Hello friends and family!
Well, you have possibly been wondering why I have not updated this page in quite some time. The truth is...I completely forgot my password and username to this blog site. So, I finally decided to take some time and try every single possible password that I remember having in my life. Well, as you can see...I finally found the right match.
So, I am officially home after being gone for nine months. What an amazing adventure this year has been. Taking a year off of school was definitely an uncomfortable step into the unknown, yet I wouldn't have changed the decision for anything. This year has probably been one of the best years I have had in my life. So many times I was reminded of God's faithfulness, His power, and His love. I realized that we must truly die to our own agendas, control, and desires in order to fully live and embrace the life God has intended for us.
I had no idea why God was leading me to stay an extra three months to do the Biblical Core Course, especially with the little detail of having absolutely no money to pay for this course. However, through the BCC course, it really strengthened me in my foundation and helped me learn how to really trust in God with the provision of my financial needs. What a great reminder of His faithfulness (especially with the things He calls us to do).
So, this ywam season has finally come to an end. What a year! I will forever remember the memories, friendships, and lessons I learned this year, but I know I am stepping into a new chapter of life. I do not know what is ahead. But, I know that just how God has led me this far, He will continue to direct my steps. I plan on staying home in St. Louis for the fall, taking some classes, and getting a job. I am excited to see the new things God does in this new season.
So, I just want to thank each one of you for the blessing and encouragement you all have been in my life. Continue to DELIGHT yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). All we need to focus on is delighting and abiding in God and the desires of our heart will be given to us. God bless you all. I pray that you will be filled with all the fullness of God, that your intimacy with Christ will increase, that God will continue to reveal the person He has intended YOU to be, and that God will contine to show you the power and glory of who He is. Amen and the end.

"I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be STRENGTHENED in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being ROOTED AND GROUNDED in love."
-Ephesians 3:16-17
This has been my theme verse throughout my Biblical Core Course. I know that God has called me to be in Switzerland at this time for a reason, even though I may not fully understand it now. It has been challenging, but I know that through our challenges we are made stronger. I believe that in this time, God is shaping me more into the woman of God that he intends me to be.

Something that really challenged me happened about two weeks ago. A team from Tacoma, Washington came to our base. Their main ministry is to pray for individuals and ask God to reveal the "original design" of the individual. I know that we are capable of hearing ourselves how God created us, but sometimes we have things in our life that hinder us from really seeing the person God has created us to be. It was just incredibly encouraging to get a glimpse of who I am in Christ and to be reminded of the potential I have in him. We all have so much potential. We are all on this earth for a certain amount of time and for a specific purpose. It is ultimately our choice of whether or not we want to walk out in that truth. So, many things can stand in our way...fear of man, discouragement, doubt.... I've realized that life is so short and that I dont want to settle, but i want to fully live to my potential in Christ. Fully become the person God has created me to be. I'm just learning to take each day at a time.

“Look at the nations and watch-and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” –Habakkuk 1:5

Alright. So, I don’t even know where to begin putting into words the past month and a half. I am so sorry for the lack of updates on my blog. Life has been a pretty crazy adventure and the busyness of the Biblical Core Course has officially started to consume my life.

I will start from where I left off:
So, March 9th was departure day. It was hard saying goodbye to the people that I have been with for the past six months and to realize that this chapter in my life was coming to a close. But, I knew that another chapter was in front of me and that God was calling me to stay in Switzerland to do Biblical Core Course (BCC). A group of us had made plans to travel around Europe before I even knew that I was doing BCC. God set it up perfectly because the school began at the same time I was planning to return to Switzerland to leave for home. He made it pretty clear that He wanted me to do the intensive study of the Bible and that this would be a time to further strengthen my foundation in Him.

So, a good amount of things have happened in this month and a half:
I was completely blessed with the opportunity to see Rome, Venice, Paris, London, and Amsterdam, I’ve realized that my heart is in Switzerland and I could very likely see myself returning in the near future, I am now the minority in a YWAM base full of Koreans (I am currently working on my tolerance for spicy Korean noodles), I’ve seen more of the faithfulness and goodness of God, and I have started a new relationship with a wonderful Texan named Weston.

Now onto the Biblical Core Course:
It has been intense. I am learning that the Bible is a “library of different types of books” and to look more into the context, content, and genre. It’s been really good to just study in a way I have never studied before. There is so much of the Bible that I don’t know and still so much to learn. The days and nights have become very busy.
So, something I have been really learning to trust God about is my financial situation. I currently owe $2,000 to the YWAM base and really have no idea where it is going to come from. When I came to YWAM, I was so blessed by the support financially to have all of my fees for the six months of DTS. I was able to make plans to travel with the money that I earned the following summer from working at a camp. But, I had already made all of the travel arrangements before I even heard about the BCC starting in April. When God placed it on my heart to do the Biblical Core Course…the first thing that came into my mind was, “But, God…how am I going to pay for that...why are you telling me this now instead of a little bit earlier?” I was reminded that God always pays for His good ideas using His infinite imagination. I know that God’s ways are higher than mine. He led me to do a course that I clearly said in the beginning of September “I would NEVER do.”

