Mele Kalikimaka!

It's Christmas Eve here on the Big Island, and I found myself quite lonely earlier today. I even started to pity myself. Then I was hit with a huge reminder of what this holiday is all about. I walked to the beach where I found a lovely palm tree to lean against and relax. As the sun slipped away below the horizon, the sky lit up with magnificent colors! The sunsets are always nice here in Hawaii, but this one seemed a little extra special. Then, as the sky darkened only one star became visible, and it was so so so bright. Okay, so it may have been a planet. But it made me think about the first Christmas night, how they followed the star to find Jesus in the manger. I am just overcome at the gift that was then, is still today, and will be forever! He came for me, I'm not alone! I am not lonely, I have no reason to pity myself. My daddy in Heaven sent the best gift that I get to have every single day. And it's not just mine, it's a gift for you too. And everyone on this planet. I pray that in my lifetime, every person would hear of this gift and be given a chance to receive it. I am so thankful for the love God has for us. I am overcome with joy!! It's a beautiful Christmas on the island. Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) to all my friends and family :)

Feeling Happy vs. Having Joy

I have recently come to the realization that there is a definite difference between feeling happy and having joy. While both are great and positive things,one is permanent and one is temporary. At first I found this thought rather challenging, but the more I think about it, the more I can accept it and be quite satisfied with the idea. I love the feelings of happiness, but they come and go. It is comforting to know that even in my times of sadness I can find joy. I am a daughter of the Most High, and this fact should ALWAYS give me joy. I may not always FEEL joy but the fact that my Heavenly Father has paid the price for me and saved my undeserving soul is surely something to HAVE joy over. I think that as humans, we get caught up in emotions and feeling much too easily. I certainly do, I mean I'm a single female in my 20s, and on top of that I battle PMS every 4 weeks! This is a huge reason why I need God and rely on God. If it wasn't for Him, my feelings would get the best of me. I'm so thankful I have somewhere to turn to and dump my feelings. Thank you Jesus!!! "...the joy of the Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10

Greetings!
Hello friends and family. Please forgive my lack of frequent updates. I have had a quite challenging few weeks, and I feel I've finally reached a point where I feel peace with the decisions I have made. I wasn't sure what sort of commitment I wanted to make to YWAM or how exactly I wanted to be involved. I was struggling thinking about living on an island versus going home to the mountains that I love so much. I realize now that God is taking me out of my comfort zone for a purpose. And I am now finding comfort outside of my comfort zone. I have committed to the work I am doing here for at least the next year. As I've mentioned before, I'm working with a ministry called PhotogenX. Our small team is currently working hard on a website we hope to launch very soon. The site is a Voice for the Voiceless. We're researching over thirty issues of injustice that occur all over the world, praying into the issues, and presenting them in practical ways. People will be able to visit the site, learn, and do. There will be ideas of projects, places to serve, and specific things to pray for. I am also working on the book that I started with my team in Cambodia. So I am quite busy here. I enjoy the work, but it is emotionally tiring and heartbreaking almost daily. It is good though, really good.
I have many prayer requests! Thank you to everyone who partners with me in prayer. As I said, it has been challenging for me here. I have been feeling overwhelmed and stressed with the work I'm doing. I've been struggling with loneliness, although I do have a couple amazing friends here. In a worship time we had a few nights ago, God was speaking very clearly to me. He said that only when I give everything will I have everything. Whoa! I believe that is true, but it is a tough one for me. Please pray for these struggles. Also, please pray for our PhotogenX family, that we will continue to have a passion and a heart for the issues we are researching. And last, please pray for my finances. I trust God, I trust that I am supposed to be here. I have seen His incredible provision. I am not worried because it is in His hands, but I do need continual prayer and support with finances. Thank you so much for keeping up with me and my adventure! Blessings!

John 16:33 :)

WHAT'S NEXT....

Hello Everyone!
Well, I'm back on the YWAM base here in Kona. I have finally gotten over jet lag and my brain is functioning enough for a brief update. The DTS I am in is nearly completed, and I am making plans for after. I will graduate in a couple days, and hopefully by next week will be working full time with PhotogenX (. This will include working on the book that our team started while in Cambodia, and there are other opportunities within the PhotogenX ministry as well. As I've mentioned in a previous post, I will be living here as staff. All YWAM staff are volunteers who pay their own housing and various other expenses. Please join me in prayer for financial provision. I am excited to see God provide in this time. Please also join us in prayer for this book we will be working on. Thank you for your continued support. I plan to update here often, so feel free to check back!

My Ten Weeks in Cambodia

Nearing the End

Hello everyone!
It has been a while since I last updated on my Cambodian adventure, but I am still here and doing very well! We only have a week and a half left in Battambang, then we will head to another location in Cambodia for one week, and after that we will be debriefing as a team in Thailand. I have a feeling this will all go by very quickly, as the last 8 weeks have. As things are coming to an end, I look over the time I have been here and realize just how much I love it here and love the people. I have made amazing new friends, and I've made some fantastic, lasting memories. I have learned to use chop sticks with ease, eat a bug with a smile, accept dirt and sweat as a normal part of my wardrobe, and honking rarely causes me to jump hysterically on my bicycle anymore. I feel quite at home in Cambodia. I will be sad to leave, but so happy to move on to my next adventure. And I certainly do have some exciting plans. Our team has decided to put together a book. Early on in this outreach, I had vision for a book, and I presented it to the team.  They were excited as well, so we moved forward with it. It is going to be a book about hope. As I've mentioned in a previous update, there is much hope in this nation, especially in the young generation. The goal of the book is to promote prayer, that it would get into the hands of people all over the world and people would pray for Cambodia. We have so much creative talent on our team, so I'm pretty stoked to see what we are able to put together. There will be lots of photos of course, and other artistic expressions as well. We've been diligently collecting information, photos, and stories while we've been here. I and at least one other member of the team, Kat, have volunteered to see the book out to the finish. We will be staying at the YWAM base in Kona after our DTS is finished to work on completing the book and getting it published. Our time to work on the book will include editing, layout, design, and fundraising. I know it will be challenging, and I am so excited for this project. I also have plans for after the book. I plan to stay with YWAM as staff. As you may or may not know, YWAM has many, many bases around the world. As of right now, I don't know exactly where I will end up, but I do have some ideas. I will continue to pray about it. As YWAM staff, I will be living completely on support. This is a little bit scary to think about, but I trust God will provide. I do feel this is what God is calling me to do, so I will pursue in faith. As always, thank you for catching up with me! I appreciate your continued support and prayers immensely! I plan to update again soon!