It Just Take Faith, Surrender, and Courage

(This is part 3 of my journey to the Mid-West.  Read part 1 and part 2 here)


Hey everyone.  I've been in the Mid-West now for 2 1/2 months.  It has been such a fantastic adventure.  I look back on the journey it was to get here and I cannot help but praise the Lord.  Only He could have fashioned a story like this.

When I last left off, I had been living with the Cs for about a month and a half.  During this time I had been praying about the whole journey north and for the most part I was able to lay things down before God.  There were days though that the worry would start and my chest would get tight and all I could do was cry out to God.  He is so faithful.  He is ever faithful.  The big things that I had been praying about were 1) my car  2) a job  and 3) a place to live.  I kept praying and laying things down, but there were no answers.  About 2 weeks before I left I was praying about a job and I felt the Lord whisper to my heart that I wouldn't hear back about a job until I was on the road.

Wait, what?!

I just sat there and prayed again and felt the same response.  I knew I could only have two reactions - I could freak out and give up or I could have faith and a little courage.  Now that I'm on the other side, I cannot tell you just HOW thankful I am that I chose the latter.

God was handling my job.  That left my car and a place to live.  I had applied for jobs in Wisconsin and Minnesota, so housing was going to depend on where my job was, which just left my car.  Franny (my 1998 Ford Explorer) had gotten me around since the summer after I graduated from High School.  She made it back and forth to college and even to the heat of Phoenix, but I knew it would take some work to get her road worthy for the journey I needed her for.  As the date for leaving kept getting closer and closer, I kept praying and again wasn't getting any answers.  One of the guys had a friend who was a mechanic and was willing to take a look at it, but the timing never panned out.  Julie (the woman I was living with) made a call and got my car into the shop she goes to.  This was Thursday, March 5th.  I was leaving Tuesday, March 10th.

During this whole process I could only rely on the Lord's strength.  There was absolutely no way I could do it on my own.  Thursday afternoon I got a call from the mechanic, he told me things were not good.  He was straight up and said that even if he fixed everything he could, he wouldn't put his daughter in it to drive across the country.  I said thank you and that I would call back.  My heart racing, I picked up the phone to call my Daddy.  But the Lord tugged on my heart and I could hear Him asking, "What about me?  Have I not been your father these last 6 weeks, this last year and a half?  Will you trust me with this too?"  I sat there stunned.  When rubber had hit the road, I still didn't turn to the God who never leaves me nor forsakes me.  I started praying and pretty soon brought Hannah in on the loop to pray as well.  Julie called to see if I had heard anything and I told her everything.  Ten minutes later she called back to say that she might have a car for me.  Part of me was stunned, but the other part just smiled and nodded.  This is the God who created the world in 7 days, is it not?

That night, I went and talked to the boys and we worked everything out.  Friday I left to go to Prescott with a  co-worker to help teach a class at the Wildfire Academy.  I got back Sunday and tried to track down the boys to get the title to the car.  No luck.  I prayed and cried and prayed and cried and asked God again and again what He was doing.  I told him that if I hadn't heard back by 9:00pm about the car, that He would have to provide something else.  At 8:50 the boys called and said they would have the title the next day.  God had worked everything out.

Monday was a rush of cleaning out my storage unit, packing, moving furniture, and taking the car to the shop to get some much needed work done.  There was stillness in the midst of the crazy.  Precious moments with new friends in the fray of moving across the country.  The entire day was clouded with peace.  Really, I had no choice BUT to trust God since I was leaving the next day.   I had the title to the car in my hand at 5:59pm.  The notary closed at 6:00.  Praise the Lord.

Looking back on the weeks leading up to my departure from Phoenix makes me shake my head in wonder.  I am so incredibly thankful for the people who played big and small roles in getting me on the road.  We truly cannot walk through this life without community and people.  Most importantly, we cannot live this life to the fullness it was intended without God.  I wish I had time to tell the you about the tiny in-between moments that truly showed me the character of our Lord - that He loves us, always provides, and cares about the little things.  For now, you'll just have to trust me with the evidence in the big things. :)

-Katie Jean

Ask And It Will Be Given To You

(This is part 2 in my journey to the Mid-West.  Read part 1 here.)

