didn't plan much for us to do. But we were able to go out into the local neighborhoods and invite people to the church, as well as pray for them. The several programs we did went really well.
Our debrief time was AWESOME! The leaders didn't tell us anything; just that we needed to bring our bathing suits. We ended up driving an hour and being dropped off in the middle of the jungle. We were told we were going to the beach, but the only way to get there was by horseback! That's right- we travelled by horseback through the Colombian jungle to a beautiful, tropical beach. It was gorgeous! : )
Then we left Santa Marta for Cartagena (a 5 hour bus ride), then we stayed in Cartagena for a few hours, and we took off for Bogota around 8 and arrived in Bogota around 10, where we reunited with the rest of our team. Then we left Bogota for Houston at midnight. Arrived in Houston at 5am, then left Houston around 8, and arrived in Portland at 11am. Then another hour drive to Salem. It was a LOOOONG day of travelling, but we are very glad and thankful to be back in beautiful Salem.
So, that's pretty much the rest of my Colombian experience, in a very small nutshell. : )
Tonight, we graduate! These last 5 months have flown by. But they have been most awesome and life changing. I will never forget the things I've seen and the work God has done.
I leave the base tomorrow with my friend. I'll be camping at her house for the next week. She lives on alot of land in Oregon with lots of camping areas and hikikng trails. Should be fun!
So I'll be arriving home on Saturday, June 13th. I'm very excited to finally be home!
Thanks for praying for me through my whole DTS journey. I love you all. : )
Love, Jessie
Friday, June 5, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
update on the last three weeks...
Hey everyone!
Here's an update on the last three weeks (since I haven't been able to update you guys):
Week #2: Bocachica (island)
Here we stayed at the YWAM Cartagena ministry base, which is right on the beach. The island is mainly Afro-Colombians (as they're called here in Colombia). The island is covered in trash and almost all the houses are poorly made. Wild pigs and dogs roam the streets everywhere. While we were here, we got work at schools, serve at the base's feeding center, build a latrine (an outdoor toilet thing), hang out with the local kids and do programs for them, and have church meetings at the base. The kids were awesome here. On the island, kids are almost equaled to dogs. Parents just let them roam the streets all day til whenever they want. But because of this, all the kids would come to the base and hang out with us. I loved them all and miss them terribly. I hope to go back someday.
Also, the base didn't have running water. We took showers with a bucket and had to pour salt water down the toilets for them to flush. It was kinda hard to adjust at first, but after a while I got the hang of it.
At the end of the week on our free day, we got a tour of the city by one of the locals. Bocachica used to be used a long time ago for pirates or the British or something cool like that. I can't remember. But anyways, the island is full of tunnels that connect all over. We got to go in one and it was pitch black with bats flying around. It was awesome and very claustrophobic. Haha. We also got to see two of the islands fortresses. One of them reminded me alot of the one in Pirates of the Caribbean. It was so cool! : )
Week #3: Santa Ana (island)
Here, we got to stay at a church. It was one of three churches on the island and it was only built 3 years ago. We slept in tents inside the church (which was an open concrete building), and I got a TON of misquito bites. Hopefully, I don't have malaria.
The church was located in the middle of two villages (it was about a 20 minute walk in either direction on the main road). We worked on building a roof for part of the church, doing school programs, open air outeaches, and services at the church. It was hard being so far away from the villages because we couldn't create relationships. But our main goal was to bring people into the church, since the church is where Christ's body gathers. We did a church service Sunday morning too. The service was supposed to start at 9, but people didn't even show up til 10:30. Haha, just another example of how being on time and schedule totally doesn't apply here in Colombia. : )
Week #4: Cartagena
We went back to the YWAM Cartagena base. It was awesome to see all the DTS students again. This week, we went to a few churches and did programs for the local Compassion sponser kids. It was alot of fun. The kids here in Colombia always love seeing us because we are white and crazy people. : )
Thursday night (of last week), it POURED rain!!! The streets were flooding like crazy and it was coming down hard. Me and a few other girls went dancing and singing in the rain. It was awesome and we got DRENCHED! Hehe.
Friday morning we left for Barranquilla (which is where I am now; we leave this morning). The drive there was gorgeous! We were able to stay in host homes here. The house we're staying in is basically like an American house- running water, showers, toilets, internet, phones, TV, washing machine, dryers, even a maid. To say the least, Barranquilla is a very nice, clean, and rich part of Colombia. God has blessed us SO much by being here. It's been a nice little piece of home in a way.
