When you don't know what to do....write a Psalm!

Wow - it has been a while since I last wrote an entry! Oops!!!!!

The last little while has been a bit challenging as God has had me working through why I don't like to rest while I was also battling lies about insignificance and feeling unappreciated. The challenge has been that I've been trying to figure out what the "root" of these issues are, only to conclude that for the most part they are just lies and all I need to do is keep my focus on the Lord and ignore the rest of the noise.

As for the rest part, I seem to be going around this mountain one more time. And while it is a process/journey, I have determined that this is the last time I'm going around this mountain and Papa God and I are going figure out what my "rest" looks like. Part of this journey included writing a Psalm as a homework assignment, and I thought I would share it here for those who are interested:

A psalm of Heidi, calling the soul to rest

Be still my soul and rest in the Lord

How many times has He demonstrated that His perfect plan is at work in and through you?

He has trained me up in the knowledge of Him

From my earliest days my heart has yearned to know the Lord my God

Following each religious act that some well-intentioned leader has suggested I do

                Rising early to search the scriptures

                Filling journals with longings, prayers, and cries

                Serving the church in every way imaginable

Yet in spite of all of my hard work, I felt You could not be found

And so I turned away from the God I longed to know

Seeking the pleasures of the world, hoping they could fill my longing to be known

But my spirit knew the truth my soul could not see.

That my God was always there patiently longing for me

to stop long enough to look into His face

He would not allow me to turn from Him

Instead quietly wooed me back to Himself

In my rebellion, free from religion,

My Lord, My God drew me back to into His loving embrace

For the first time I saw that I had never left His arms,

Rather I was so busy with my religious activities

I did not recognize the quiet calling of my Savior, my Friend, my Father, my Love

As He washed the filth of religion from my eyes,

I began to see who He had created me to be

He has called me His own daughter, His princess

I am His bride, He is my bridegroom

Forever in His heart whether I feel it or not.

And so, my soul, why are you downcast?

Why do you allow emotions to dictate what you perceive as truth?

Stop searching, stop trying, stop doing.

Be still my soul and know He is God

And there remember the mighty works He has done in you.

Rest my soul, be still

For it is in that place that your eyes are open to see the one your soul desires

And there love reigns in the presence of peace

Be still my soul and know YOUR GOD

A Day to Love

This morning, during my quiet time, I was asking God about Valentine's Day. In particular, I was curious about whether this really is just a "Hallmark Holiday" or if it is something actually worth celebrating. This is what I feel He told me:

"The biggest complaint people have against Valentine's Day, is that they think people should be showing love all year, not just on this one day - which is absolutely true. But today is a day set aside for the recognition of love. It is a day concentrated on love - let it set the bar for the upcoming year. Instead of reducing this day to the standard expression of love that has become your normal (whether you actually show love throughout the year or just use that line as a cop out), why not use it to set the standard, a lifestyle of love for the upcoming year? Why not be lavish in love? Am I not lavish in my love all of the time? Why must it be difficult to turn your love up for one day year? Have it set the tone of extravagant love, my love. I think love is a big deal, so embrace it and run with it. So don't reduce this day to the mediocrity of every day life, rather let this day raise your love! Those are my thoughts on today."

I found this to be a rather fascinating reveleation, and as a result I spent today pondering this thought. Why not be extravagent in love - really what is the harm? What is bad about showering others with love and affection? Has not the Lord done this for me in more ways I can imagine? And am I not called to follow His example?

So in case I missed you, or did not get the opportunity to tell you - know that you are loved. By me, but more importantly by the amazing creator of the universe. Happy Valentine's Day!

Les Miserables - Living of Life of Under Grace

Last Saturday (January 12, 2013) I had the opportunity to go see Les Miserables ("Les Mis") with a couple of friends. I had been told to bring lots of tissues, because it is a very tragic story. And while there were aspects of the movie that were very tragic, I was enraptured in the story of the Christian Life I felt it was portraying. I found it to be an illustration of what it looks like to live under Grace rather than under the Law. Let me explain. 

