Dear Hannah...

Today marks the start of an exciting adventure year.
Right now you're feeling overwhelmed, so many new things are on the horizon.

These coming months will be some of the best months of your life so far, hard to imagine I know.  Let me show you a glimpse into this coming year and you'll see what I mean.

Where do I even start?  How about this summer.

Your second year at Springhill, it's going to be such a crazy summer and this is only the beginning!  Right now, if you knew everything that was about to go down…  Ha.. You would say I'm lying and laugh in my face, even though I am you and this stuff is real soooo I'm not lying. Trust me.

Buckle your seat belt babe.

Remember who you are, your words hold so much power, don't be afraid to speak up.  Don't allow those nagging whispers to creep into your head and more importantly don't believe them!  Remember how valuable you are, a precious flower in His eyes.

There are going to be times when you feel overwhelmed, before Chicago, during plunge, after you're asked to join TST for the week.  Remember to breath, God has this all under control.  Releasing control and fully trusting Him can seem so scary but He can handle everything so much better than you can.

Another thing… Don't under estimate what can happen in twelve weeks, you will be surprised.  Some amazing relationships will come from this summer, treasure the time right now when you are together.  You will look back on fondness to the many nights of stargazing on the skate ramp and the raw conversations shared.

Also, those (quite a few) after camp texts from a certain someone… yeah your gut is right, he likes you.      In the coming months you will learn more about this crazy (in a good way) guy, you'll learn more him and his amazing heart for God and others.

Now, comes the fun part… YWAM

It all right now seem so intimidating, big and unknown, but stop worrying.  STOP.  These five months, you will look back on with wonder and awe; your view of God is going to explode; you will continue to grow into yourself and make friendships that you will treasure.

Hold onto the days, don't count them away but instead soak up every single second.  Sometimes you will wish for home and the comforts that come with it, realize the crazy opportunity you have right now.  Some day (very soon), you will dream about being back with your YWAM family.  Take captive these moments Hannah.

God has great plans for you and Him, God's going to reveal Himself in so many new ways!  Your heart is going to start beating for other nations, at times it seems daunting not knowing where you will end up.  But that's part of the exciting mystery of this new season of life, anything is possible with God!

India comes next,

Girlie, this is where you will get wrecked for life.  Don't fight it but embrace it.  Go through every moment in constant communication with Him, He is the only one who truly knows what your heart is going through.  Walk out in the boldness that you already have, most of the times you underestimate who you are.  STOP.  STOP IT RIGHT NOW.

Everyone has different strengths and just because your strengths don't look like everyone else's doesn't mean yours are any less important to the team.  Walk out FULLY in who God has created you to be.  Satan loves hearing those thoughts of doubt bouncing around in your heart, turn them over to your First Love.  Let Him speak into your soul showing you who you truly are,  you are not these stupid lies you have been believing.

Don't be afraid to be 150% present, it's intense and can feel heavy, too hard to handle and causes your heart strife.  Feel anyway, pour out love when you can't give anymore, that's one of the beautiful things about fully loving.  Don't hold anything of yourself back, you are here for a reason, the people you encounter are the exact people who need what you have to offer in that moment.

Your heart will never be the same after these eight amazing weeks.  God knows what He's doing when you feel like you're breaking.  Right when you feel like you can't continue, He fill you up with love.  His love, love so raw and pure it meets them right where they are, doing nothing to earn the purest love.    The street kids; women in the rehab clinic; children in the slums; lepers outcasted by society, they all will be changed by an encounter of His love.

Love well Hannah, don't let a moment slip away from you.  Love without limitations.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This next chapter of life is going to be amazing.  Get ready.

Dreamland

It all seems like a dream now. The smells. The people. The tastes. The sounds. All lost somewhere in my memory. 

Oh India, come back to me.

Post India Thoughts

A full month has passed since I have come home….. And I still don't know where to start, how to convey with meager words all that has transpired in the last five months.  And I'm okay with it, I've got the rest of my life to unpack everything, to explore every nook and cranny of my India.

Now wherever I go, I take a piece of India with me, the stories and faces I've learned to love forever engraved onto my heart.

I blinked and now I'm here

Where to begin…

Lecture phase of my DTS is finished, and still haven't been able to fully process half of it.