Last Wednesday I had to turn in the keys to my apartment.  On Monday I still didn't know where I was going to go.  But I took the step of faith and started packing.  For those of you who struggle with anxiety and depression, I know you'll understand the complete mess I was.  There were moments all I could do was sit on the floor and stare at the wall, not moving for 10 minutes or half an hour.  Then a wave of energy would blow over me and I would move and pack.  I could not have done it without the help of my co-workers.  We've walked through just about everything together and I don't think they really know how much I appreciate them.

I moved.  Into a hotel.  By the grace of God, there was a special going on across the street for storage units.  Any size for $20.  I called or texted almost everyone I knew in the area about a place to stay, and nothing.  Even though I didn't know where I was going to live for 6 weeks, there was just an unspeakable peace over me.  I trusted the Lord.  On Saturday I started to worry.  The Super Bowl was coming to Phoenix the following weekend and prices were going to sky rocket.  So I kept praying for a place to live within my budget.  And I prayed for a family.  More like demanded.  I'm pretty sure that God just laughs at me more often than not.  I think I know exactly what I need.  Most of the time, I have absolutely no clue!

As I share with you this incredible journey the Lord has me on, I also have to share the part where I surrender time to spend in His word.  Reading the Bible isn't something that has ever come natural to me.  It also isn't something I've always practiced.  I know some people that have.  They've been having consistent quiet time since they were 10.  Praise the Lord if you are in that group!  If you're not, allow me to impart what I've learned.  It takes practice.  To practice, you have to set aside time.  Sometimes I just listen to whatever I'm reading that day in the car on the way to work.  And I'll listen to it 4 or 5 times throughout the day.  Sometimes I read it on my iPad.  Sometimes I actually open my Bible and read the Words of God on a page.  I don't think that any of those three are less than the other.  It's all about being involved with God.

Having steady quiet time is one of the things I committed to when I stepped out in faith on this journey to Wisconsin.  It's not easy.  Some days I totally screw it up.  But it's okay.  His mercies are NEW every morning.  Not just Sundays and Tuesdays, all the days! So pick up your Bible and read.  Spend time in prayer, really.  A set aside time.  It doesn't have to be long.  It can literally be 3 minutes.  Amazing things will happen as you spend time in communion with God.

... Back to the timeline:

Sunday I didn't go to church because I was on call and spent most of the day dealing with work stuff.  At 6:57pm on Sunday night I got a text that Julie wanted to meet me.  At 7:06pm Sunday night, one of the guys (my incredible brother James!) called to say that Jana and Julie wanted to have coffee with me the next day.  I said yes!

I went to coffee and sat down with them (rewind to the part where I went to the WRONG Starbucks... I even had the address....) and we just talked for half an hour.  I shared, they shared, and it was perfect.  At the end Jana told me about how they have family dinner on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and that I am welcome anytime.  I about started crying.  Jesus cares about the details.  You know what's even crazier about this whole thing?  I met Gilly (the girl who was the connection to the family) the weekend before I went to Wisconsin and the Lord planted the seed.  I almost didn't go into the event that night.  I sat in the car and Hannah prayed with me over WhatsApp and then we met because I opened my mouth and YWAM came out and everyone knows someone in YWAM it seems like now-a-days.  Isn't God incredible?  He orchestrated ALL of this before I even met the girl that would introduce us!

I cannot paint a picture beautiful enough to really tell the story of the last 6 weeks with the Cs.  It has been family.  It has been kindred spirits.  It has been slowing down and living life with other people.  It has been God-ordained.  It has been amazing.

Miracles are Just the Small Things.