So, here I am. I don’t even really know who reads this blog and honestly…I really hate asking people for money. If I was going on my own logic and reasoning, I would have just gone home and worked to earn money to pay for this school later on in the year. However, I don’t really think God wants us to go by our own logic and reasoning. How is that faith? How is that trusting in Him? How is that letting God take control? I know that God wants me here at this exact time in Lausanne, Switzerland for a reason. And, by stepping out in obedience and saying, “Ok, this doesn’t make sense to me, and it’s definitely a little uncomfortable, but I trust you, Lord,” is what I think God wants us to do. So, I’m stepping out and asking you as my family in Christ to prayerfully consider supporting me financially…
If you feel led you can send a check to 185 Meadowlark Dr. St. Louis, MO 63146. Paid to the order of Greentree Community Church with YWAM Lausanne in the memo. Again, I just want to thank you for the encouragement and prayers in this time in my life. You are all a blessing to me. God bless you. -beth

"as you journey through life, choose your destinations well, but do not hurry there. you will arrive soon enough. wonder the back roads and forgotten paths, keeping your destination in your heart like the fixed point of a compass. seek out new voices, strange sights, and ideas foreign to your own. such things are riches for the soul. and if, upon arrival you find that your destination is not exactly as you dreamed of, do not be disappointed. think of all you would have missed but for the journey there, and know that the true worth of your travels lies not in where you come to be at journey's end, but in who you come to be along the way."

Well, I have reached the end of my Discipleship Training experience. Israel was a refreshing place. It is a beautiful country and we were able to spend a lot of time as a group praying for the nation and seeing many of the places Jesus has been. It is very nice to be back in Switzerland, but it is definitely different having new students around. It's very weird to me that everything is coming to an end and everyone will soon part ways. It has truly been an amazing five months that have changed my life. There is really no way to sum up everything into words. This time has definitely been a journey of growth. I can say though that through this experience I have grown most in hearing God's voice, realizing the authority I have in Christ, seeing the power of the Holy Spirit, learning to surrender, and discovering more of what an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus looks like. I know though that it is not over. It doesnt stop now. God is still working so much on my heart and shaping me more into the woman He wants me to be. Its a day to day journey.

So, what is next? I have a month break in Europe before i start the next program with YWAM. On April 4th, i will begin Biblical Core Course. This is an in depth study and reading of the Bible for 3 months. I know that I am supposed to do this course and that it will build a stronger foundation under my feet. I dont really know exactly how I will be paying for this...but i do know that God always pays for His good ideas. So that is the brief and quick update of my life. I really cant wait for the day when i can see all of your faces again. Thank you for your prayers and support. It means so much.

Well, i am back in good ole' Cairo. It was nice to have a week of not hearing the sound of a million cars or people shouting in the streets. The past 6 days were very eventful:
After an 11 hour car ride and many stops, my group finally arrived to our site in the desert. We were greeted by Beduoin men who had set up our tents and started a fire. We had an amazing dinner, while being serenaded with live egyptian music and dancing. serious dancing. It was classic and i have never laughed so hard watching an egyptian. We woke up the next morning with our faces and bodies completely covered in sand. Then, we got in the car and spent the day going to different Beduoin villages. It was such a cultural shock to see how these people lived and what they call home. But, we had such a fun time just playing with the kids and speaking with them using the little arabic that we know. We again had amazing food. Egyptians seriously are so hospitable.
The next day was my favorite day by far. We rode camels for an hour and a half! This part of the desert was beautiful and we stayed there until late in the evening with the Beduoin men from the first night. The whole sky was covered in stars and we took a 25 minute walk through the desert to get to our car, with the crazy men singing and playing the instruments. probably will never have a moment like this again in my life.
So, let me quickly just tell you about our driver. His name was Fadre. He was obsessed with shooting pigeons...so obsessed that while he was driving...he would have one hand holding his gun and the other holding the steering wheel. Whenever he saw a whole bunch of birds he would stop the car, stick his gun out of the window, and shoot at the birds. ha. He actually got a couple of them and then he would get out of the car and bring them back. We ate some for dinner. definitely interesting.
Onto the rest of the time:
The last couple of days we spent in an Egyptian village. We stayed with a family from the church. This is when we finally were able to do ministry and evangelize because an egyptian policeman was with us for the first couple of days so we were not allowed to do anything that had to do with Christianity (because it is illegal to evangelize here). It was so hard to leave this village because we felt so welcomed there. It was such a warm and hospitable place. We were surrouned by farms and animals. When we would walk through the village, tons of people would just invite us into their homes to visit. I probably had 5 cups of tea in one day.
So, overall...it was a great 6 days. Im still dealing with the language barrier. I just hate how i cant sit down with people and hear about their lives because it is hard to just communicate here. But, i cant change it. im just learning to embrace this experience. So there you have it!
2 1/2 more weeks in cairo and then i leave for israel! Its crazy that this experience is coming to an end. hope you are all doing well! have a great day.

