November: Maybe We Should "Just Be Friends"?

Welcome to week 3 of November. Which isn't looking quite as delightful as I had anticipated. There are definite bright spots, though!



#1- The Flame Goes Forward
We've had two days of celebrating the year of Jubilee for YWAM. Loren & Darlene Cunningham were actually here and spoke for much of our "conference". It was very much fun and SUPER encouraging. We got to hear all about AMAZING things YWAM has planned for the future around the world. So so so so cool to hear about amazing things God is doing everywhere.

#2- SOTB is on outreach.
This is happy and sad. We miss them already. One of my friends left on Friday and then the rest of the SOTBers headed off today after lunch. We got to pray and send them off, which was great. They are heading to work with a church in Ohio and I know it's going to be an amazing time for them. However, this place is very quickly turning into a ghost town.

#3 - There is a plague going around.
YIKES. Please pray for us.. so far we've had 3 or 4 people get really sick with very high fevers. No bueno. Please pray that it stops spreading and that everyone gets all the way better. Having a million things going on this week does not help our immune systems as we're all getting sleep deprived trying to get our mountains of homework and projects all done this week. (I'm chugging Airborne like crazy... and praying that I don't get sick!)

#4- Elementary Thanksgiving Program
While we've got lots of homework to do this week, our class time will be a little lighter. We'll get to spend some classes making banners and decorating for and setting up the the Thanksgiving program that the elementary students will put on. It's an evening program so we'll need to be there to staff it, but the kids are so cute, I'm sure it will be lots of fun. It just means another turn of cleaning, setting up and tearing down the gym. Not my favorite. Oh well. It's worth it.

#5- Elementary Thanksgiving Feast!
This sounds like it will be lots of fun. The kids dress in costume and we're making an "authentic" Thanksgiving Feast where we celebrate God's faithfulness and provision by thanking Him for all He has done.

and then... my favorite November week of ALL... :D

November: Te Quiero

well, week 1 of November was great. Welcome to week 2:

#1- Daylight Spendings Time!
Today we got to "fall back" which looks like this in mathematical terms:
me+1 extra hour of sleep = happiness.
:D

#2- Tuesday.
usually Tuesday and I aren't really friends. I have to get up earlier and there are more of my less favorite classes. However, this Tuesday something very special is happening: One fantastic family from Whatcom County happens to be here visiting relatives and they are coming to visit me! WOHOO!

#3- Veterans Day!
it's a pretty sweet holiday and around here it's a big deal. We're having a big assembly that one of my teachers is organizing it, We'll be helping which... usually means more work than a regular school day, but variety is fun. And I think this will be pretty sweet.

#4- A Wedding!
How often do you have a wedding right outside your door? (well actually....)
This weekend two fantastic people from SOTB are tying the knot, on my front porch! It will be lots of fun and I'm excited to see how these two are going to rock for the Kingdom.

#5- Banquet!
It isn't frequent that I get invited to banquets. Especially ones where you have to RSVP and they give you a ticket. In fact, this might be the first time. Over at the Ranch we're having some sort of big Thanksgiving Banquet with all sorts of important people. I think it will be fun. Plus I get to wear my favorite fancy dress :)

and there you have it. November- week 2. Which will very quickly melt into Week 3 which contains a lot more craziness!

November: Nacupenda!

As I began to ponder, November has all of the sudden delighted me.

So, each week, I'll show you what I am looking forward to.

This week, here's a list of 5 reasons why i love November.

1. Today, November first is my half birthday. :) It's always fun to mark off half way through the year and think back over what's happened. It's been quite a momentous six months. And I am definitely excited to see what the next six hold.

2. Today is also the beginning of No Shave November. Which means boys will be sprouting beards left and right all month long. Hooray! I am in the opinion that the world could always use a little more facial hair.

3. Tomorrow is election day. I am so thankful, especially this year, for my precious right to vote and choose my representatives in government.

4. This week my precious niece, Elizabeth turns 1!

5. We are having class with School of the Bible this week. It's lots of fun to be together and we sure fill up the room! (a total of 36 students. + staff!). It also means I get to spend more time with my lovely friend Jessica! We're learning all about Self- Government! (Which is what we do every week in TFN.. but.. is always so good!)



and there you have it, 5 reasons I love the first week of November!

Slice of life:

so I realize that's been over a month, and I've written once. Fail.

a post is coming.

but just so you can get a little slice of my life, here's what it usually looks like:

That's my, WOW MY BRAIN HURTS face.