On the 21st I came home for Christmas, we had many different kinks thrown our way but we made it through!  

Tomorrow morning I will be heading back to Orlando, reuniting with my team and going over last minutes details.

On January first I will be flying to INDIA!!  Oh my goodness am I excited to see what God has in store for our eight weeks

Welp, that's the short of it.  Hopefully (can't give any promises) I will be able to update ya'll from time to time.

Fish sticks Bowl 2013

Here at YWAM Orlando, we have a tradition…. Fish Sticks Bowl.  Each year on Thanksgiving afternoon the whole base will divide, North (black) South (red) for a flag football game.  Since I am from the North I should have worn black, but since many of my good friends are from the South I became Southern for the day and it was quite fun!  

The North came out on top, and I was happy. :)

Daffodils

This past week at YWAM, one of our afternoons was spent doing Original Design and my mind was blown!  Original design is when someone prays over you, asking God to reveal to them how He has made this specific person special and unique in His eyes.

I was anxious to see what they got, excited to hear how He views me.  One of the words they got was Daffodil, they weren't sure how this played out specifically for me, I did.

After I was born, I had to be in the NICU due to my lungs not being fully developed.  One morning, while my Mom was getting ready to be with me at the hospital, she saw four daffodils in our garden.  One daffodil for each member of the family including me, to her this was a special promise from God that I was going to pull through this.

Knowing this, I knew daffodils were somehow special, I looked up what they meant, daffodils are among the first flowers to poke through the weary winter, the first bright color against a pallet of brown and grey.  Daffodils are joy and a source of joy to others.

My prayer is this, that I may continue to be a daffodil in my Creator's sight, bringing joy to Him and those around me.

YWAM Orlando Photo DTS Part 1

Hello WORLD!!  I am here, Montverde, Florida has become my home (for the next three months)!  We have only had classes for a week and already God has been recking me, I can't wait to see how He will continue to open my view of Him and mold me more into His image.  

Because I am doing the photography Discipleship Training School, I have weekly photo assignments that have to be turned in through our blogs, so ya'll get a peak in (yes "ya'll" has become a part of my vocabulary)! 

The natural beauty surrounding our campus is amazing, there's just something about nature that always gets me!  I love doing my quite time in my hammock during the morning, listening to the birds sings their songs of praise.

A few days ago a group of us students made our way down to the pond and entered into a time of Worship.  So inspiring to be surrounded with such a group of strong Followers of Christ, they are constantly encouraging me and pushing me further in my walk with Him.

Last night a group of us went down to a music festival, after I snapped this picture it reminded me of the busyness we subject ourselves to.  Missing the little winks of love from God, my daily battle is to try and catch the little gifts by slowing my pace of life down. 

Going to a music festival and not checking out the local food trucks is unheard of.  Perfect way to end a summer night with friends!

Mitten ---> Sunshine

In just over two short weeks I will say goodbye to America's high five and say hello to the sunshine state!  Yep, I'll be living in Florida for the rest of 2013, where I will be doing DTS (Discipleship Training School) through YWAM (Youth With A Mission) at their Orlando location.

From September 26th to December 20th I will be working on the first phase of the DTS program, the lecture phase, where I will be taking Bible classes, working with local outreach, and learning about my outreach location.  After Christmas break, I will start the second phase of my DTS, the outreach portion.  From Early January to the end of February I will be living in a foreign country putting the skills and tools I have learned from my lecture phase to use!

At this time my outreach could be in one of four locations, Haiti and The Dominic Republic, India, Jordan or East Asia.  Because I am doing a photography DTS, I, along with my fellow photography peers, will be the team photojournalist for our trip!

As I finish my last two weeks at home I ask you for prayers - for Christ to start preparing my heart for what He has to teach me, for last minute details to go smoothly and for me to see His presence in everything I do.

Since May this has been on the horizon, and now I'm just a few mere days away from it coming to fruition!  I still have my moments when fear of the unknown causes me to doubt what God has planned.  But I know this, He has gone before me into the unknown, so instead of looking at it with fear I now look at the unknown with excitement and anticipation in how I will be able to watch and experience God at work in and around me.  

<<<: A great adventure awaits :>>>