Hello! So it has been a busy past couple of days. My team leaves for the desert tomorrow. We have an 11 hour van ride. We are staying in the desert for 3 nights and then will go to the another city to do some church ministry. I will have to write about more details when i get back next weekend.
So, Garbage city housecleaning this week was an interesting experience. Me and one of the guys from my team cleaned a bedroom. We pulled the blankets and boards off the bed and under the bed was every kind of trash you could ever imagine and tons of rat poop. There was a huge pile of trash between the wall and the bed.....so i decided to take on the challenge of sweeping it all out. As i swept...something in the pile started to move..and it ended up being a HUGE rat. The rat ran out but there were still a whole lot of little rats. The guy told us we had to kill them. I was thinking in my head, "does he want us to kill it will our hands or something?" i had no idea what he meant and had no idea what to do. I ended up sweeping out the rats and then the guy i was working with would catch them in his hands (we had gloves on) and he would throw them really hard out the window against the wall. A total of 6 rats were killed. Definitely will be a story that i will not forget.
Another night we had a ministry at a church and in the beginning of the service all of the lights went out. We ended up lighting a whole bunch of candels and it was so cool to have a service in candel light. We have been doing a lot of church ministry and just challenging and encouraging the Christian churches in Egypt. It really has taught me a lot. Im still working with the whole language barrier thing...but i know that it is good for me to experience.
Anyway, i need to get going but i just wanted to update you a little bit before i left for the desert. Here is a verse that encouraged me this morning: "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." prov. 2:1-5

Here are a couple of pictures!

The man holding up the peace sign is our translater named Abraham.

Hanna is our driver and he is the picture of the man by himself. He is amazing and i love him.

Then, there is the picture of the streets of Garbage City just to give you an idea.

There is a picture of me at the mosque and then a picture of the mosque inside.

The other two pictures are at the Colleseum.

The last one is at the house of a family at one of the churches we went to.

well. hello. where to start? ive concluded that it is impossible to express everything that happens in my time here. So, Im just going to randomly start typing what comes into my head in this time:
First thing: i have really been learning about walking in the confidence and authority of Christ. Let me explain. So, we do a couple of ministries where we go to churches and give a couple of messages/testimonies, sing, do dramas...pretty much lead a service. I was always a little hesitant to stand up and give a testimony or message to all the people. I was more of a sit in the pews and pray and encourage the ones that were speaking kind of person. Anyway, one night we went to this church and i had no intention of speaking. However, there was a story and verse that kept coming into my mind so strongly. It was the verse about the deer panting for streams of water and thirsting for God. So, i was like, "God, if you really want me to share this...show me where this verse is." I opened my Bible and i was like, "shoot." Because right in front of my face was psalm 42, which is the verse i was thinking about. Long story short...i ended up speaking and it was such a revelation for me because God completely used me to give the message he wanted the people to hear. God can use anyone to speak, its just a matter of stepping out with the right heart and obeying. We have so much more power than we think as a believer in Christ. seriously. "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God."-2 Cor. 3:4-5. Im still learning and growing in this area for sure, but im discovering the confidence that i do have in Christ and being more challenged to step out in that confidence and be used by Him.
Second story: We have a day set aside where no ministries are planned. On this day we usually spend a lot of time together as a team worshipping and praying. Then, if we feel like God is telling us to go anywhere...we go. So, a couple of us felt like we were supposed to go to the mosque. When we got there we read the story of Joshua and the wall of Jericho. Just how God broke down the walls of Jericho, I really believe that God is going to break down the walls of Isalm in this country. All of us decided to walk around the mosque 7 times like in the Bible and just pray. Then, a couple of us went inside. It was just such a powerful experience.
Third story: We went to Garbage city again for the house cleaning. However, each house that we were supposed to clean ended up falling through. Either they werent home or they didnt want their house to be cleaned. So....instead we walked through the streets of Garbage city and went to different houses of Christian families and prayed with them. We ended up staying for about an hour at one house and just visiting with the family and having tea. I am so glad we were able to do this. I love going to Garbage city because now a lot of the people recognize us and we have formed relationships with the people there.
General: My small team of 8 leaves for the desert on Monday the 5th. We are staying for 6 days but dont really know exactly what we will be doing yet. The other team is there now. Its weird not having 17 people around, but its kind of nice to have more space and less sound. My lice is officially gone..but a little girl was sitting on my lap yesterday and her head was COVERED with lice....so...im just going to keep using that shampoo. yaa.
anyway, its crazy that i have been in Egypt for 6 weeks now. The times is going by so fast. I cant believe that i wont be at home for another 5 months! 9 months is a long time to be away. I know that i wont be the same and neither will everyone else when i return. Its exciting though and i guess thats just the way life goes. i definitely miss you all though! So, i hope you all have a great day!
"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." -psalm 36:9

Hello! So, I am going to try my best to recap the past two weeks with general bullet points:
- We had the opportunity to volunteer at a Sudanese medical screening with the church we have been attending. A total of 2,000 kids went through the screening in four days. Our job was to entertain the kids after they had gone through. We taught them worship songs and told them Bible stories. I loved it so much. The L.A. ywam team was also there, so it was nice to get to know them and work with them in those couple of days.
- A couple of us girls went to a girls orphanage. They were all in their pajamas and we were just able to love on them and teach them songs and play games. I really hope to go back there and continue to form relationships with them.
- We have done a couple of different ministries in Garbage City. This is the place where all of the trash in Cairo is placed and where many people call home. We spent a day going into the different homes and visiting with the people. It was difficult because we didnt have a translator but we were able to just worship and pray with them.
-We also did house cleaning in Garbage City. This was probably one of my favorite ministries. It definitely was eye opening to see the places that people live. At one home we had to climb over bags of trash to get to the steps that went up to the room. As we walked up the steps we just saw a whole bunch of pigs down below. For a bed...the older lady had layers of card board, shredded blankets, and random pieces of newspapers. Her whole bed and house had rat poop all over it. Although it was challenging, I loved being able to make their home clean...to some extent...and bless them in this way.
-On Friday night we went to a church which was amazing. we had no idea what to expect and were planning on doing one of our dramas. However, when we walked in the room...it had about the capacity to hold 15 people. There was no space for a drama. But, God totally had other plans in mind and we were just able to worship and pray with these people. They blessed us so much.
- These past couple of days we were able to go to a place called Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea. We had a time of rest and evaluation. It was so nice and refreshing to spend time encouraging and praying for one another. I had no intention of swimming in the Mediterranean because i didnt have a swim suit...but when i saw the waves a couple of us couldnt resist and just went in with our clothes. it was the best decision i could have made.
- We spent last night at another ywam base in egypt. It was so different. There were only 8 out of the 28 students that spoke english and everything was translated. I have just realized how blessed i am with the group that i have and the fact that i was able to be in switzerland for my lecture phase. God completely had his hand in forming our group and directing me to that base.
- We went to the Mother Theresa Orphanage and i spent the whole morning doing laundry. It is just so crazy that everything has to be hand washed and hung on clothes lines. Its a humbling experience for sure knowing that people do that everyday.