And this is the WOW, I FINALLY GET IT face.

:D love and miss you all!

Season-ing

SEASON:

noun-

1) a period of time usually characterized by the changing of the environment as time passes, as in Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter

verb-

1) to add flavor to or enhance the natural flavor of food, as with salt, herbs or other spices

2) to prepare or make ready for use, as in preparing a grill for cooking, or adjusting the moisture content of firewood for burning

welcome to the new season of my life. Which previously I had only ever thought of as the first definition of changing times. And then, one morning this week I was awoken by a picture of raw chicken (which I have spent quite a bit of quality time with this week, cooking supper) being seasoned. And the gentle reminder that season was also a verb. Eagerly, I got out my Bible, and my dictionary and my laptop and started searching all the possible meanings of "season". I found more than what I listed, but these are the ones that best apply.

I even looked up just how one would go about seasoning a grill. What I discovered is that it involves turning up the heat and scraping off all of the junk that has gotten baked on and then reapplying a new, protective coating of oil. Well, for a grill that sounds dandy. For my heart, it's not always a walk in the park. But it is a fantastic picture of what this new season is in my life. And just as we are learning in class, it is much easier to get excited and really delve into what you are learning when you have a picture of the destination, the seasoning metaphor gives me hope as to where we are going in this time. The scraping off isn't the be all end all of this time, it is only the beginning and totally necessary to lay a good foundation.

Seasoning is also about adding flavor. If for example, I was a raw piece of meat, I've been marinated and seasoned by all sorts of things. I love that God is a master chef and He knows exactly what combination of seasoning leads to the perfect flavor He's trying to create. And so, while some of them by themselves are awful, vinegar for example, when layered all together, it creates the perfect effect. Thank goodness, I am not in fact, a piece of meat, but I am person, made in the image of God! So how much more is God concerned with my character. He there is a goal He has for the kind of person I am to be, and He knows there are certain character traits He wants to develop in me. grill seasoning instructions can be found here.

All in all to say, that it this time here so far hasn't always been easy or fun, but I have been given the gift of a new season. And I want to embrace it. Don't get me wrong, there have been lots of FANTASTIC times here as well, not all the seasonings God uses are bitter, some are sweet! It's a beautiful blend of joys and trials, challenges, and growth. And oh, how I can't wait to taste what God has in store for this season of time. It's going to be incredible.

"All of my life, in every season, You are still God. I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship." - Hillsong United "Desert Song" (which you can listen to here. and you should because it is amazing!

*Disclaimer: I heart metaphors a LOT. So I get a bit carried away with them. So I'm sorry If I went a bit overboard here. *

What I Did on my Summer Vacation...

I sat in the car for a reeeeeeaaaaaaaallllllllyyyyyy looooooooooooooooooooooooooong time.



And saw some of the most amazing places on earth. And met some amazing people. Oh, and hung out with some of the most fantastic people ever. I decided that these three weeks beat five hours on an airplane, hands down.

(I'm not awesome at chronicling everything we did in specific detail like Mama D. But I had fun summarizing things on FB. So, I'm putting in all of my descriptions and linking to Mama D, Ben and Hosanna for more pics and details, that way you can see all the fun we had!)

"And we're off, like a herd of turtles! I'm armed to the teeth with audiobooks, new music, and some great kiddos. (Thanks, friends!) Next stop, one of my favorite places in the world: CRC! Farewell, fb world, no internet until at least Monday. Let the adventure begin! :D"

Day 1: Drive farther than ever before? check. Days 1-5 take lots of naps, play games, swim in waterfalls, absorb amazing teaching and spend time with friends at one of my favorite places ever? check. California tomorrow? YES. YES. YES. Hooray for adventures!

The whole crew at Silver Falls (Ben is hiding....)

I got some much needed Vicky Time! (and we were tourists. Notice the sign behind us!)

Monday: drove 500 miles and drove 1st mtn pass ever. Tuesday: Yosemite National Park. GORGEOUS BEYOND COMPARE. GO! Also met ranger Dave Crockett. No joke. Wednesday: drove 300+ miles and 2 mtn passes, Kings Canyon NP, and saw Giant Sequoias. Tomorrow: Big Fat Greek Family time with Jeremiah Diacogiannis and Ashleigh Newton. Woot Woot. This road trip stuff is pretty great... :D

General Grant Tree - 2nd Largest in the WORLD.