Here in Barranquilla, we've worked with a local church. The first night here we invited people to the open-air we were putting on. We ending up doing it at a HUGE park and a lot of people showed up. And thirty people came to know Christ! It was AWESOME! : D
The next two days we planned to do more open-airs, but the rain here is CRAZY! Barranquilla doesn't have any drainage systems on the streets so mostly all the streets were flooded (I got on awesome video on my camera!).
We had the option of coming back to Barranquilla (we were originally going to stay here a month, but then it got changed to 4 days, but then we were going to see if we could come back next week), but we asked God about it and felt He wanted us to be back in Cartagena. I personally felt like if we were to stay here in Barranquilla we would grow so used to living the comfortable life, when God has so much more planned for us and for this outreach. So in an a hour or so we will be going back to Cartagena. It will be nice to see our translater, Yeison (we all love him- he's awesome!), and the rest of our team.
Well, that's all for now! Time for breakfast. : )
Love you all and thanks for reading! : *
Here's an update on the last three weeks (since I haven't been able to update you guys):
Week #2: Bocachica (island)
Here we stayed at the YWAM Cartagena ministry base, which is right on the beach. The island is mainly Afro-Colombians (as they're called here in Colombia). The island is covered in trash and almost all the houses are poorly made. Wild pigs and dogs roam the streets everywhere. While we were here, we got work at schools, serve at the base's feeding center, build a latrine (an outdoor toilet thing), hang out with the local kids and do programs for them, and have church meetings at the base. The kids were awesome here. On the island, kids are almost equaled to dogs. Parents just let them roam the streets all day til whenever they want. But because of this, all the kids would come to the base and hang out with us. I loved them all and miss them terribly. I hope to go back someday.
Also, the base didn't have running water. We took showers with a bucket and had to pour salt water down the toilets for them to flush. It was kinda hard to adjust at first, but after a while I got the hang of it.
At the end of the week on our free day, we got a tour of the city by one of the locals. Bocachica used to be used a long time ago for pirates or the British or something cool like that. I can't remember. But anyways, the island is full of tunnels that connect all over. We got to go in one and it was pitch black with bats flying around. It was awesome and very claustrophobic. Haha. We also got to see two of the islands fortresses. One of them reminded me alot of the one in Pirates of the Caribbean. It was so cool! : )
Week #3: Santa Ana (island)
Here, we got to stay at a church. It was one of three churches on the island and it was only built 3 years ago. We slept in tents inside the church (which was an open concrete building), and I got a TON of misquito bites. Hopefully, I don't have malaria.
The church was located in the middle of two villages (it was about a 20 minute walk in either direction on the main road). We worked on building a roof for part of the church, doing school programs, open air outeaches, and services at the church. It was hard being so far away from the villages because we couldn't create relationships. But our main goal was to bring people into the church, since the church is where Christ's body gathers. We did a church service Sunday morning too. The service was supposed to start at 9, but people didn't even show up til 10:30. Haha, just another example of how being on time and schedule totally doesn't apply here in Colombia. : )
Week #4: Cartagena
We went back to the YWAM Cartagena base. It was awesome to see all the DTS students again. This week, we went to a few churches and did programs for the local Compassion sponser kids. It was alot of fun. The kids here in Colombia always love seeing us because we are white and crazy people. : )
Thursday night (of last week), it POURED rain!!! The streets were flooding like crazy and it was coming down hard. Me and a few other girls went dancing and singing in the rain. It was awesome and we got DRENCHED! Hehe.
Friday morning we left for Barranquilla (which is where I am now; we leave this morning). The drive there was gorgeous! We were able to stay in host homes here. The house we're staying in is basically like an American house- running water, showers, toilets, internet, phones, TV, washing machine, dryers, even a maid. To say the least, Barranquilla is a very nice, clean, and rich part of Colombia. God has blessed us SO much by being here. It's been a nice little piece of home in a way.
Here in Barranquilla, we've worked with a local church. The first night here we invited people to the open-air we were putting on. We ending up doing it at a HUGE park and a lot of people showed up. And thirty people came to know Christ! It was AWESOME! : D
The next two days we planned to do more open-airs, but the rain here is CRAZY! Barranquilla doesn't have any drainage systems on the streets so mostly all the streets were flooded (I got on awesome video on my camera!).