Soooooo.....wow that is a lot of information. I will not be offended if you just completely skimmed that whole segment...i just wanted to update you with specific ministries. I know i forgot a couple of things but that concludes my update.

Random facts:
1. Im convinced that the average driver here uses his horn about 65 times a day. But, seriously, our driver told me that he needs to get a horn change every 3 months.
2. Somehow...i have received head lice. yaaa.....
3. Crossing the street here is a challenge. Cars really dont believe in stopping for people or in lanes.
4. I bought a coffee for 25 cents this morning.
5. There is an insane amount of stray cats here.
6. Im slowly getting better at my Arabic.

"For you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you." -psalm 9:10. Continue to pray for the unity of our ministry group. I am half way done with my time in Egypt and then we leave for Israel. crazy. Hope you all have a great week!

So i was finally able to upload some pictures! Here is my group at the pyramids of Giza that we were able to see yesterday.
Random facts:
1. Apparently the pollution here is equal to smoking one pack of cigarettes a day.
2. The name "Beth" is said as "Bes" when i introduce myself which in arabic means "enough or be quiet." So, the average person laughs when i tell them my name.
3. The call that the muslim people have 5 times a day is quite loud but it hasnt bothered me yet. Its starting to just become a natural part of my day.

Im really starting to enjoy my time here. It was hard in the beginning to adjust to everything because it is SO different. It really is a whole new world here, but it is starting to feel more like my home.
We have found a really good English church to go to on Fridays. It is just so nice to be able to sing and hear the message in my own language and also to meet people from the United States that have been called to Egypt. Later on Friday, we ran into the other ywam team from L.A. We had a time of worship and prayer with them. I met a girl that went to my university in indiana! it was so random. When i asked her what college she had gone to in the states and she said Anderson...i pretty much completely freaked out at her. she probably thought i was quite weird...but i found it to be a nice connection that we shared.
On Thursday nights we have started to read through the New Testament as a group. I really look forward to these times of just sitting in our cozy area and reading out loud for a couple of hours with each other. I really see our team becoming more unified. It is just so cool to see each person growing.
We went to the Mother Theresa orphanage again this week. I spent the whole morning washing clothes by hand. Its hard not being able to talk a lot with the girls that i am with...but again i am just learning to serve through my actions. We visited the homes of Sudanese Refugees again and i loved it! I had no idea what i was going to say when i got to their home but by the time it was my turn to talk...the words just started to come. It was such a reminder to me that it is really not about what i say but just about allowing God to speak through me and to use me in the way he wants. I was so encouraged by them as well and it was such a different experience for me this time.
Anyway, i have to get going but i want to leave you with the verses that encouraged me yesterday:
" For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to FILL YOU with the KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL through all spiritual WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING. And we pray this in order that you may live a life WORTHY of the Lord and may please him in every way: BEARING FRUIT in every good work, GROWING in the knowledge of God, BEING STRENGTHENED with ALL POWER according to his glorious might so that you may have great ENDURANCE and PATIENCE, and JOYFULLY GIVING THANKS to the Father, who has QUALIFIED you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." -col. 1: 9-12
That has not only been a prayer i have made for myself, but for you as well. i love you all.

"My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God...no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you." -psalm 84:2,11-12
It has been an interesting week. I cant really describe in words what has been going on, but i do know that there is so much more God wants to do in our group. Its been challenging not to get caught up in routine, but remember that we are here for God to use us and love these people. God wants to show our group so much more. He wants us to be a refreshing wind and not just follow in the footsteps of past ywam teams. We are still trying to seek out Gods direction for the ministries we are supposed to do. Im constantly being reminded that i need to die to my own expectations and comfort, that i just need to be willing to do anything, that i need to love others more than myself, and to make the most of each day.
I was really challenged when i read about God being the vine and we are his branches. Ive realized that we need only to remain in God and the fruit will come. We do not need to be focused on the fruit we will produce...but we only need to focus on REMAINING in God. Daily seeking Him and His direction. I know God is growing me up in this time. I know there is so much more he has in store, so much more he wants to do, so much more of his power he wants to show us.
Some random highlights of the week:
1. A Muslim holiday was celebrated last week and there were hundreds of animals that were sacrificed in the streets. i think it was the first time i have seen a live sacrifice...hopefully my last.
2. New years was interesting: I had my first proposal. Didnt really know how to react...he was quite serious about taking me as his wife though. I had to reject the offer even though apparently the man had lots of goats.
3. Our group went to a Mosque yesterday. It was such a heavy spirit that you could feel there. We walked around and prayed for the area. We tried to go inside but it was very busy yesterday, so we are going back another day.
4. We met two other ywam groups when we were sitting in a coffee shop at the mall. It was so random but so good. You can kind of pick out when people are from ywam...they stick out a little bit. It was nice to talk with the other groups though and hear what is going on.
Thats all i can think of right now. Please keep my group in your prayers. This verse encouraged and challenged me to seek God more: "You will seek me and FIND me when you seek me with ALL of your heart."