The story begins in France during 1815 as a bunch of convicts are hauling a dilapidated ship into dry dock. You discover that one of these prisoners is Jean Valjean, a man who was arrested 19 years earlier for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew. On this particular day Javert, the chief prison guard, comes to Jean Valjean and informs Valjean he has been released but his papers are marked as a dangerous criminal (for stealing a loaf of bread). As a result, he will always be known by his prisoner number - 24601 and will be on parole for the rest of his life. Should he fail to report for parole he will be hunted down and locked away for the rest of his life or worse. Unable to find work because of his prisoner status, feeling helpless, abandon, and in great despair, he stumbles into a church yard hoping to find a secluded place in the courtyard to sleep. The priest finds him and brings him into the church for a warm meal and a place to sleep. After ravenously devouring the food provided, Jean Vajean goes to sleep, only to arise in the middle of the night to steal all the silver and sneak away. He is caught by local authorities and brought before the priest to be convicted of his crimes. Valjean had informed the police that the priest had given him these items, and the priest informed the officers that this was, indeed correct. He then proceeded to give Valjean the elaborate candlesticks he "forgot" as part of his gift. Valjean is subsequently released and left to ponder the remarkable grace he has encountered. He goes into the chapel and demands of God what he has just experienced and who he is, is he prisoner 24601, Jean Valjean, or someone else altogether? This is an act of love, mercy and grace that has forever changed his life. He tears up his papers, destroying the identity of the man he once was, and embarks to seek out who he is now that he has encountered Grace.

Years pass and Jean Valjean has changed his name to Monsieur Madeleine and has become the wealthy owner of a factory as well as the major of Montreuil-sur-Mer. The factory provides work to hundreds of men and women so they can earn a honest wage to provide for themselves and their families. During this time Javert has been advancing through the ranks of the French Military and has been assigned to the town where Valjean (Major Madeleine)  resides. Javert thinks he recognizes Valjean, and launches an investigation to see if this truly is Jean Valjean. He later confess to Major Madeleine (Valjean) that he mistook him for an ex-convict who has missed parole for the last several years, but that this felon has been captured and is about stand trial and be convicted. Valjean accepts this news and is torn - should he let this stranger endure the punishment that according to the law should be his, or should he "fess up" and risk letting all of those whom depend on him fall as well. He has such a strong sense of justice, that even though it would be considered understandable for him to let the other man takes his fall, he goes to the court to profess that the man on trial is innocent and that he is prisoner 24601. He pleads his case stating that while he was 24601, imprisoned for stealing to feed a starving child, he now is a Major and factory owner, providing for people so that they do not have to face the challenges he did. He is a new man with a new identity. He then flees, as Javert pursues him, wanting to ensure that he is appropriately punished under the law.

Little background is given on Javert, besides the fact that he, like Valjean, was born in the sewers of France. Javert, however, was able to work is way up through the military by embracing the law and doing all that it demanded of it. By the end of the movie, he had risen to be a top commander within the military. Javert is a strict advocate of the law, demanding that the law must be followed and that there is no grace, only adherence to the law. If the law is broken, then the punishment prescribed by the law must be rendered. 

There is an incredible story involving many other characters woven throughout this saga, as Valjean freely gives the love and grace he had been freely given and Javert battles to ensure the law is maintained. This is where much of the passion of the movie arises and paints an incredible portrait of lives lived by these two men. A stunning masterpiece portraying the difference between a man struggling to redeem himself through the stringent requirements of the law versus a man who has encountered unearned, unconditional love, mercy and grace and learns to live as a new man under this Grace. 

The movie draws to an end with a showdown between Valjean and Javert. Valjean has the opportunity to kill Javert and instead spares his life and releases Javert. Knowing that Valjean is free and close at hand, Javert dons his military uniform and sets out in pursuit. Javert, eventually corners Valjean, and knowing that their chase has come to an end, they stare each other down. Javert has now encountered grace from Valjean and is forced to choose to either extend the mercy Valjean demonstrated to him, or he could kill him on the spot. Javert lets Valjean go,  and he ponders what led him to do such a thing. He had given his life to uphold the law, it had defined everything he was, and he recognized that in that final encounter with Valjean the law suddenly became meaningless and void in light of mercy. In his despair in realizing that everything he poured his life into held no hope, he casts himself off a bridge to his demise, rather than choosing to live in grace. Valjean, on the other hand, lives out his days in peace, knowing that he has lived a life in Grace. He had learned "to love another person is to see the face of God" (quote from the movie, but I no longer remember the context). 