(This is part 1 of a series on my journey to the Mid-West)

I have so much to share with you guys.  First and foremost I must give all of the glory, honor, and praise to the King of the universe!  His love for me has completely blown me away.  The beginning of this story starts shortly after Christmas.  I had applied for dozens of jobs and was not getting any response from anyone.  All attempts to find a place to live simply didn't pan out.  One of my very best girls came to see me and we got to just sit and talk in Panera for hours.  Hours, people!  It was fantastic!  I walked away encouraged beyond belief and with a new clean gust of air in my lungs.

It came the time to give my two weeks notice at work.  I cannot tell you how terrified I was.  I had prayed and prayed and worried and worried some more.  Every conceivable outcome of this monumental decision had played through my mind again and again.  I also kept remembering the signs the Lord had shown me.  I decided to let faith win the battle of my mind.  I chose to step out in faith and say yes.  Going into the office that day I had no future job, no future place to live, and a death sentence for a car.  I serve a God who loves to give abundantly and take care of His children, so I took the first step of faith.  Before I went in I prayed and journaled and asked God to soften the heart of my boss.  I couldn't handle the thought of no support.  I walked into my boss' office and laid it all out on the table.  I explained my plans, the lack of concrete answers at the immediate moment, and why I was leaving.

His answer blew me away.  He understood.  We made a deal.  He offered to help me find a car and sell my furniture if I would stay until the beginning of March to train some new employees.  Everything inside of me was screaming to say, "NO!".  I sat there and thought about it and realized that this was an answer to my prayer.  So I said, "Yes."  It was a questions, a softly spoken word, with only some heart behind it.  Immediately I felt immeasurable peace.  Even though January was always my plan, I agreed to wait.

It's been three weeks since that conversation.  It's been a wild ride, my friends.   It's been full of tiny moments of doubt and wondering if I really am walking in the right direction, but then I remember that all the Lord has asked of me is discipleship.  Discipleship is simply walking one step at a time in His plan.  So that's what I've been doing: walking one. step. at. a time.  Of course, I am constantly reigning in my errant brain waves from their tumultuous race to the future and all the possible things that can go wrong.  It's been an emotional, physical, and spiritual battle!  But at the end of the day?  God is GOOD.  He gives good gifts and He loves us.  Remember that.

One Step at a Time

There is so much to share with you all.  The most important thing you need to know though is that God is incredible.  He is indescribable.  For that reason, it has been hard to write this post.  So many things have happened in the last month.  The biggest change that has taken place though is the state of my heart.  I think for the first time I am truly surrendered to God.  What does that mean you say?  I think this sums it up nicely:

Matthew 6:25-34

"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?  And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing?  Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  but if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you?  You of little faith!  Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

You may or may not know that most of my life I've dealt with anxiety.  My personality and temperament are just tuned that way. It wasn't until I went to see a Christian counselor after walking through the deaths of 19 of my co-workers in 2013, that I understood I didn't have to live like that.  Of course I had read the verses above and other references in the Bible of "Do not be afraid" and "Worrying will not add a single day to your life", but it wasn't until someone explained what that really meant for me did I realize it was a problem.  You see, I would get lost in my own brain sometimes.  My mind would race down a rabbit trail of 'what ifs' and 'if only I'd' scenarios, and sometimes I couldn't do anything else.  It lead to depression and withdrawal and putting on a happy face to the world because it was just too hard to let people in.  Folks, I'm here to say that that right there is NO place to live in.  There is freedom and it's found in Christ Jesus.  I cannot tell you how absolutely freeing it is to lay everything at the foot of the cross and surrender it to Jesus.

I didn't know what that looked like for a long time.  I must have missed the sermons about discipleship, or maybe they just weren't there.  Do you know what discipleship is?  Has anyone explained it?

Discipleship is putting God back on His rightful throne, denying your life in service to Him, and just walking one. step. at. a. time.

That's all folks.

There's no formula.  No special rituals.  There are no special prayers to say.  It's a relationship with the Creator God who put you where you're at today.  He's standing right in front you, hand stretched out to take yours and lead you on the narrow path.  People get so scared and loose sight of the big picture.  The truth is, the big picture is Jesus.  It's when you try to look under His arm or around His side while you think He's not looking and see a looming mountain that you panic.  Just keep your eyes on Jesus.  He'll show you the mountain if He wants, but you still have to follow in His steps to get there.  The thing I love about discipleship is that it's not just me, Katie Jean, walking some wandering, narrow path.  It's Jesus leading me.  He says He will never leave me and He will never forsake me.  He is omnipresent, which means He is literally everywhere at once.