merry christmas! it has definitely been a different christmas for me this year. We were able to take the weekend off and go to a hotel on the Red Sea. It has been a nice, warm and beachy christmas....but i do miss the snow. It was hard being away from family but the people here made it so much easier. i know that i am where i am supposed to be.
Last week was a busy week with all of the different ministries each day. We went back to the mother theresa orphanage and i was able to work with the kids with disabilities. im still so amazed by the people who dedicate every day to serve in this way. The next day we went to a Christian boys orphanage. They were from the ages of 10-18 and spoke english very well. it was so nice not to have an interpreter. we played a huge soccer game and it was so much fun. Another day we went to a school where we performed our dramas and led kids in worship songs. Another night we went to a Sudanese refugee home. That was really eye opening and hard for me. Most of them were christians and we went to their house to visit them and give them a message. I gave my testimony on how i became a christian. It was hard for me because i was thinking about the fact that here i am this girl from the western world that has pretty much been in a bubble my whole life and i am supposed to give a message to these people that have been ripped away from their country and family and still believe and love the lord so much. man, i should be getting a message from them! i know that this ministry is going to teach me so much and God is not only going to use me but use them as well.
I know i am all over the place with my writing....i always feel so rushed when i check my email because i only have a limited amount of time. We are all heading back to cairo tomorrow and starting our ministries again on wednesday. It is definitely tiring and exhausting doing ministry every day...but i have realized that i am here. I am here for a reason and i just want to show these people Gods love. The language barrier can be frustrating sometimes because i just wish i could express myself without having an interpreter or feeling like they dont understand what i am saying, but i know that God is teaching me something here. i just need to surrender my comfort in this time. This is where im at and this is where i will be for the next 2 1/2 months.
well, my time is almost up. thanks again for your prayers! have a beautiful day!

greetings from egypt!
i am currently sitting in probably the sketchiest internet cafe in cairo, however, i am safely protected by 3 guys from my team. just thought i would let you know. so,, we finally made it here. We were suppose to have a 4 hour lay over in rome but our flight to cairo ended up getting cancelled because of a strike going on. But, God completely blessed us with a free night in rome at a hotel with amazing food. It was so nice to be able to spend a couple of hours in rome and have a good nights rest. We had a direct flight to cairo in the morning.
We have two apartments that we are staying in that are so much better than i expected. One of the leaders from ywam owns them and ywamers stay in them 4 times a year. I feel like my team will really become more like a family after living with each other, cooking meals together, and doing chores around the house....even using the bathroom when we all get sick on the food. should be exciting.
This morning was our first ministry experience. We were able to go to the mother teresa orphanage where there were disabled kids, babies, and elderly people. I was assigned to the babies and they now pretty much have my whole heart. It was amazing. There were about 4 of us working with 15 babies. We held them, fed them, prayed for them, and sang to them. I could probably go on forever about the precious children and i just want to get back there. Then i was able to pray with an elderly woman for some time. Its hard when i only know a couple of words in arabic...but i am slowly learning.
It is such a different culture here. We are not allowed to go anywhere unless we have a guy with us. Girls can not look at men in the face and we are definitely not supposed to smile. As you all know...that is quite challenging for me. Ive already made that mistake a couple of times...but i am trying....its just hard after smiling for the past 20 years and then all of a sudden turning that off....yaaa.
We found this amazing smoothie place with fresh fruit and you can get a huge smoothie for less than 50 cents. I love the american dollar.
So that is the update at the moment....i am pretty much dying from all of the smoke around me right now so i think i need to get out of here. I will not be able to right in this blog often..but hopefully once in awhile i can update you all. Continue to pray that my team will develop Gods heart for the muslim people. Thank you all for your support and prayers. have a beautiful day!

hello everyone!
this may be the last time in a while that i write in my blog. I dont know how often i will be able to get on the internet once i am in Egypt. I leave on friday at 4 am from this base...our plane leaves at 6 or 7...one of those. This week has gone by so fast and has been full of learning dramas, preparing, packing, and trying to spend as much time as possible with the people we are not going to see for 2 1/2 months. Its hard to believe that the DTS phase of this experience is over. It has been amazing. I am definitely ready to apply everything i have learned here and be a part of a whole new culture.
This morning at 5 am my room was serenaded by people dressed in white outfits, with wreath candle things on their heads, who were handing out cookies. Apparently, it was a Norweigen holiday today...i dont know how to spell that word.....but it was a very different experience that i greatly enjoyed.
I got accepted to the Biblical Core Course today, so i am definitely going to stay for an extra three months.
So, im kind of all over the place right now because there are a million things going on at the moment...but i just wanted to give a quick update. Thank you for your prayers and i will try my best to write updates every couple of weeks! love you all. have a great christmas!