As I mentioned, I found this movie to be a poignant illustration of life under the law versus a life under Grace. Like Valjean, I have encountered God through an incredible act of love and grace, and as a result my identity changed from being under law to under grace. The Bible puts it this way "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Cor 5:17 NLT). Through His death and resurrection Jesus redeemed us so that we are no longer under the law, but under Grace. It was always impossible for the law to be maintained, rather it was there to demonstrate that we cannot earn our own salvation, we need a remarkable act of Grace and unconditional love to redeem us from its effect, and that is exactly what we have through Jesus. 

However, life is not that simple, as Valjean was persistently pursued by Javert, the staunch upholder of the law. To me, Javert represents the religious spirit that plagues many believers, trying to convince me that they I am guilty and need to be restrained by the law. It calls up my past, stating that because this is how I was, I will be defined as a sinner for the remainder of my life. It is an accuser that states I am a "dangerous criminal" who must be controlled and confined and kept rigidly in check, otherwise all sense of order will be lost. While attempting to maintain the law may allow a person to climb the ranks of religion, it has no room for love and mercy. If the law is broken, punishment must be given, it is the only way for there to be justice. It cannot abide freedom, love and mercy, because it does not understand these things. 

So I am left with a choice. Now that I have encountered Jesus and His unconditional love, how am I going to respond. Am I going to let the law continue to plague me and tell me I am nothing more than a sinner and walk through life with the guilt of condemnation and the fear of breaking the law, if only for my survival, or do I accept my new identity as an adopted child as the King of Kings and walk in the freedom of His Grace? This is the journey I have been on while I'm here at BSSM. Recognizing that I actually have a new identity in Grace and Love that I have been freely given, and I am no longer who the law declares me to be. Now this does not mean that I walk around abusing this Grace I have received, rather I have freely received, and I feel the only response available to me is to freely give in return. I am a new creation, my old man is dead and I am born again in Christ Jesus. It is time to embrace this identity and no longer heed the voice that tries to tell me I am still prisoner 24601.

I hope my illustration makes sense. I found this movie to be a provocative illustration of what I am currently journeying though as I learn what it means to truly be a "New Creation."

I'll be Home for Christmas????

Yesterday I just barely made it to Redding airport, because my ride slept in (I was up at 2:00 AM even though I didn't need to leave until 5:00 AM because I was too excited to sleep!) I was the last person to check in, just as they announced they were closing the check in counter. I breathed a sigh of relief, cleared security, and waited impatiently to board the plane so I could start my journey home. They got us loaded on the plane around 6:00 AM and shortly thereafter we were informed  that the fire detection system wasn't working so our flight was cancelled. The soonest flight they could get us out of Redding was the next evening at 8:00 PM. This was not an OK option for me, so I called the airline and they said if I could get to San Francisco they could get me on the 11:24 AM flight, and if I missed that one there was a flight at 8:00 PM. By this time it was just after 7:00 AM.

The only problem was how was I going to get to San Francisco airport (SFO) in less than 4 hours when I had not transportation (I needed to be at the airport by 10:45 to check in). It is at least at 3 hour drive to SFO , and that is if there is no traffic - which is a rarity I was told. The car rental desks weren't open and the only one that had a phone number wouldn't be answering calls until 7:30. I called my house family and asked one of them to pick me up and take me to a car rental place in town in hopes that I just might make it in time. As I was making these arrangements, a gentleman walked up to me and informed me that his wife was coming to pick him up and drive him to SFO and I could ride with them if I liked - he had a connection he had to make at 1:30. They could not guarantee that I would get there by 10:45, but were willing to try. I took them up on there offer and had a wonderful trip down to SFO with them. They were asking me lots of questions about school and pointing out various points of interest along the way. The other times I had driven down to the Bay Area it was dark, so I did not have the opportunity to see many of the sights. It was like a bonus road trip! When we got into San Francisco, they would not let me pay for gas or the toll on the Bay Bridge, saying I was like one of their kids! They were even asking if I'd be willing to puppy/house sit and that I would be able to have a bunch of friends over! It was an amazing connection to make, a unique experience of incredible hospitality from complete strangers. I feel like a special relationship has started with this wonderful couple, and I'm excited to see what God does with it.