3 lovely days in Santa Barbara with fantastic people. bad sunburn. OUCH! 1 stinking hot night in some town in Arizona. Route 66. GRAND CANYON. Oh, so AMAZING! Now a couple days with the lovely Barbara Ellis in Phoenix. First car issues, but all is easily fixed. Thanks Jesus! :D lots of fun in the sun!

Flat Cat and I at the Grand Canyon!




My Grand Canyon shot of the day:




Hosanna! The coolest almost 14 year old I know. (we used to be roomies. It was fantastic!)



Swimming in Pastor Barb's lovely pool!

Rain storms in the desert are crazy amazing. So is the CONSTANT lightning. Things that are not so amazing: cranky children, tent trailers in New Mexico in August: muggy, hot and sticky. And water leaks in said tent trailer. oh my. thankful that each day we are given sufficient grace. (and swimming pools!)

drove by the place they tested the Atomic bomb. {sad} went through a police checkpoint {weird} got kicked out of a national monument because they were testing a missile {eerie}. got stuck behind a "snow plow" & went sledding in New Mexico {unexpected & FUN}. Ate at Chili's for the first time {yum!} I ♥ crazy, random, awesome days!

White Sands. The sand is a really different consistency (made of Gypsum crystals).

It really looks, like snow, hey?!

my shot of the day:

Today: 2 more police check points (one looking for illegals, one for DUIs), nearly making roadkill out of a tarantula, time zone change twice, downpour rainstorm, a couple hours in Texas, and a trip to Carlsbad Caverns (AMAZING ^2). :D good day.

Sunset in Carlsbad. {Photo by Hosanna}

A cool bug Elijah found at Carlsbad:

Saturday: woke up in New Mexico. drove over 600 miles (filled up with gas 3 times in 3 different states), got 32 oz slushies for $.69 in Texas, almost got hit by a 2 foot high tumbleweed blowing across the highway. Discovered how obnoxiously loud cicadas could be, and went to bed in Oklahoma. Sunday: BBQ with friends and basically the entire day spent in pools. Huzzah!

in Texas. Melting. Tomorrow is my last day with my Greek family {sad}. We'll be spending most of it in the pool {hooray!!!}. Then Wednesday morning, I finally arrive at YWAM. {Wohoo!!}

KatiRose now officially lives in Texas. weird. It's been a wonderful couple days settling in at the base and meeting awesome people. Orientation starts tomorrow! :)

me in my new homeland!

Today is the Day!

It's here! It's here!

Let the adventure begin!

In case you are fuzzy on the details, here's what I will be doing again.

What?: Another YWAM school. The school is called Teachers For the Nations (henceforth referred to here as TFN)

It's a teacher training school that prepares teachers to go out and disciple nations through education of children. :D

Where?: Texas. Tyler, Texas to be exact.

That's about an hour and 1/2 east of Dallas.

and I'll be at the Dayspring Campus of the Tyler base.

When?: TODAY! Actually my school starts August 26th, but my Greek Family and I are road -trippin it up, so we're taking our time to get there!

How Long?: 9 months +2 month outreach phase = 11 months

(August- May lecture, outreach June & July)

Why?: My heart passion is for Uganda and the children there. I believe that this training will be greatly beneficial to better equipping me to serve there. I want to do the best I can to be prepared and come with the most that I can offer, and this seems to be a great stepping stone. My hope is that after this school, I will be able to go back to Uganda long term and help in discipling the next generation and equip them to be world changing followers of Jesus Christ.

any more questions?????

I'm happy to answer them!

Please, please, please keep me in your prayers!

Meet Flat Cat

This is Flat Cat: (and myself)

I received him as a gift many years ago. He's a life size cardboard cut-out of a cat.

And after spending years sitting on shelves, he's decided that it's time for a life of adventure.

First, he met my lovely friend Brenna.

He also met people with colorful personalities.

As a celebrity, he knew he should set an example by "going green".

He also enjoys fine dining.

Flat Cat is available. (In case you were wondering).

Struck by lightning! Shocking!

He thought he'd let the city of Bellingham know he plans on taking over the town...

Flat Cat is quite popular. He's got friends in high places!

What would an adventure in Bellingham be without a stop at Mallards?

Flat Cat did, in fact, discover that he is a Chocoholic.

Rockin' Cat!

We forced him to play on the playground. He didn't look too enthused.

Flat Cat is moving up in the world- reserved parking!

He even made a visit to the Royal Rosarian Garden!

He's spotted in the most swank Portland places...

He chose good company- my lovely mom!

He's got his own exhibit!