We had the option of coming back to Barranquilla (we were originally going to stay here a month, but then it got changed to 4 days, but then we were going to see if we could come back next week), but we asked God about it and felt He wanted us to be back in Cartagena. I personally felt like if we were to stay here in Barranquilla we would grow so used to living the comfortable life, when God has so much more planned for us and for this outreach. So in an a hour or so we will be going back to Cartagena. It will be nice to see our translater, Yeison (we all love him- he's awesome!), and the rest of our team.
Well, that's all for now! Time for breakfast. : )
Love you all and thanks for reading! : *
Thursday, April 30, 2009
¡hola!
Hey everyone!
Just a quick update:
I´m doing awesome. Our second week we went to the island of Bocachica, where we stayed at the YWAM base. It was awesome there and I got attatched to alot of the kids. I`d really like to go back someday. And the following week (last week), we went to the island of Santa Ana where we stayed at a church. It was a really mellow week and I got a ton of misquito bites.
Now I´m back in the city of Cartagena for this week. But tomorrow, part of our team leaves for Barranquilla where we stay til Monday. And then we stay in Cartagena another two weeks. And then we stay in Santa Marta for the last week and a half. Just a little update on where I´ll be.
Please keep us in your prayers! One girl has to be sent home due to a foot infection/injury, so be praying for her. The rest of us are doing fine.
I love and miss you all SO MUCH! Thanks for readin`.
Love, Jess : )
Just a quick update:
I´m doing awesome. Our second week we went to the island of Bocachica, where we stayed at the YWAM base. It was awesome there and I got attatched to alot of the kids. I`d really like to go back someday. And the following week (last week), we went to the island of Santa Ana where we stayed at a church. It was a really mellow week and I got a ton of misquito bites.
Now I´m back in the city of Cartagena for this week. But tomorrow, part of our team leaves for Barranquilla where we stay til Monday. And then we stay in Cartagena another two weeks. And then we stay in Santa Marta for the last week and a half. Just a little update on where I´ll be.
Please keep us in your prayers! One girl has to be sent home due to a foot infection/injury, so be praying for her. The rest of us are doing fine.
I love and miss you all SO MUCH! Thanks for readin`.
Love, Jess : )
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Buenos Dias!
Hello on this beautiful Colombian Easter morning!!! : )
First of all, I made it to Colombia safely! It was a loooong journey here (left at 8am, plane took off at 12, landed in Houston at 6, took off at midnight, landed in Bogota at 7am, got to Cartagena at 11am), but so worth the wait!
Colombia is amazing! The streets are filled with CRAZY drivers- I´ve never seen anything like it before! I will try and take a video some time and then show you all when I get home. Unfortuneately, the computers at the internet cafe I´m at won´t let me upload pictures. : (
The city I am in right now, Cartagena, is located on the northern coast of Colombia, so we´re right by the Caribbean Sea. The city has tons of people. Our team is staying at the YWAM Cartagena base (along with another DTS that´s going on here) and it´s located on Manga (an island connected to the city by small bridges). The house that I´m staying at is actually located a few blocks away from the base, so we do ALOT of walking. The weather is pretty hot, but mostly humid. And even when it´s not hot at all, you sweat. I´m getting used to it. : ) Laundry we do outside with a bar of soap and a scrub brush. It´s really fun.
So now on to what I´m doing...
Each day this week, our team has done open-air outreaches. Basically, we go into neighborhoods and tell people about the program that we´re putting on and invite them to come (Our translater tells us what to say in Spanish and we invited the people- I´m learning ALOT!). Our outreaches consist of dramas, teachings, testimonies, kid´s songs, kid´s skits- it´s a blast and the people love it! We´ve got to see alot of cool stuff here happen in people´s lives and it´s only the beginning! (If you´d like to see one of the musical dramas we do, got to youtube.com and type in ¨Lifehouse everything skit.¨ This is the true meaning of why we celebrate today- Jesus´ love for us; it makes me cry everytime.)