We got to SFO at 10:30, hitting absolutely no traffic to speak of. They said they had never seen traffic so clear in SFO and it was like a miracle.......(Thanks Papa God!!!). I arrived with just enough time for to check in, clear security, and get on my flight. And I didn't have to pay for my baggage (despite the fact it was overweight - shocking I know)! All in all, I arrived in Calgary only 3 hours later than originally planned - absolutely incredible considering that at 7:00 AM I was more less stranded at the Redding airport.  I'm just waiting now to see what the airline is going to do to compensate me for the cancelled flight - they have promised "something" but I'm don't know what that is yet! For me, this experience was an stunning example of how much the Lord looks out for me and takes care of things when I trust Him. Sure things didn't go as I had planned, but He clearly demonstrated that He had everything perfectly under control. Thank you Papa! 

I am very excited to be home for Christmas and to catch up with my family and friends. It is so good to be back, although I'm already starting to wonder why in the world I was craving snow so badly! It's cold!!!!! 

 Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

Orphans in Suits

OK, so since my last post where I talked about my trip to New York, God has been increasingly showing me that this is definitely the mission trip for me.  My heart for business has just been growing as I continue to fall more and more in love with Jesus, and learn what it practically looks like to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27).

One of the big things I have been learning to let go of, is my performance mentality. The fact that I need to do something in order to earn the affections of another. God loves me no matter what I do. In fact, during one worship service, I felt the Lord say to me "I love you. There is nothing you could do to make me love you more. There is nothing you could do to make me love you less. I love you perfectly just as you are." Plain and simple - He loves me, not based on what I do, but because of who I am. And who am I? I am His beloved adopted daughter (Rom 8:15). As parents love their children, so God loves me, and thinks happy thoughts about me. Psalm 139 is full of verses that remind me of how wonderfully I am made. Before I was born, before I could do anything, God loved me and had good happy thoughts about me.

This understanding has enabled me to genuinely start loving others. Not to see them changed, not to see them "convert" but simply to see them as the Lord sees them and let them know they are loved, honoured and appreciated simply for being who they are. It doesn't matter if they change their actions or not - my job solely is to love and serve as best I can. The enormity of this struck me in class yesterday as we were talking about Daniel from the Old Testament. Here was a guy who had been taken from his homeland as a prisoner of war, went through a 3 year training process to be part of the kings court, and because of the wisdom he received from the Lord, Daniel was discovered to be 10 times better than all of the king's top magicians and enchanters. Not exactly the desired position of a man of fine Jewish pedigree. On top of this, Nebuchadnezzar is considered to be one of the most brutal evil kings ever - historical records back this up. One day the king had a dream and called upon Daniel to interpret. Daniel recognized that this dream does not bode well for the king and he began his interpretation of the dream by stating, "My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!" (Daniel 4:19). Wow!!!! Talk about an attitude toward an evil leader that is countercultural to the typical "norm" Christian society holds. I know that my typical response would be something along the line of "tsk tsk, you should have served God, now you are getting what your deserve....JUDGEMENT!!!!" But Daniel saw the great man the Lord had created Nebuchadnezzar to be - and wanted even this wicked king to succeed in all he did. Daniel understood that God does not anyone to perish (2 Pet 3:9) and this Old Testament prophet truly understood what it meant to demonstrate the love of God. The amazing thing about Daniel is he ended up serving 3 different kings from 2 different empires. When kings change, and especially empires, usually the whole cabinet of the prior ruler is dismissed (or worse) but Daniel continued to be each king's chief advisor.

This is a powerful illustration for me as I go to New York. What would it look like if I go serve these incredibly powerful people with absolutely no agenda? To just love them. What will happen when they encounter the truly unconditional love of the Father? These are people who know what it is to work hard and receive their value strictly from their success. If they suddenly cannot perform as they once did, they go out the door with yesterday Wall Street Journal. These are people who have no grid for unconditional love, because in their world everything is conditional and performance based. Also, shockingly, the business world is one of the least reached people groups in the world, because their need isn't apparent. What would happen if those whom the world considers to be incredibly successful had encounter with the unconditional love of God? If we learn to see them through the eyes of the Father and love them purely as children? No conditions, no expectations, just complete, irrational, God inspired love. Amazing things happen when people encounter the love of God - and He is the only one who can work in their hearts, our job is just to live in a way so people can really see what He looks like. What would it look like if revival broke out amongst those who actually posses the power and influence to change economies and had the ability to solve the problem of poverty instead of reacting to the affects of poverty? (Don't get me wrong - I think it is the explicit calling of followers of Christ to help the orphans and widows and poor.) This may sound like I'm contradicting myself with this last statement, but really I'm dreaming with God about what it could look like if I learn to really love.