So i have failed at the whole write in the blog once a week thing. I will try my best to summarize the past....hmm...two and a half weeks.
"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord, Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you."
This verse has been very encouraging to me as we get ready for outreach. I leave in 10 days! It is crazy to think that i will soon be in Egypt and sad to think that half of the people that have become my family will be in two other countries. The DTS phase has gone by so fast! It hasnt really hit me yet. We have been learning some Arabic as a team and getting things organized before we go. I do not know exactly what we will be doing, but i know for sure we will be working in an orphanage and refugee camp for part of the time. If you could just be praying for the unity of our team. There are 17 of us living in one house, but thankfully we are split into two ministry teams. Its a really good team though. Today we started the "no physical contact practice" because pretty much the only way we can touch the opposite sex in egypt is by placing our hand on their elbow. should be interesting....maybe a little difficult.

Thanksgiving was a good time. We had a celebration here and the americans put on a thanksgiving skit (which included indians, pilgrims, and a turkey) to make sure that the other cultures knew what it was all about. It was hard being away from family, but if i had to do thanksgiving any other way it would have been exactly the way we had it here. This place has really become my home.

Big News in my life: I am staying an extra three months! One of the base leaders here talked to our class about the Biblical Core Course. It is a course where you read through the whole Bible in three months and learn tools to dig deeper. When he started to talk about it more, I was drawn to the idea. The Word of God is supposed to be a foundation in my life and the most important book...yet i havent even read through it all and there is so much i do not know. I want to discover more of what i believe based on the Bible, not based on what i have heard. I know that this is what i am supposed to be doing and it is so exciting that God has made that clear. The school starts on april 4th and goes until june 24th. So, that is pretty much the update in my life at the moment. Its been a crazy journey but probably one of the best decisions i have made in my life so far.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this."
Pray that I will become a woman of faith. I want to fully trust in the Lord. What is the impossibility that God is going to challenge you with? It is us who decides how much of god we want in our life.

"Into your hands i commit again all i am for you Lord. You hold my world in the palm of your hand. And i am yours forever. I'll walk with you where you go through tears and joy. I'll trust you and i will live in all of your ways and your promise forever. Jesus I believe in you. Jesus i belong to you. You're the reason that i live, the reason that i sing with all i am."

The weeks are going by faster and faster. I know that i am growing and changing, but sometimes i dont realize it because everything is going by so fast. This week had a lot of ups and downs. We had a different speaker everyday. On Friday morning, God completely took a hold of my heart. Our morning plans were to pray with the whole class. Honestly, that morning I was just not in the mood for prayer..wasnt really in the mood for people. But, as we started to pray, God totally started to move. Ive realized that i have been at the same level with God my whole life...granted it has been a comfortable and good level....but i knew in my heart there was so much more. He has just been tugging and waiting for me to allow him to show me how more there is. The power of the Holy Spirit has been something that i have limited in my life...something i have put into a box. However, we have the opportunity to recieve gifts that God wants us to have and we shouldnt be afraid of that power. We had a long time of confession, song, reading verses, and prayer. One of my leaders came up to me and prayed with me. The Holy Spirit became more real to me than ever before. I know this is just the beginning of a whole new aspect of my relationship with God. Its exciting. crazy.

General: 1. it is not cold here yet...definitely thought there would be snow by now.
2. i wish everyone could experience a ywam
3. i got starbucks yesterday in my independent day trip to the city. i paid 7.40 francs
for a grande. yaaa.. go check out that exchange rate.
4. i leave on the 15th for egypt!
5. i still cant speak french. arabic might be a problem too.
6. i experienced a true swiss pub last night and watched a rugby game. i promise no
drinking occured even though i am legal here.
7. we are puting on a huge thanksgiving celebration.
8. God is bigger than you think. Don't be afraid to discover more.

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." psalm 73:26
"Teach me your ways so I may know you." exodus 33:13
This past week we talked about three main topics: The tabernacle, evangelism, and fear of the Lord. I was really challenged in all of these topics. I didn't really realize how blessed I am to live in the time that I do. In the Old Testament, sacrificing animals and going through long rituals was required whenever you wanted to be in God's prescence. But now, because of Christ...the ultimate sacrifice...we are able to have a personal relationship with Him and invite him to be a part of our every day. God wants us to be intimate with him, he wants us to tell him our secrets. What am i holding onto? What am i not surrendering? I was just really challenged by the fact that there are so many other things that i live for, when really our purpose in life is to love God. Am i trusting in God's ability or my own? Do i truly believe that his ways are higher than mine?The cost you give something shows how much you value it.

So, I cant believe this is my 7th week. It has gone by so fast, and i am more than half way done with my lecture phase! I love the community here. On Thursday night we had a big bonfire with soup, bread, cookies, and hot chocolate. Then on Saturday we had a cafe night where people shared songs and other random talents. Its hard not to think about where i am headed after ywam. I know that God will direct my steps...its just whether or not he will direct them to college or further down the ywam road. I just want to live to my fullest potential. I want to fully trust in God....and i dont feel like i am doing that. There are still things i am holding onto. I need to surrender. Surrender my rights and my dreams....because Gods plans are so much bigger than my own.

