The Plumb line

Dear friends and family the last two weeks studying the Plumb line has been very intense. We have had so much information from the teachers, but also from God. It was if you were being hit from every side, but somehow it felt more as if the wounds that were so dirty and hidden were finally getting attention. Like God was coming and saying the hurts you have been trying to clean and hide yourself are now poisoning your body and I want to start healing them. This next coming week our school will be at a retreat in Santiago celebrating the 30 years they have been in Chile. At this time I God is in the process of helping me to know his fatherhood. I have known it for years in my head, but not in my heart. He is helping me to overcome my unbelief that He truly wants to hold me close in his arms and wipe clean the lies of the enemy. That’s all for this week. I hope you all are doing well. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

What I am learning!

What an incredible busy week it has been. So much material to teach on in only a weeks time. My internet connection is not what I had originally thought it would be. For me to get service means going to town to an internet café or going to the one on base (only opens from 6-9pm and dinner is at 7pm). Updates will be determined on a week to week basis because each week the available free time with change. For example when we are in Santiago for the 30th reunion of the ywam bases in Chile it is uncertain if I will or will not get to a computer.

God is showing me the importance of trusting in him for all my needs. Things I thought were so important like having internet all the time I am finding don’t matter as much as I had thought. Worship here is so honest and sincere. It is hard not knowing many of the songs, not understanding the language and not being able to sing along to most of the songs. God is teaching me how it is not always the words that matter, but rather the heart attitude. The song “When the music fades” has been sung two times now and each time I hear it I take joy in knowing that sing or not singing it is my heart that matter to God.
We have had many questions asked of us this week “What is the most important thing in my life?” “Where do I come from?” “Who do I live for?” “Who am I?” “What am I good for?” “Why do I build walls in my life?” “What is it that I know?” “How do I know this?” and many more questions. The astonishing thing is that when we are honest and answer these questions we see how much we allow the world to shape us rather than God. We see how much of our life we still hold as our own. I have been blown away with the opinions that I held toward God. The life that I live for myself rather than him.

Safely in Chile

I made it to the YWAM base. Julio and two others came and picked me up from the airport. I am in an apartment with I think 5 people, but I have no idea how many really. It is a short walk from the base. I know that my room is upstairs and I share it with a girl from Germany who just finished her DTS here and is now starting the Counseling school with me. Everyone I talk to seems to say the sooner I try and learn spanish the better. I was so looking forward to it till now. I get frusterated just thinking about studying it. So weird beauase I was so excited. Today I have had 3 great meals and slept, read, and luckly was given a password I am not supose to have in order that I could communicate with my parents. I hope to have an idea of how much it will cost to use the internet above the pool, but so far I have heard bad things about it. I don't know just trusting God to work things out. Hopefully I will have some clue tomorrow as to what is going on otherwise I will just be asking a lot of questions. Well thats all for now. I have not been down to the beach yet, but the ocean looks beautiful from were I sit. Thank you all so much for supporting me in my journey.

Discouraged

Yesterday while reading a book by Dean Sherman this sentence struck me hard. "We are a generation of quitters.” Being with Paola and her family has been wonderful and they are showing me so much of Columbia. Deep down somehow I have become overwhelmed with the idea of going to Chile on the 14th. I just wanted to give up and go home to my family to what is familiar. In the book it said “Satan is in constant hope that God’s people will give up – that their circumstances, the task set before them, and the daily adversities of life will be to much for them to endure. I can see that all these emotions and doubts are not from God, but from the enemy. Thinking back I felt the same way about DTS. The week I spent with my relatives in Nevada by the end I just wanted to go home and forget about even starting DTS even though I knew it was God’s will. That time there were much less unknowns to traveling and language.

Time to Pack

I have arrived home from family vacation only to have what seems like a million things on my "To do" list. It is so amazing to see how God is providing for my needs. The way he can overwhelm with peace even when I have so many details hanging over my head. Still in the packing process and hope to finish in a few hours. I hope you have a blessed day and take the time to thank God for the many blessings that he has given you.