My view is changing. I'm learning to love, at any cost, with no conditions. My desire is to go and love the unlovely (be honest - do we really view the financial influencers of the world loveable? Business, especially Wall Street, is generally viewed as a dog eat dog, cutthroat world - not exactly the most loveable people).  In Matthew 19:16-30, Jesus has an encounter with a rich young ruler, who walks away because it is too "costly" to follow Jesus. Jesus tells his disciples it is literally easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:23-24). However, in verse 26 Jesus goes on to tell His disciples that while this is impossible in human terms, we serve a God who makes all things possible. All of us are saved by grace, and each salvation is miraculous, and has absolutely nothing to do with our ability. So I'm super excited to see what God shakes up what I deem to be "impossible" as I go to New York and reach out with agendaless love to the orphans in suits.

If you would like to partner with me in the miraculous things God will do in New York, I would absolutely love it! I want all of my friends and family to have a share in the testimonies and miracles that come from people encountering the unconditional love of the Father. The dates again for the trip are April 8-15, 2013.

The first way you can join with me is in prayer. If you can let me know you are praying that would be tremendous as it is amazing to know that I have people standing with me. I will continue to post to my blog as prayer requests come up, and will start a Facebook event where I can easily post little updates. Please make a comment so I can add you to the event (if I haven't done so already) or so I can email you updates if you are not a Facebook user. I review all comments before they are posted, so any "comments" of this nature will not actually appear on the blog.

The second way you can partner with me is financially. The trip costs a total of $1,800 and is broken down into 3 payments as follows: $200 by December 7, 2012, $700 by January 22, 2013, and $900 by February 26, 2013.  If the Holy Spirit is leading you to partner with me in this manner, it would be a tremendous blessing. It will also enable you to take ownership of what God does on this trip! Should you wish to join with me in this way here are the avenues in which you can make a contribution:

Mail a cheque to my parents. Please comment below and I can give you their address. As noted previously, all comments are screened before being published on the blog, so such comments will not actually be posted. Such donations enable me to use the funds at my discretion and are not tax receiptable. 

Online school donations: https://www.ibssm.org/a/donate/secure-form?student_id=214845&target=tuition

(non-receipted, can be used for missions or expenses)

Online mission donations:  https://missiontrips.ibethel.org/transactions/new/1372

(US tax receipt, only used for missions, excess can only be transferred to another student's mission)

Thank you again for walking through this journey with me! Sorry for such a long winded post - but in case you didn't pick up on it, I'm super excited about all Papa God is teaching me about love!!!!! 

Until next time!!!!!!

Going to Winnipeg.....errrr New York

Hello hello everyone! God is continuing to do big things in me down here, and each day is a new adventure! One of the current themes seems to be the restoration of dreams, particularly in regards to the direction my life is to take. So this is a bit of what that looks like.

Back when I did my Discipleship Training School with YWAM 5 years ago, the Lord gave me a vision of me as the head of a Multi-National Corporation in a respected industry, where I was working with the Holy Spirit to set the business direction, resulting in an extremely successful organization. The idea being that the Lord would use me to align businesses with His plans and purposes. For many years I had shelved this idea, and didn't think much of it, because I had absolutely no idea how to go about pursuing this. Part of my reason for coming here was to see if I could get direction as to whether or not this is something I should pursue, and if so, how to go about it.

Since my arrival here, I have received several words from leaders and students affirming my leadership abilities and generally pointing to this direction. One Friday evening, I got together with a few friends and we were talking about what direction we thought our lives would take when we were finished at BSSM. When it was my turn, I shared this vision, the first time I had shared it in detail in years (possibly since I initally received it on DTS). My friends affirmed that they could definitely see me pursuing this, but I still wasn't convinced. That Sunday, the message at church was about God restoring dreams and wanting to give us dreams. The first thing that popped into my mind was by business vision and it felt like the Lord was saying to me that this would be fulfilled and even more!