On Friday, our team went to a church located in the slums of Cartagena- the poorest part. The things I saw were devastating. The people who lived there had been forced from their towns by the FARCs. The FARCs usually targets small, vulnerable towns, wiping out any form of police and forcing the people to surrender all their land and possessions. The government sometimes provides small areas of land for these people to start over from scratch. I saw houses made of wood, tarps, straw, and sticks. We were able to go the local church in this village and invite people from the surrounding area to come to the Good Friday service. One lady, who was pregnant, asked us to come into her house and pray for her baby. And she accepted the Lord! : )
The people of Colombia are so friendly! Most of the people here have never seen white people (the parts of Colombia we go to aren´t exactly hot tourist spots), but they are always so happy and interested to see us. Yesterday, we had to perform in the street. We had to block off the traffic with big sticks and bricks. Alot of cars, buses, and motorbikes (there´s ALOT of them here!) kept honking to pass through, but the people watching us perform went and sat in front of the cars so they couldn´t pass! It was hilarous! One girl, Mayra, invited us into her house during an ourteach invitation time. She gave us some Colombian sweet food (dolce comida). There, we prayed for her, and she rededicated her life to the Lord! She was the sweetest girl and I gave her my e-mail address, so I hope I am able to keep contact with her. : )
Tomorrow, our team will be leaving for Bocachica and Santa Ana- two island located off the coast of Cartagena. We will be staying there for two weeks, and we won´t have internet, so this will be my last post for a while. I just wanted to let you know I am safe and I´m having an awesome time! Love you all! : )
First of all, I made it to Colombia safely! It was a loooong journey here (left at 8am, plane took off at 12, landed in Houston at 6, took off at midnight, landed in Bogota at 7am, got to Cartagena at 11am), but so worth the wait!
Colombia is amazing! The streets are filled with CRAZY drivers- I´ve never seen anything like it before! I will try and take a video some time and then show you all when I get home. Unfortuneately, the computers at the internet cafe I´m at won´t let me upload pictures. : (
The city I am in right now, Cartagena, is located on the northern coast of Colombia, so we´re right by the Caribbean Sea. The city has tons of people. Our team is staying at the YWAM Cartagena base (along with another DTS that´s going on here) and it´s located on Manga (an island connected to the city by small bridges). The house that I´m staying at is actually located a few blocks away from the base, so we do ALOT of walking. The weather is pretty hot, but mostly humid. And even when it´s not hot at all, you sweat. I´m getting used to it. : ) Laundry we do outside with a bar of soap and a scrub brush. It´s really fun.
So now on to what I´m doing...
Each day this week, our team has done open-air outreaches. Basically, we go into neighborhoods and tell people about the program that we´re putting on and invite them to come (Our translater tells us what to say in Spanish and we invited the people- I´m learning ALOT!). Our outreaches consist of dramas, teachings, testimonies, kid´s songs, kid´s skits- it´s a blast and the people love it! We´ve got to see alot of cool stuff here happen in people´s lives and it´s only the beginning! (If you´d like to see one of the musical dramas we do, got to youtube.com and type in ¨Lifehouse everything skit.¨ This is the true meaning of why we celebrate today- Jesus´ love for us; it makes me cry everytime.)
On Friday, our team went to a church located in the slums of Cartagena- the poorest part. The things I saw were devastating. The people who lived there had been forced from their towns by the FARCs. The FARCs usually targets small, vulnerable towns, wiping out any form of police and forcing the people to surrender all their land and possessions. The government sometimes provides small areas of land for these people to start over from scratch. I saw houses made of wood, tarps, straw, and sticks. We were able to go the local church in this village and invite people from the surrounding area to come to the Good Friday service. One lady, who was pregnant, asked us to come into her house and pray for her baby. And she accepted the Lord! : )
The people of Colombia are so friendly! Most of the people here have never seen white people (the parts of Colombia we go to aren´t exactly hot tourist spots), but they are always so happy and interested to see us. Yesterday, we had to perform in the street. We had to block off the traffic with big sticks and bricks. Alot of cars, buses, and motorbikes (there´s ALOT of them here!) kept honking to pass through, but the people watching us perform went and sat in front of the cars so they couldn´t pass! It was hilarous! One girl, Mayra, invited us into her house during an ourteach invitation time. She gave us some Colombian sweet food (dolce comida). There, we prayed for her, and she rededicated her life to the Lord! She was the sweetest girl and I gave her my e-mail address, so I hope I am able to keep contact with her. : )
Tomorrow, our team will be leaving for Bocachica and Santa Ana- two island located off the coast of Cartagena. We will be staying there for two weeks, and we won´t have internet, so this will be my last post for a while. I just wanted to let you know I am safe and I´m having an awesome time! Love you all! : )
Thursday, April 2, 2009
adios mi amigos!
