Transformational Power:

Hey all!

I have a lil bit a free time today so i thought i'd blog it up cuz there is so much in my head and so much has happened already! It feels like i've been here for like a month already lol but i'm pretty sure its only been a week. wow. ok....so, when YWAM named this the Transformation DTS...they were right on. I really had no idea that transformation could look like this. So many people including me have already begun to enter this transformation. its so freakin amazing to see people change right b4 your eyes. its just like the Spirit gets ahold and then its not really them so much that you see its God! ha...so cool. and its communal. nobody is walking alone. we can't run...can't hide...can't even dissociate away from God's presence and knocking here. its like you are forced to hear his knock. and that puts you in a place of serious emotional conflict and a dilemma of decision. which is SO HARD. but so necessary. I've felt ALOT of knocking, lol....from God, asking me "will you give me this?...Will you lay this down?...Will you choose to walk COMPLETELY whole with me?" Will you choose to let me heal this?" oh man. so i've made myself hear these things and made myself stay present amidst the internal conflict...and while i have not totally responded yet...i know my heart is preparing to. i don't know exactly what the process and outcome will look like...but i know that there is so much more freedom that God is just waiting to show me. and i'm scared...but excited as well.

This coming week we will be focusing on hearing God's voice....and we will choose our tract by the end of the week. We were presented the details of the tracts last night and they are all so good that i have no idea which God has for me right now. so...We'll see! Pray that i will stay open to his will over my own...and that nothing will influence my decision other than the assurance of God's voice.

We get to go to the beach today!! i'm pretty excited! and we will have a bonfire and have the opportunity to physically "throw away" some things we are holding on to...into the fire. it'll be sweet. Pray that i grow in strength and courage...trust and faith...for our Lord. Thanks!!!

oh...btw...you may find it funny that we have to be in bed here by 10:30 and be up and ready for bfast by 7am!!! and i'm not doin so bad:) lol


more things i've learned:

Worship: 1. there are way more forms of worship than just singing. 2. when worshipping...ask yourself, "Did I make God proud?" rather than "How did the worship make me feel?" we want Jesus to turn to his Father and say..."Wow. Their worship today was amazing!" :) i like that.

*Its very helpful for me to start my MORNING off right with spending needed time with Jesus. It prepares and arms my head for the day way better.

*I have been putting more value on serving people with my life rather than serving God...and i have been idolizing my dreams rather than giving them over to God...even though they are Godly. along those lines...i often desire things "of God" alot more than i desire "GOD HIMSELF". just merely focusing on Relationship with Him...rather than pleasing him with my actions or striving for improvement in Him.

*We will begin to hear God's voice way better when we are able ....or CHOOSE to walk in obedience and surrender our selfishness. Dying To Self:) fun stuff!

sweetness

wow. so much already! so after an all-day flying experience i made it to LA at around 10pm Cali time. And I was exhausted...which may have contributed to my ephemeral freak out feeling of "what the heck am i doing here?!?!" and temporary doubting moments. But morning came...actually it was afternoon b/c i was allowed to sleep in...:)...and with it came a day full of excitement! New people to meet...and these people are seriously so cool...we got sum representation from Germany, Switzerland, Britain, Asia, Canada, all over the states, and prolly more i just forget. but veryyyyyyyyyy cool accents! and a couple of them are not all familiar with English words/slang/what everything means and its awesome. i love it. one girl carries her German translation dictionary around with her lol. its just way cool. everyone so different and yet here for the exact same purposes. to serve and glorify God. so much passion for Him in one place!!! watch out world.

and im definitely gunna get my exercise in without much troubles...lets see...we played sum futbol (soccer)...ultimate frisbee...sum basketball...and there is plenty of place to get my job on if needed.

they have awesomated lemonaid on demand---palm trees and a pretty tight mountain view. gotta love it.

oh and for all ya'll detail-enthusiasts, lol...i got sum updates hehe.

1. There are about 12 trailers that they have us living in. umm...about 8-10 rooms in each, so kinda like a dorm setting. i will have 1 other roommate but sum of the rooms down the hall have 3 to a room.

2. We will choose our tract for studying within the first week, and the outreach location by the second or third week.

3. what else...um...the shower is amazazing. seriously, maybe b/c unlike sarah's and i's the water actually comes out at a high velocity...its like getting a massage. its pretty much a mission base typa living tho...bare basics:) which is not much new to me lol.

4. I'm finding out the more that i talk with people that having a "past" is not uncommon

5. sum of the staff have kids here on the base...and they are so cute and very talkative.

6. this is where i'm sposed to be. i don't know all the whys to that, but i'm excited for what is to come and the short-lived anxiety of last night has totally dissapated. i will however miss my sis, friends, and of course...my boys. however...i did see a dog runnin around today and i might be able to get sum of my therapeutic pets out on him lol. might be too big to cuddle with tho!

7. my roommate has not arrived yet so i have the room to myself so far which has actually been kinda nice

8. there is another school going on here so i get extra people to meet! a 9 mo SBS...which i have yet to figure out what that stands for lol, but i think sounds pretty intense of studying the Scriptures...and from what i hear ALOT of homework! glad i'm in the DTS:)

9. i'm sure i'll learn more once the week starts out and will keep everyone updated as much as i can...and can remember haha. i'm starting to get names down tho...it only took like 5 times asking each person ha. oh well.


update prayer requests:
* to continue to seek out God's will for my tract and outreach options
* for the financial situation to match my outreach needs
* and to keep learning LOTS!!

Thanks and please keep me updated on your lives as well,

Peace n love

BRING ON LA

This blog is now going to be used to jot down thoughts, updates and adventures that flow from my time in Los Angeles. I leave on Thursday, the 17th....6 more days! I'm so super stoked and ready for the thrills and rollercoasters that God is gunna bring me on and through. Huge thanks to all who have already been praying and supporting me for this next adventure in my life!

I will be doing the YWAM-LA DTS (Discipleship Training School), which includes 3 months of classroom learning and local outreach, following with 2 more months of hard-core outreach in a particular destination. The destinations revolve around "focus tracts", such as the "justice" or "Muslim world" tracts.

Prayer requests:

*Wisdom and discernment in hearing and understanding which focus tract and destination God wants me to pursue/ stay aligned with and open for His will to be done.

*I keep myself Spiritually armed for battle and able to discern truths from lies

*I keep myself focused on learning more about God, deepening my relationship with him, seeing Him work versus being distracted by my own desires

*Anything else that may come to mind!


Peace outtie.