big changes

God is so good! I'm in awe of his love and his compassion. Every day I meet his smile and know He has amazing plans for me. I have been discovering him more and more especially this past week. I had been going through some hard things since coming here. Being in a place that is so different and doing things that are so out of my comfort zone were stretching me and bringing out my weaknesses and wounds as well. I know there were things that needed to be healed and sometimes it takes those 'tough' things that will force you to confront the stuff you usually try to hide. But I have no place for hiding anymore, it is either sink or swim, fight or flight. I decided to be transparent with God and with my team. I knew God wanted me to come to Kona and I didn't want to back out. I have learned that when He calls you somewhere He will also make a way for it.

On Sunday evening I decided to fast. There was a 'wall' I continued to come up against again and again, and I lost hope. I was ready to leave. I was filled with fear and hopelessness. I prayed and pressed through the feelings and that night decided to let God handle the situation I was in, I was beyond my strength. I went to bed, woke up the next morning, went to Monday morning community worship as usual, and pressed through even though I didn't feel like being there. At one point people broke out into smaller groups and prayed for each other. Someone prayed for me and asked God to fill me with his love and hope (she had no idea what I was struggling with, I was so chocked up I couldn't even tell her). Then suddenly I felt God's light come into me and something changed. I felt lighter. I went to lunch, and here the lunch lines are long, and as if it was a miracle something changed in me and I began to see my situation in a different way. I don't know how it happened. All I know is that when I went into my small group meeting that afternoon I was a completely different person. And I haven't enjoyed myself as much as I did then since coming here.

There is always much more to say but I can't leave out the highlights of my week!

One big highlight was our outreach day on Saturday. My outreach team visited an elderly man who has been on disability. Only 2 months ago he wasn't able to walk due to health problems but is now on his feet again. Our team spent the day at his house visiting, he made BBQ for us and we had the opportunity to share the Gospel with him. He gave his life to Jesus and we prayed with him. Our team came expecting to do work around the house but it turned out that this man really wanted company! We sang worship songs with him and the presence of God in the room was amazing! I was so blessed because I prayed for him, I just felt God's heart for this man in such a strong way and when you get the opportunity to express that it blesses you as well.
I love the memories we build through spending time together as a team. A young couple in our group has a little toddler girl and I am falling in love with her. She discovered the stairs in the house and found out she loved going up and down. So here I was running up and down with her until I was more tired than she!

My outreach team is an amazing team and we gel together so well. The teams in my school were chosen on the second day of the first week. The countries were written on a white board and the students were given 10 minutes to write down their first two options for outreach locations. We prayed and then each person individually decided their locations. As I prayed I clearly heard 'Mozambique'. I had not expected it, I never even wanted to go to Africa. But I put it down as my first option. We were then told that in 3 days we would know the results, but it turned out they were decided the next day. My team has 7 students and our team leaders, Matt and Rachel. We have a couple from South Carolina (Jasmine, Weyman, and little Gracie), Philip from the UK, Brock from the US, Grace from California, Jane from Sydney, and myself.

My team will be going to Mozambique to work with the orphans at Iris Ministries. We are leaving March 20.
Please pray with me for financial provision for my next deadline, this Friday. I have to pay $2000 toward my outreach which includes airfare to Mozambique. I have approximately $500 of that as of now.