Hello everyone! It has been a busy past two weeks with talking about the character of God, deciding our outreach locations, and getting to see some different cities. The foundations of my beliefs and faith were shaken quite a bit when i was learning about the character of God. Ive realized more and more how much i have limited the power of God. Here are some things that made me think: do you use who God is to judge your theology or your theology to judge who God is? If God has never failed, is there reason to think He will fail us in the future? We are all predestined to become sons and daughters of God...some people reject their destiny. I wish i could go into everything that challenged me and what i learned...but i realize that it would take a very long time.
This past week we spent a lot of time reading through Genesis and Exodus in small groups. We didnt have a speaker until Thursday and she talked about cultural differences. It was a good thing to hear as we prepare to leave for outreach in Decemeber. I am going to Egypt/Israel! The past Friday they announced our three possible locations: Taiwan, Indonesia, and Egypt/Israel. We were not allowed to talk to people here about it, but just encouraged to pray. When i first saw the countries i was immediately attracted to Taiwan and Indonesia. I DID NOT think i would end up going to Egypt. BUT, God showed me that He had different plans. The whole week egypt/israel was the only thing that continued to stay on my heart. He gave me some crazy confirmation and i know now that Egypt is where i am supposed to go. My group is 17 people! Since we have the biggest group we will probably be splitting up into two teams. Its so good to finally know where i am going to be next!
Onto the general: A couple of days ago, some of us found a chapel near by that is on top of a hill. We decided to get pizza one night and watch the sunset..it was beautiful...and now im obsessed with the chapel. Yesterday, I went to Lucern. I am so glad that i got to see that city. We were able to just walk around and spend all day there. Im loving every minute of this place. I continue to just realized how blessed i am to be able to experience everything i am experiencing here. Thank you so much for being a part of the process that got me here. Have a good week!

http://www.ywamlausanne.com/content/view/196/215/lang,en/
click on this link if you want to see the rest of my group!

When i look back at this past week it feels like all of the activity that happened should have been in a three week time period. Our base accidently overbooked speakers so we actually had two speakers this week. One spoke on who we are in the morning and the other spoke on identity at night. Our night speaker was actually in L.A. and we set up a webcam and big screen at the front. I didn't even know that our world was capable of technology like that..but it was quite a new and amusing experience for me.
Here are some things from the week that challenged me: if we dont know who God has made us to be it will affect every area of our life, Hell knows more about your potential in Christ than you do and trys to do everything to prevent you from discovering it, it is in Christ that you find out who you are and what you are living for, God will never accept you more or less than He does now, there are no failures in the kingdom of God but all of God's children fail, unforgiveness imprisons you in the past and destroys the possibility of change, and IF YOU COULD JUST SEE THE WAY GOD SEES YOU. My favorite quote was this: "I pray that your life will be as wonderful as it was in God's mind when He created you." It was really good to just be reminded that God made me a certain way for a reason and it is not until you become confident and content with that truth that God can really show you your true potential.
Onto the general: A couple of us took a trip to a castle ( i dont remember the name...sorry!) but it was so beautiful. We did a lot of walking that day but it was worth it to see more of Switzerland. I am learning how to play the guitar. Should be interesting. Ive figured this is a good time to finally learn and there are people willing to teach me. I went for a 10 mile bike ride yesterday through the beautiful fall forest that is behind our base. Fall is definitely my favorite season in life. I just got done with my work duty and got to iron a bunch of table cloths and sheets. Ive concluded that the steam button is the best invention ever. Finally, two problems have come to my attention: 1. i am officially addicted to chocolate and 2. i cant speak French. Ya...that pretty much covers everything.

Hello strangers! I feel like it has been so long since i have last written. I am just going to give some highlights of my week. Everything has started to unfold. We have work duties everyday for 2 hours. My work duty is hospitality which includes all sorts of things like: baking, making cards, changing and cleaning rooms for our guests, and creating welcome baskets. We also have interest groups each Monday. The group that i chose out of art, music, and drama was music. I chose that one because i just want to worship...but i dont exactly know what we will be doing. My local outreach every other week is to a home of refuge. From the moment the kids saw us they started to climb all over our backs and shoulders. Its funny because they all speak french and i cant understand a thing they say. I find myself adding a french accent to my english hoping they will understand what i say. yaaa...doesnt work.
Our speaker this past week was amazing. It was so cool to see how God spoke through her and how each person took away something different. One thing that challenged me the most was when she started talking about Adam and Eve. When sin came into the world, Eve's desire turned from God to man. I realized how much in the past that has been true for me...when really, God should be our desire first. He is the one who knows our heart better than we know our own. On Friday, there was a wooden cross at the front of the room. We were able to do whatever we wanted in that time whether it be read, journal, pray, or go to the cross. Most people wrote things down on a piece of paper and laid it at the cross. It was such a strong visual about how we can lay our sins at the cross. We cant change what we have done. However, we can be forgiven. Our rejection can turn to acceptance, our shame to glory, our death to life, our fear to love, our curse to a blessing, our fallen state to a new creation ALL THROUGH THE CROSS. I can't even really explain what is going on here. I just know that i have already been challenged so much in just a week and a half of being here. I have never been so content and i really just know that i am here for a reason.
Onto the general: We got to play capture the flag in the forest at night. It was pretty intense. At one point, me and a guy FROM MY TEAM had a full on collision because he thought i was on the other team and i thought he was on the other team and we were both near the flag. Somehow we got really confused and both ended up on the ground. My group got to go to the city of Bern yesterday. It is such a cool city. We were able to go to the cathedrals and all of the little shops. I think it is my favorite so far. So that is all i can think of at the moment. Here is the verse i will leave you with: "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God. He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, o people, pour out your hearts to Him for God is our refuge." -psalm 62:5-8
Till next week!