Well folks,
My DTS experience is drawing quickly to a close. How fast it's gone by! In a way it feels like I've lived here with everybody for sooo long, but it still feels like I just got here.
So, for those of you who hadn't heard yet, I have all of my lecture and outreach fees paid off- so I'm officially going to Colombia!!!!!!! It has been amazing seeing God meet all my needs through people like you guys, willing to support me in what I do. So a HUGE thank you to you all! : )
About 9 people on my team are still trying to raise support. About $18,000 to go! If they are unable to get the money in, they can't join the rest of the team for outreach until they have everything paid for. So please keep them in your prayers. I want everyone on my team to be able to go on this outreach. I really want to see God do a miracle in meeting everyone's financial needs in the next few days before we leave. I have total faith that He can!
I want to let you all know about some different stats and issues going on in Colombia that I researched yesterday (just so you know what you can be praying for while I'm in this country):
-90-95% of the country is Roman Catholic, and 60% say they don't even practice their faith actively. There are also many who practice animism, the worship of animal spirits.
-Over 80% of the world's cocaine is produced in Colombia, with illegal growth of coca plants spreading all over the coutry. When the government tried destroying these crops, illegal armed forces just planted more in response.
-The most common cause of death, after cancer, is drug related crime.
-The FARC (a revolutionary army in Colombia) has been active in the country for many years. Children under the age of 18 make up about 30% of the army. Many are kidnapped or tricked and forced into the army, but many still join voluntarily, to escape poverty or family problems. Of these children many see the FARC as a way to obtain power. Rather than living a lowly life of a farmer with a machete, they want to be free to do with they want with all the gunpower they want.
-Over half the country is below the poverty line. And most Colombians live on only $2 a day.
-Although Colombia is considered well-educated compared to most Latin American coutries, it still suffers from poorly qualified teachers. Many children don't receive the higher education they need.
So there you have it. Just a few things to be thinking about.
Hopefully, I'll be able to post one last time before I leave. My flight leaves at 12 noon on Monday, so keep us in your prayers! Thank you and LOVE YOU ALL! : )
My DTS experience is drawing quickly to a close. How fast it's gone by! In a way it feels like I've lived here with everybody for sooo long, but it still feels like I just got here.
So, for those of you who hadn't heard yet, I have all of my lecture and outreach fees paid off- so I'm officially going to Colombia!!!!!!! It has been amazing seeing God meet all my needs through people like you guys, willing to support me in what I do. So a HUGE thank you to you all! : )
About 9 people on my team are still trying to raise support. About $18,000 to go! If they are unable to get the money in, they can't join the rest of the team for outreach until they have everything paid for. So please keep them in your prayers. I want everyone on my team to be able to go on this outreach. I really want to see God do a miracle in meeting everyone's financial needs in the next few days before we leave. I have total faith that He can!
I want to let you all know about some different stats and issues going on in Colombia that I researched yesterday (just so you know what you can be praying for while I'm in this country):
-90-95% of the country is Roman Catholic, and 60% say they don't even practice their faith actively. There are also many who practice animism, the worship of animal spirits.
-Over 80% of the world's cocaine is produced in Colombia, with illegal growth of coca plants spreading all over the coutry. When the government tried destroying these crops, illegal armed forces just planted more in response.
-The most common cause of death, after cancer, is drug related crime.
-The FARC (a revolutionary army in Colombia) has been active in the country for many years. Children under the age of 18 make up about 30% of the army. Many are kidnapped or tricked and forced into the army, but many still join voluntarily, to escape poverty or family problems. Of these children many see the FARC as a way to obtain power. Rather than living a lowly life of a farmer with a machete, they want to be free to do with they want with all the gunpower they want.
-Over half the country is below the poverty line. And most Colombians live on only $2 a day.
-Although Colombia is considered well-educated compared to most Latin American coutries, it still suffers from poorly qualified teachers. Many children don't receive the higher education they need.
So there you have it. Just a few things to be thinking about.
Hopefully, I'll be able to post one last time before I leave. My flight leaves at 12 noon on Monday, so keep us in your prayers! Thank you and LOVE YOU ALL! : )
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
invisible children
So this morning in class, we spent some time praying for the children who are being trafficked as child soldiers. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this issue, let me explain...