He went shopping and picked up some bling.

And after quite and accomplished day, he even became a Jr. Ranger in Multnomah Falls.

well done, Flat Cat.

Flat Cat's wanderlust has only increased, so he'll be joining me on my crazy amazing road trip to Texas. Stay tuned for More Adventures of Flat Cat!!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like August...

my plans for August include:

dance parties, tearful see you laters, ghetto paintball, waterfalls, lots of naps, excellent teaching, 3000 miles of driving, SoCal beaches, loads of camping, the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, three new states, one crazy Big Fat Greek Family, little girls with a million questions, lots of use for the bluetooth headset, visiting old friends, packing my life into my car, good books to be finished, ending up two time zones away from where I started, and another amazing adventure with Jesus. Yes please.

{5 days!}

Far Too Easily Pleased

"Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and s*x and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." -C.S. Lewis

Your Love Is Strong

This song has been on repeat in my head and through my speakers for the last couple days.

It's fantastic.

and it speaks so much to my heart right now.

So I'm sharing it with you.

Lyrics Here

Enjoy.

World Cup Fever

One Friday morning in June, I woke up ridiculously early, picked up my sister, and drove to my dad's house. What for? To turn on the TV.

Crazy?

Normally.

But this was June 11.

The first day of the World Cup.

And this was South Africa vs. Mexico.

The first game of the World Cup.

And this was the 2010 World Cup.

The first World Cup in an African nation.

and when, on June 10, you get a message from a good friend in South Africa saying this, "You MUST watch the opening game tomorrow, and I'd better hear you cheering in the green and gold for Bafana from here, okay?" You get up early and go watch the game. Also, you reply with a cheeky facebook status update: "getting up at 6:15 am to drive to where I can watch the first match of the world cup. Cheering loud for Bafana!! If only I had a vuvuzela... Can you hear me *friend's name* ?! :D"

I, still considered to be a "new believer" in the church of "Futbol is actually an amazing sport" have been anticipating this World Cup for over two years now. Why? When I was in Uganda in 2008, already all the MTN shops (an African mobile phone provider and sponsor) had the 2010 logo painted on them. So between the shops and all my friends, we've been talking about this for two years now!

Since that day, I've watched many games, many different places (I as well as most of my friends don't have cable, so we have to get creative) and listened to ones I couldn't watch (via online radio) and cheered my heart out for different nations around the world.

It's been fun and exciting. I've watched games from my laptop in the kitchen with kids cheering around me and asking questions too (yes, I've even got the Greek kids hooked on soccer!) I've stood in a crowded restaurant in a nearby town for the Ghana vs USA game and cheered for Ghana (my life in peril, no less) (If you want my full explanation as to why I picked Ghana over the US, I am happy to give it) I've sat at my desk, heart on edge, listening to Chile collect cards and Spain manage to squeak by... and it's been grand.

I can see why the world gets excited.

It's a sense of community.

I can talk to people all around the world or down the street and we're talking about the same thing.

We can share in the same heartache.

Or dance in the same victory.

It's made the thousands and thousands of miles between friends feel a lot shorter.

and for that, I am ever thankful.

We started with 32 teams. Now we're down to 4. The world waits with anticipation.

And just so you know, July 11 is going to be a big day.

It will be exciting. and emotional.

and then I'll be sad that this fantastic tournament is over.

but for now, I'll enjoy the phenomenon and cheer my heart out.

GO URUGUAY GO!!

risks and dreams

WOW. I was going back through my blog, and I found this post saved as a draft....

and all I can say is, wow.

what a long way I have come.

what amazing healing has happened in my heart.

how amazing and faithful is my God!

This was originally written January 6, 2009:

Fear. it eats me alive some days. Surrounds me and then sneaks up in the darkness. Routinely in the evening it clamps its icy iron fingers around my heart. And then I am lost. paralysed. the actual event is momentary, but its chill lasts for some time. I just freeze. All logical thinking is gone. And all I know is that I am and that I hurt. The shock wears off and the numbness with it, and then as the rush of pain comes in like a flash flood. All I feel is alone.

As I lie in bed, waiting for sleep to come, sometimes I imagine going back to Uganda. My dreams come alive. I am there, safe and happy. Sharing Jesus with the world. with a family of my own. But it is always shattered by the sudden surge of fear. I will always be white. I will always stick out and thus be a target. Villages aren't safe, they are frequently raided and burned and those houses have no burglar bars. Houses can always be broken into, ambushes can come from anywhere. The words come from somewhere deep and dark.. a poisonous whisper, "You are not safe. You will be found. And no one will protect you. Everything will be stolen from you again. And it will be much worse than last time." Fear. Much more fear. Memories flash back. Adrenaline. PAIN. So much for sleep. again.