Here are some pictures! It takes awhile to upload pictures here, so i dont know how often i will be doing it. You can definitely count on a good mountain picture though. The mountains havent been too clear because of the weather.
On Thursday night we had a "Swiss Night." We were introduced to all of the great things in switzerland...mmm yummy fondue: cheese and chocolate. (i think i stood at those tables about 10 minutes each.. Today, groups of us went to the city of Lausanne for the day. Our first speaker is coming on Monday and our lecture phase will begin. She is speaking on the cross. I'm loving it here!

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37:7
I can't even explain what has been happening here. I am just so content, so amazed by this place and the passion people have for God. This morning was such an emotional, amazing morning. Our speaker was talking about prayer and all of these crazy stories. He picked certain people out of the crowd and just started to speak to them. It was like God was telling him exactly what these people needed to hear. It made me cry just to watch the faces of the people he picked out in our group. I just had this overwhelming feeling of joy and Christ. It has only been 3 days, and i cant believe that i have 6 more months of this intense, stretching, growing experience. How big is my God? I know that i have to become so much less. I just know that God is going to exceed all the expectations i have. I'm taking each day at a time.

i am here! it is so beautiful...and im pretty sure i could live here for the rest of my life. there is just something about looking out of my bedroom window and seeing the beautiful mountains in the distance. I am glad that i made it here! i was supposed to have a 1 1/2 hour lay over in New Werk. My plane ended up arriving at the A gate at 6:02 pm and the flight to Switzerland was DEPARTING at 6:10 at the C gate...which is a much longer distance than i imagined it would be. thankfully, after sprinting for 30 seconds i found a nice man on one of those go carts and he drove me to my gate. my plane had already boarded but i made it just in time!
So, now I am here staying at a chalet...it is huge! i have to climb 7 flights of stairs to get to my room. i counted them today...i will probably develop some massive leg muscles by the end. ps. this keyboard is completely screwed up....for instance..the y button has a z and the z has a y but it still comes out the same and there are A LOT of commands that i dont know how to do. so i will try to avoid using sentences that need them.
anyway, our group of 31 makes up 10 different nations! i have never been surrounded by so much diversity in my life...we have people from new zealand, mexico, germany, canada, america, the netherlands, indonesia, australia, korea..and im forgetting one. The ages range from 17 to 29. its so great. There are other schools going on here too right now so there are probably about 100 people at this base. All of our base meetings have a Korean translator because there is a Korean school going on here right now too. So far its mainly been introductions, but we had amazing worship this morning. For some reason i woke up at 5;15 am and could not go back to bed. you would think after staying up for 32 hours straight i would have no problem sleeping...but for some reason i did. it was kind of nice though because no one else was awake and i just went up to the attic where there is a prayer room... it was raining otherwise i would have been outside. This verse stood out to me "And this is my prayer; that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ." My hope in this time is that i will fall more in love with God and discover more of who i am in Him and also develop a selfless love for others.
So, that is the update right now. hopefully, i can put some pictures up soon. thank you all so much for your prayers and support.

well. i officially leave today. don't really know whats going on...seriously. I'm definitely excited...definitely hasnt fully processed yet. Don't really know when it will. I'm just ready. Its happening, and I can't stop it from finally becoming a reality. I dont really think im going to be sleeping tonight.......

So, I found out that the final count of my group is 31 students! Just last month it was 21. a lot of people just signed up in a little amount of time. crazy. but hey, timing i guess doesnt always matter if you are supposed to be somewhere. Its just encouraging to look back at the process of all of this and see how it came together so perfectly. I can't wait to hear other peoples stories....
Well, I have 5 days before I leave. almost 4. It still hasn't exactly hit me yet. I feel like I have just been busy trying to get everything together that I havent really stopped to think about it all. I'm really excited...maybe a little nervous too :) I'm just ready to get going and finally be there. I just hope that I will make the most of each day and the experiences I have there. I have always been so quick to jump into the next step and think about what I am going to do next that I do not always focus on the chapter of my life that I am in right now. I know that these next 6 months will never come again. I dont want to be worrying about where I am going to go to school next or what I am going to do when I come back in March. I just want to focus on the present and allow God to use me and shape me. This is a verse that encouraged me today:
"Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:4-5. That is my prayer.

First post. man. It's crazy because right now this website is practically empty....but I know that seven months from now i am going to be able to look back and see everything that i did and everything that i learned. I have no idea what to expect. Pretty much right now it is completely surreal. seriously. 100% surreal. I know that I am supposed to be doing ywam, and its amazing to see how it has all come together....the support, the preparation, the details, but it hasnt hit me that for six months i am going to be in a completely different place with 20 other people that are strangers to me now. craziness, thats all i can say. A month from now I am going to be stepping on a plane, looking back one more time to see my parents waving behind me, and then looking forward, realizing that i have this whole unknown in front of me... I'm just really ready. Ready to discover who I am. Ready to really be challenged on what it is that i believe. I know that my heart is in a good place for that right now and its exactly where God wants it to be before i start this new experience. He sees the bigger picture. so, im going to stop there. thats pretty much all i can say. AND...i think im going to be a big fan of this whole online journaling thing.