"Gist" enough to get by.

What an interesting week I've had so far! Here's the gist of it:

Sunday, 2AM: Power is out.

We live in the middle of nowhere. Therefore, our power is not a priority. Also, when our power dies, the water system calls it quits, as well as the wifi and most people's heating. So the base woke up to cold, dark, parched isolation on Sunday morning.

What an adventure it was! We were blessed blessed blessed with a non-centralized heating system that held up through the storm (we had a few people leech the heat) and a gas stove - the latter coming especially in handy as we roasted marshmallows for s'mores and toasted bagels with Nutella by candlelight - using chopsticks as skewers. What a great time!

We definitely socialized more, which is sort of sad to see that the internet really does suck time from us, but we played boardgames with the guys and watched a movie on the remaining
batteries of a couple laptops and roasted more s'mores than we needed. It was really fun!

Partially due to the power outage, and partially due to some family stuff he needed to be home for, we only had this week's speaker for two days! This was our week on spiritual gifts, important stuff, so we just doubled the class time on Tuesday and Wednesday and then said good bye. Ken Bluemel, a pastor of a church in Sacramento, was an excellent speaker for the time he was here, and we all were for sure encouraged, built up, and inspired with his teaching and application. We talked about baptism of the Spirit, the purpose of the gifts, and identifying gifts in ourselves. It was really fun, and my life was spoken into in huge ways yesterday.

And that's the gist. As for random snippets of information: We have another 300-or-so-attendees conference over this weekend, beginning today, and we had a tornado warning last night, which turned into some gusty wind, and not much more. Hoping to see some sunshine before we leave, though; January was a lot nicer weather than what we've been experiencing this month!

Two weeks until Spain, and we're excited and a little apprehensive. God is still working through some things, we're still working through some things, and plans are coming together. I'll post some more stuff about what outreach is looking like when it's not dinner time!

Ciao :)

March Madness

It's been a long while since I've blogged. Sorry for the gap! I didn't want to force a post.

So, first things first: Yes, we moved! Turns out that the Lodge was, well, sinking, and we weren't allowed to live in it. It's not "condemned," it just needs a little elbow grease. So we heard, "We're moving!" one evening, finished packing a couple of hours later, and moved the next morning. Fun change :)

We're in this great little house behind and down the hill from the big hotel. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open kitchen and living room. Michaela, Paola, and I upgraded! Our room is much bigger, and our attached bathroom is as well. The two ESL girls, Elaine and Rachel, have the other bed-bath combo, and Nelita and Kenzie share a smaller room. We love having a "real" kitchen with a stove and cupboards, and our living room (although we lost the real-wood fireplace) is cozier and perfect for movie watching.

My favourite part = the porch swing out front.

Things are getting set for outeach. We now know our destinations: Madrid, Sevilla, Málaga, and Torremolinos/Grenada. We're finally in contact with YWAM bases, churches, and ministries in each of those places, and things are getting set. One pastor is getting in touch with a gypsy pastor of a gypsy church in his city for us, which is thrilling: we weren't ever certain that we would in fact even meet a gypsy on this trip, being the "scouting" trip that it is.

God continues to speak, move, challenge... Challenge. I'm so glad for this. I'm so thankful I don't belong to a passive God. It's good, though; one major way God is changing my relationship with Him is the way He's affirming me, as I am. I love to find the flaws, find the fixable things, and look for solutions the way I see them.

Maybe I shared this earlier, but a type of breakthrough for me earlier on in the school was during the Father Heart of God week. One morning before class, I was reading somewhere in Paul's letters, and admitted out loud, "God delights in me?! I don't believe that, not really." All that week we learned how integral a part of His character that very thing is - His love for me, His joy in who He created me to be... it's not just true, it's true for me.

Hahaha. The Dr. Seuss book Oh, the Places You'll Go just jumped to mind. It's so wonderful. I came thinking I had a pretty good grip on this whole Christianity thing (and often still find myself thinking that), but the more time I spend looking for God instead of doctrine, service, or even worship music and Bible reading, the more I realize the shallowness of my faith and relationship with Him. Then I look to the promises I've been given (in His word and also ones spoken over me) and I have this mix of anticipation and bewilderment. Really? I'm going to be able to find You? encounter You? know You?

I can't wait for the places I'll go while I'm walking with Him. But that's another thing I'm being schooled in these days... be present. God's grace for me - it's not from yesterday, it's not for tomorrow - it's for the moment I'm in right now.

OK, and on top of all that, another little update: the team's learned (quickly!!) two YWAM dramas as well as two DRIMEs (thanks, Mr. Z!), I'm leading our small group tomorrow, and we all need to have a 10 min. "chapel talk" (mini-sermon) prepared for preaching in Spanish churches. Fun! We learned our second DRIME just this afternoon (Liquid, for those of you who are familiar with them), and we'll be practicing both in about 15 min. (The other is Silence.)

And that's enough of that!! Love you, probably miss you, and please keep OUTREACH FINANCES in your prayers... there's a bit of a mountain to climb for the family to be able to come with us.