Basically, 23 years ago, a man in Uganda named Joseph Kony created what is called the Lord's Resistance Army. Kony's reason for creating this army was to fight in the name of the Lord for the restoration of peace and unity in Uganda. Sadly, the complete oppostite is true. He uses a mixture of his own witchcraft, spreading horror throughout Uganda (and other countries of Africa) by taking children from their homes, brainwashing them by injecting them with a mixture of gun powder and drugs, and forcing them to take up arms and kill. Also, many women and girls are used as sex slaves for the army. These brainwashed, desensitized children now make up more than 90% of the army.
In 2003, three young film makers from California decided to go to Africa to create a documentary when they discovered this atrocity, and made the movie "The Invisible Children." Since making the film they have petitioned the US government, the UN, and the Ugandan government to get involved. On April 25th, these forces will go into Uganda and capture Joseph Kony and his officials. Tomorrow, March 25th, the official unveiling of the Rescue Plan can be viewed on www.invisiblechildren.com, and will give more details towards Kony's capture.
Also, our team has learned that child soldiering is a big issue in Colombia and Myanmar (where our teams will be going). The government has no laws against it in Colombia, and Myanmar's government is overthrown by guerrilla forces. Child soldiering is taking place all over the world.
So I just encourage you to research this and pray about it during this next month. And especially be praying on April 25th. Please continue to educate yourself on the Rescue Plan also.
What amazes me most is that it all started with three guys. They saw what was going on in Uganda, they made a film, got people informed, got people involved, petitioned, and now action is being taken! Praise God! With Him, NOTHING is impossible! SO much change and justice can be brought to this world if God's people would just get out there and DO SOMETHING!
Whew, don't get me started...
Anywho, on a lighter, happier note, here are some pictures of my team that's going to Colombia:
We're a pretty good-looking team : )
and we're goofballs too. : )Thursday, March 19, 2009
back in salem
Ok, first of all, it was SO good to be home and see most of you! Thank you SOOOO much for coming out to visit me and support me and love me. I was able to raise $750 when I was home!!!! Such a HUGE blessing and I couldn't have done it without your help!!! I'm so near my $6,000 goal, it's crazy. God provides in the most awesome ways, most of which has been through all of you back at home. So, thank you truly from my heart. I wouldn't be here without you. : *
Sunday night, going back to Salem, my flight actually got cancelled, so I got to go back home that night, and I flew out early Monday morning. It was a loooong night/morning/day. But it was so good to be home with my family. I didn't realize how much I missed them!
So at the beginning of this week, the realization of what I'm about to do really began to sink in. I'll be going to a country far away, living in situations and conditions I'm not accustomed to, seeing alot of spiritual darkness, I don't speak the language, I could be trafficked, I could die of disease, I could get lost (ok, I'm probably freaking my parents out!). But the point is I just got kinda fearful. All my old insecurities came back- not smart enough, not good enough, not strong enough, you're weak, you can't do this (all lies).
But then a few of us got together Monday night to pray for our team and outreach, and I remembered a verse that my friend gave me: Isaiah 41:13, which says,"For I hold you by your right hand- I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, 'Don't be afraid. I am here to help you.' " I also noticed verse 10: "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand." And from reading those verses, I realized, ok, yeah, Colombia is going to be hard and not all fun and games; we're going to be dealing with a country that the devil definitely has footholds in. But you know who's stronger that the devil? Who can outsmart all his schemes? Who can crush all his plans? Who can defeat him with one word? GOD ALMIGHTY! And guess what?!?! He's on MY SIDE! I have nothing to fear! I will be victorious in all I do, because of HIM! : )
Keep me in your prayers with this guys. : )
Another awesome thing this week: we're learning about world views. Basically, in a nutshell, we're learing about the world around us and where we, as Christians, fit in. The different issues, what the Bible says about those issues, and what we can do about it. It all starts with the church. If we can't be the example to the world of how people ought to live, then how are they supposed to know? How are we supposed to relate and understand the world when we don't know anything about it? We, as Americans, hardly know the reality of what other people around the world face everyday. It's mind-boggling how much the we don't know, and yet the Bible is full of answers to every problem ever! How to stop AIDs, how to clean water, how to educate your children, how to have a good marriage, how to save money and keep a budget, how to have a stable government and economy, how to elect good government leaders, how to work, - it's all in there! It's crazy how relavant and needed the Bible is in today's world!!! We just gotta bring it! : )
Anywho, to say the least, my head is in a whirlwind. But a good one. There's so many options out there- so much to do! So many places where people are needed. Keep praying that God will guide me in what to do after DTS. I really want to continue in this, but I want to know how and where and when, so I can be used to the fullest.