You see, that night I lost so much. And in all of it, my dreams are gone. Eaten up by fear. Long gone in the aftermath of the storm. Innocence and the much greater trust I had in my Father... gone. Shattered. the pieces seem to small even to be picked up.

But...

I went to Africa with an incorrect understanding of reality. In my mind the violence and pain was contained in the past. The hurts were very real and still lingering but I was going to be part of the healing. I never expected that the danger was still real. That violence still touches so much of everyday life. Whoops. The invincibility of youth, my own lack of understanding and my enthusiastic, effervescent hope and trust in the God of the Universe for transformation, as well as some whole life in Whatcom County innocence created a false perception of what it would really be like. But now I've experienced it. A small piece.

that orange dust will be forever in my soul.. the memories are so vivid. Which in most cases is a huge blessing. I can see it. taste it. feel it. And I long to go back. for the joy. the richness. the challenge. the scarcity. the beauty.

What I've come to see is this.. anything truly GOOD comes with risks. But it is also worth taking those risks.

Hip, Hip, Hooray!!!

So.. in case you hadn't heard.. since Mama D spilled the beans... :D

YWAM here I come, once again!!!!

I am so BEYOND EXCITED, in case you were wondering.

Now, to fill you in on a few more details:

Where?: Texas. Tyler, Texas to be exact.

That's about an hour and 1/2 east of Dallas.

and I'll be at the Dayspring Campus of the Tyler base.

When?: mid August!

(yes, that's VERY soon!!)

How Long?: 9 months +2 month outreach phase = 11 months

(August- May lecture, outreach June & July)

What?: the school is called Teachers For the Nations (henceforth referred to here as TFN)

It's a teacher training school that prepares teachers to go out and disciple nations through education. :D

Why?: My heart passion is for Uganda and the children there. I believe that this training will be greatly beneficial to better equipping me to serve there. I want to do the best I can to be prepared and come with the most that I can offer, and this seems to be a great stepping stone. My hope is that after this school, I will be able to go back to Uganda long term and help in discipling the next generation and equip them to be world changing followers of Jesus Christ.

any more questions?????

I'm happy to answer them!

:D

Remembering the Rescue... through worship

I like to remember. well, the good things. golden memories dance around my head. Pictures float through my consciousness often. And if they didn’t, I just open up the photos on my computer and walk through memory lane again. Other memories are so vivid it is as though they just happened moments ago. I get flash backs. I’ll be going through my day, and then something sparks and instantly I am once again walking through a jungle of banana forests. It’s so real, so intense I can feel the sunshine streaming through the canopy of leaves above me. but it lasts only a split second. and then, here I am, still in Whatcom County. Usually sitting at a desk in front of a computer.

One of my good friends from my days in Uganda who I spent most of my time with, is often surprised at my memory. I’ll say, “remember when.......” and he’ll laugh and reply, “how do you remember that?!” I just shrug and smile.

It’s amazing how great it is to remember where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. Nearly two years ago, I walked through the hardest and most painful time of my life. I was shattered. and devastated. my heart felt as though it had been dipped in liquid nitrogen and thrown on the floor- smashed into a thousand pieces. I was bleeding and oozing emotionally. I was awash in a sea of icy-cold fear and choking depression. I would have kept God at arms-length holding Him responsible for my current circumstances, except that He felt millions of miles away already. the Bible felt irrelevant. I was indifferent towards sermons. honestly the only thing that really kept me coming back to church were our times of worship. The time of singing somehow opened the door to my soul, and only then for those 15 or 20 minutes did I feel safe and sure that God really was who He said He was. And that He’d actually redeem the deep sorrow of my soul.

a few more moths of misery dragged by and in January ‘08 I was given the opportunity to visit some of my best friends. Incredible people who knew the deep pain I was wrestling with and a couple of whom carried the same pain themselves. Oh the joy and relief of being with people who understood! It simply cannot be put into words. At that point, I was still deeply impacted by the trauma. I wasn’t able to sleep through the night for nearly a year. I would wake up with horrible nightmares, and flashbacks so real they sent adrenaline coursing through my veins. I have a very vivid memory of a horrendous sleepless night while visiting my friends last year. when I walked into the room just a couple weeks ago, it was just as fresh as if it happened the day before. That doesn’t sound like something great to remember, but hang with me, because it gets so much better. While I was there a year ago, barely surviving emotionally, I was surrounded by deep and tender love which again reminded me of the goodness of God, that is always. Again, I had some incredible times of worship, where God was somehow once again near. That room where I get to stay, has a chalkboard wall. And on it I wrote the verse that God spoke to me, in faith. It wasn’t true for me anymore. But I needed to believe that it could be.