I could see the Lord was starting to lead me in this direction, as the activation that I have for school is "Culture of Celebration in Business." To explain, our activation is the part of our schooling where we get to start taking what we have learned and actually putting it in to practice in the community. My activation is focused on meeting up with business owners in the Redding area and bring joy and an atmosphere of celebration to their business. We also pray with them, give prophetic words, and offer business ideas as we feel the Lord's leading to do so. My activation group consists of 10 other first year students, most of whom have prior business experience and have a heart for seeing God at work in the business community.

God really showed me He was making my dream a reality when it came time to choose my mission trip for the year. I was super excited about all of the potential exotic locations He could send me! I didn't have a particular country in mind, but I was thinking I'd like to go to either Asia or South America as I had yet to visit those continents. As I read through list of options the description for a certain trip really captured my attention. It said:

 What is God's heart for the economy? What happens when Heaven invades business? This mission will take you deep into the heart of America's finance and business center where you will demonstrate partnering with God in the marketplace. We will bring Heaven into board rooms and meetings with executives, make declarations and leak Presence into the New York Stock Exchange and other significant landmarks, pray and prophesy over influential business people and add momentum to putting God back into "In God we trust."

My initial reaction was "God, seriously, you want me to go to New York? That's not very "missiony." Can't I do this and go somewhere exotic too? It says they are giving students in a certain class preference, and I haven't taken it, is it really worth applying? I guess if this is really where you want me to go, my lacking this "preference" will not be an obstacle. But really? New York?" I felt like the Fountain Tire guy who just found out he was going to Winnipeg instead of Hawaii (Going to Winnipeg commercial) or like Jonah who was being told he was off to Nineveh. However, as I read the other trips and prayed about where I should go, I knew I needed to put this as my number one choice (we had to choose 5 and would be informed if we received any of our top 5 picks, if we didn't we'd have to choose 3 more).

Once I made my selection, I felt a  confidence that I would be going to New York. I just knew that this is where the Lord wanted me for my outreach. Several of my friends also told me that as they read through the list of trips, they thought of me when they read about New York. About 1 week after I submitted my application, I went to pre-service prayer at church, and the pastor leading it came up to me. He said he recognized me from my picture and introduced himself as the leader of the New York mission trip. It took a minute for the implication of his statement to sink in, and I actually went back to him to ask if that meant I was on the New York missions trip. He confirmed that I was, and as we talked he recalled details of my application and mentioned that mine stood out as someone to be included even though I was not in that "preferred" class. I was ecstatic! The Lord had definitely made a way for me to go to New York! And to top it off, I was able to receive the news in person 5 days before the "official" missions confirmation letters were sent out. I no longer felt like I was being "sent to Winnipeg," instead I was not eagerly anticipating what God was going to open up for me when I got there! God is showing me that He knows my dreams, and now that I have placed it in His hands, He is bringing it about! I'm not sure what this looks like going forward, but I definitely am excited to see what this next step in that direction brings!

Because I was unsure as to what would be happening with the missions trip, I did not particularly budget for it, trusting that the Lord would supply and provide for wherever He wanted to send me outside of Bethel. So as my friends and those who have taken an interest in what God is doing in and through me here at school, this is an opportunity for you to support me in a more tangible way. I am already incredibly appreciate of all the prayer support I know I am receiving, and I will continue to this more and more and the Lord continues His work in me. Also, if the Lord lays it on your heart to support me financially for my mission trip, it would be greatly appreciated! I will be in New York from April 8-15, 2013. The best way to get that to me is to send it to my parents. Please comment and I will send you their address. Unfortunately, only US donation receipts are issued for contributions to missions trips only (not for school expenses) and I'm not familiar with the rules for their deductibility on Canadian tax returns. If you still would like to contribute online, here are the links:  

online school donations: https://www.ibssm.org/a/donate/secure-form?student_id=214845&target=tuition

(non-receipted, can be used for missions or expenses)

online mission donations:  missiontrips.ibethel.org

(US tax receipt, only used for missions, excess can only be transferred to another student's mission)

Please know I'm just making this information available for if you would like to support me. There is no expectation or obligation - I'm just wanting to keep you up to date with what is going on :)

To wrap up this entry, I just want to say how very excited I am with what God is doing in me and where He is leading. I have no idea where this will all lead, but it is very encouraging to know that the Lord has given me dreams and is now starting to show me how He is going to fulfill them! This adventure of life with Him is the best ride in the world!