Thanks for reading!
LESS THAN THREE WEEKS!!! : )
Here's some pics for your enjoyment!
For St. Patrick's day, our DTS went out to downtown Salem to let people know the real meaning of the holiday. St. Patrick (aka Maewyn Succat) was actually kidnapped by Welsch pirates and sold into slavery to Ireland. He eventually escaped and was later kicked out of the country. But instead of acting out of hatred and spite towards the people who treated him so harshly, he returned to Ireland to be a Christian missionary, to show the people love and forgiveness. And now you know. : )
Beautiful downtown Salem
Flying into Portland (on my flight back)
So pretty! : )
I got to see my baby girl when I got home! Isn't she precious?!?!?!? : )
Sunday night, going back to Salem, my flight actually got cancelled, so I got to go back home that night, and I flew out early Monday morning. It was a loooong night/morning/day. But it was so good to be home with my family. I didn't realize how much I missed them!
So at the beginning of this week, the realization of what I'm about to do really began to sink in. I'll be going to a country far away, living in situations and conditions I'm not accustomed to, seeing alot of spiritual darkness, I don't speak the language, I could be trafficked, I could die of disease, I could get lost (ok, I'm probably freaking my parents out!). But the point is I just got kinda fearful. All my old insecurities came back- not smart enough, not good enough, not strong enough, you're weak, you can't do this (all lies).
But then a few of us got together Monday night to pray for our team and outreach, and I remembered a verse that my friend gave me: Isaiah 41:13, which says,"For I hold you by your right hand- I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, 'Don't be afraid. I am here to help you.' " I also noticed verse 10: "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand." And from reading those verses, I realized, ok, yeah, Colombia is going to be hard and not all fun and games; we're going to be dealing with a country that the devil definitely has footholds in. But you know who's stronger that the devil? Who can outsmart all his schemes? Who can crush all his plans? Who can defeat him with one word? GOD ALMIGHTY! And guess what?!?! He's on MY SIDE! I have nothing to fear! I will be victorious in all I do, because of HIM! : )
Keep me in your prayers with this guys. : )
Another awesome thing this week: we're learning about world views. Basically, in a nutshell, we're learing about the world around us and where we, as Christians, fit in. The different issues, what the Bible says about those issues, and what we can do about it. It all starts with the church. If we can't be the example to the world of how people ought to live, then how are they supposed to know? How are we supposed to relate and understand the world when we don't know anything about it? We, as Americans, hardly know the reality of what other people around the world face everyday. It's mind-boggling how much the we don't know, and yet the Bible is full of answers to every problem ever! How to stop AIDs, how to clean water, how to educate your children, how to have a good marriage, how to save money and keep a budget, how to have a stable government and economy, how to elect good government leaders, how to work, - it's all in there! It's crazy how relavant and needed the Bible is in today's world!!! We just gotta bring it! : )
Anywho, to say the least, my head is in a whirlwind. But a good one. There's so many options out there- so much to do! So many places where people are needed. Keep praying that God will guide me in what to do after DTS. I really want to continue in this, but I want to know how and where and when, so I can be used to the fullest.
Thanks for reading!
LESS THAN THREE WEEKS!!! : )
Here's some pics for your enjoyment!
For St. Patrick's day, our DTS went out to downtown Salem to let people know the real meaning of the holiday. St. Patrick (aka Maewyn Succat) was actually kidnapped by Welsch pirates and sold into slavery to Ireland. He eventually escaped and was later kicked out of the country. But instead of acting out of hatred and spite towards the people who treated him so harshly, he returned to Ireland to be a Christian missionary, to show the people love and forgiveness. And now you know. : )
Beautiful downtown Salem
Flying into Portland (on my flight back)
So pretty! : )
I got to see my baby girl when I got home! Isn't she precious?!?!?!? : )
California was so green when I got home! Gorgeous! Thank you Jesus for the desperately needed rain in California!
Mt. Hood, near the Portland airport. Breathtaking, huh?
Mt. Hood, near the Portland airport. Breathtaking, huh?
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