It is still there. And seeing it again, a year later was an incredible reminder of just how far my heart had come. Over this last year, it’s been a long, slow road to healing. but it has come. It’s been a long journey, out of a valley so deep that the sky was rarely visible. It was a pitch black winding road through icy dampness. but it has lead slowly and steadily upwards. And as I keep walking the road, I find myself out in the open meadows. The sun is bright and warm, the air fresh and warm and the mountain peaks are not only visible, but near. And I can now look at that verse and see how it is true. How the joy has returned to my life.

It is this that makes me want to remember. When I look back and truly see the depth of despair that i have been rescued from, I am amazed and in awe of my Rescuer. And that moves me to worship- to declare His worth and his glory!

One Day Without Shoes...

Once upon a time... I lived in North America. And I had very nice feet



then I moved to Africa. And had allergic reactions to Mosquito bites.



you can see that my feet were not so nice anymore. Sometimes they were so bad, I would limp.



then I got to move for 6 weeks to places that had less mosquitos, so my feet began to heal. see how beautiful they are?


if you want to read the whole story about my beautiful feet, you can read it here. (don't worry, there are no pictures for that one)



Today, I am going barefoot.
Why?
Because in developing nations many people, children especially, have no shoes.

I take shoes for granted very easily.
Without shoes you are "constantly aware of the ground in front of you, suffering regular cuts and scrapes, tending to infection after each walk, and enduring not only terrain, but heat and cold."

Even without shoes for me, life won't be so bad. I drive lots of places. I don't do a lot of walking. however: In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to school, to get clean water and to seek medical help.

Think about this:
Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
Podoconiosis is 100% preventable with basic foot hygiene and wearing shoes.

if you want to learn more. go here.

Sometimes Happiness Looks Like This:

so, in case you were wondering how my trip went... here are some pictures!

Here are the lovely prairies. Now, meet some of the amazing folks I spent four glorious days hanging out with.....

This is Kelsey. She's fantastic. and she's my friend. she also helped save my life. She's got GIFTS. and the Holy Spirit is going to use them in a MIGHTY way!


with true friends, you can be yourself. completely.


where it all began...

YWAM friends are fantastic! See, we approve this message.



This is my incredible friend Julia. She oozes Jesus out of every pore. We got to pray hardcore for each other before we ever met. Now we go on coffee dates. Or have tea parties via Skype. This girl is FANTASTIC. So watch out. Amazing things are going to be happening all around her, as God does His work through this precious jewel!

Hooray! the moment we've all been waiting for. Oh wait, someone's arm isn't long enough....

yay for friends who are very very ok! You have to understand, that pretty much every time for 6 months (or actually as long as I've know him) there was a camera anywhere around, Tim makes a silly face. Except this time. I, however, was prepared for the silly face picture. ooops.


Finally! Together again with two of my favorite boys on the whole planet. Haha, do you see how the joy is practically eating my face?!
Now, I am just going to take a minute to brag on these two. I have lived with them day in and day out for 6 months straight. And it began when we were strangers. And I am still impressed with who they are. Now that's saying something ;) These guys LOVE Jesus. I've watched them wrestle (literally. hahaha) and grow (more than facial hair, though that is definitely impressive!). They've had deep wounds to overcome. They've been part of many of the happiest times of my life. And they've been there for the absolute worst.

Tim, on the left, is FULL of compassion. Overflowing. He's a servant. He's crazy good at soccer. And he's taught me so much about culture and what it means to be from the US. (even though he's not). He's taught me to relax and enjoy things I can't change. He's also an animal aficionado.

And then there's Ryan, on the right. He is FULL of faith. He's got it the whole "child-like faith" thing figured out. He loves wholeheartedly. Regardless of how much others disagree or give him grief. Ryan draws good doodles. He's got a hunger for the Word. He loves basketball. He can do handstands like nobody's business. He and his family have given me another great example of what it looks like to love Jesus and love each other. well. Also, he can juggle.

so. don't say I didn't warn you.

because these boys are going to change the world.