Let's get dunked!

What an incredible time this week has been. I wish I could describe it, but it would be much better if we could sit and talk. I will tell you one thing. I got baptized in a river. It was incredible to say the least. My small group leader Nicki got to do the baptizing, which is something she has been wanting to do. It was a blessing for me to have her do it. Here is a video of it. I mainly put this on here for my mom, but you can enjoy it as well if you want to!

And I could write a song a hundred miles long-Coldplay

I hope my posts are not too boring to read. I try to keep them short and sweet, but my forte is not writing. I go back and read my blogs wondering how on earth anyone would enjoy reading them. They are choppy and confusing. Thank you for your patience!

I just wanted to update that I have only five weeks left of lecture phase, then 8 more after that for outreach. Time, as we all know, goes by too fast and makes life short.

So I have been thinking about you. I want to hear how you are doing. Please, friends, family, what is going on there? Take a few minutes, tell me about yourself! Are you doing well? Can I be praying for you about something?

A plane, a star, no...a huge comet!

There isn't a whole lot to update on. Life here on the base is incredible as usual. Last weekend we hiked Arthur's pass. See my pictures here.

*side note: it was amazing when my lovely Mother sent a package of goodies! When I say package I mean HUGE. She sent s'mores fixings, candy corn, and much more. Everyone got to enjoy it! Mom, thank you so very much. You have no idea the blessing you are in my life and others. Rewards in heaven.

Other things we have done this week include a small group time I will remember forever. Nicki, my leader, took us to her favorite Oxford spot. She wanted to walk up a creek to a waterfall. She has been wanting to do it for a long time, so we felt blessed to be apart of this. Needless to say, the water was cold and the creek was very deep in parts. At one point, (and we were super proud of ourselves for this feat) we had to "heave-ho" a huge tree to get across because it was so deep.

As many of you know I am one that likes to go to bed early-ish. Well, I go to bed early here because we have to be up at 6:30am! My nickname has become Gramps...awesome. Erin, quit rolling your eyes!!! Anyway, my friends Anya and Kristin, have been trying to get me to stay up later and go on walks with them. Finally, last night I decided I was game. A few others decided to come along also to go star watching. I say all this because I was so well rewarded for staying up. We saw an incredible falling star, more like comet!! It was so huge, a friend named Anthony thought we could go find it. Blessings in the gold.

I hope you are well. I miss you and wish you could be here with me seeing, smelling, learning, climbing, tramping, etc.

Good Night.

Here we go!

Well Friends and Family, the wait is over.

We found out our outreach teams today.

I AM GOING TO NEW ZEALAND AND FIJI!!!

Thank you for your prayers and love. Thank you Cory for being amazing and letting God work through your e-mail. Many blessings to you my friend. Please, PLEASE, please be praying for us as we prepare to go out to the uttermost part of the world to share the love and grace of Christ in mid December. I mean I know we are here now, but we will be doing two solid months of going out.

Thank you.

“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”

Music is what feelings sound like...

If I could write like a specific person it would be Donald Miller. His words always speak to me. I feel like I am sitting with him over coffee, chatting, when I read his books.

If you and I were sitting at coffee right now, we might talk about music; how music touches us as human to the very depths of our souls and spirits. It makes people come alive.

Music shows me there is a God. It makes me feel I have a purpose on this Earth. That it is no accident I am here. How can we listen to music and not believe? Granted, there is some music that does not move me, but even still, I love it.

When I go for coffee I want to get deep. I want to talk about such things. I want to be real.

So go get coffee with an old friend or new friend, share your hearts, and let the caffeine and good conversation take you away.

I am listening to A Fine Frenzy on grooveshark.com, so good!

You Picked Me

One, two, three
Counting out the signs we see
The tall buildings
Fading in the distance
Only dots on a map
Four, five, six
The two of us a perfect fit
You're all mine, all mine

And all I can say
Is you blow me away

Like an apple on a tree
Hiding out behind the leaves
I was difficult to reach
But you picked me
Like a shell upon a beach
Just another pretty piece
I was difficult to see
But you picked me
Yeah you picked me

So softly
Rain against the windows
And the strong coffee
Warming up my fingers
In this fisherman's house
You got me
Searched the sand
And climbed the tree
And brought me back down

And all I can say
Is you blow me away

A video for fun.

Backpacking through Lewis Pass...

Outreach

YWAM Outreach: short-term outreach teams made up of individuals who get to participate first-hand in "making God known" through both words and actions.

We just found out our choices for outreach today. They want us to talk with our parents, friends; those we love and trust from home. Basically, I just ask that you would pray I would hear God's voice clearly and figure out what my top three options will be and let the Lord work from there to figure what team I will be on. Our leader will pray about each of us and make the final decision. I do not want to be swayed by leaders or students, but I desire to follow where the Lord would take me.

Here they are: (5 options_4 Teams)

1. India and Nepal

2. Thailand and Cambodia

3. Fiji

4. New Zealand traveling team

5. New Zealand climbing team

Thank you! Your prayers make ALL the difference in each our lives here.

Be Blessed.

P.S. If you are interested in YWAM please go to www.ywam.org This is probably the sweetest thing I could have done with my life. The people (students and staff) are the most incredible people to find in one place. I feel blessed beyond belief to be here. Thank you for all the support!