So the last month has been a time of me completely surrendering for the sake of surrender.  To sincerely give everything to God with no expectations.  And you know what?  He has answered me and provided for me in ways I could never have truly imagined.  In 29 days, I am leaving Phoenix and headed to YWAM Tyler, where I'll be attending a 2 day worship conference.  From there, I will continue my cross-country drive to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, which will be my home until September when I'll head back to YWAM Tyler for a School of Worship.  I cannot begin to share with you the joy and excitement I have to be starting this next chapter with my YWAM family in worship and intercession for the nations.  I can think of no better way.

The School of Worship (SOW) I'll be attending is a 6 month program, and set up like the DTS I did last year in Australia.  It will have a 3 month lecture/training phase where we'll study the Biblical principals of a worship leader as well as be trained in practical application of our chosen instrument.  I've chosen the keyboard as my instrument of choice for this training.  After that is complete, we'll have a 3 month outreach phase.  At this point, I don't know where we'll be going.  It could be anywhere.  We may stay here in the U.S or travel to Asia.  I just don't know.  We'll be sharing the gospel through music and the heart of worship.  I will need to raise about $8,000 dollars for this ministry.  If you'd like to partner with me through finances or prayer, reach out to me via email or Facebook.  I'd love to chat with you about it some more.

I have so many specific stories I want to share with you about how God is working in my life, but for now I'll just leave you with what's above.  I pray that your tomorrow is better than today and that your heart is beating closer to God's.

Much love,

Katie Jean

Moving On

Writing has been hard since I've returned from YWAM and re-established myself, as much as I can, into this world I live in.  I think about writing often.  I have a whole list of blog posts to write.  Yet, there has been a lacking driving force.  Even my personal journaling has dropped off the edge of a huge cliff the last 9 months.  It is crazy to think that a year ago, I was on the Gold Coast in Australia, with the worst sunburn of my life.  It was there that I learned the truth about evangelism though and for the first time in my life understood what it means to truly love people.  It seems like so long ago.

 

2015.  A year of rest and divine grace.

 

It's incredible how much I need those two things more than anything in my life right now.  I have been struggling and wrestling with grace for myself since my return to the States.  It's a journey that scares me.  It is one I am willing to pursue though.  As for the rest?  I am long overdue for true rest.  The past two years have been physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting for me in so many ways.  They have been the worst years of my life and yet the best.  Two sides to the same coin.  I cling to the good memories and the friendships forged out of vulnerability and God alone.

 

For these reasons and more, I am leaving the Valley of the Sun.  This was not a place I foresaw spending long amounts of time in when I first came here, and the time has come to leave.  My journey here was one of God pushing me out the door and out of my comfort zone.  It was one of immense fear and trepidation of what was to come.  I should never fear or worry.  He provided me with everything I needed and more.  While this next adventure has more questions and unknowns, the fear is severely less.  I am beyond excited to join my friend in Wisconsin.  I have no idea what is in store there for me, but I know that God will see me through.  He has brought me so far already.  I will not doubt His goodness to me, even when I don't deserve it.

The Places I'll Go.

For those of you who are new to my story, I'll summarize.  I'm a missionary.  I'm a worshiper.  I'm a child of the King.  This post may seem perchance titled a little off, but try and track with me.  Tonight, I want to talk about tattoos.  Yes - you read correctly.  Tattoos.

This is a touchy subject among the Christian world.  And whatever view you may hold on the matter, I'm not here to pick a fight or to condemn or to point fingers.

Because, you see, I have a tattoo.

Tattoos - they tell stories.  In the traveling that I have done over the past year I have met many a people with ink upon their bodies.  Each has an unique story to tell.  Every line, tittle, and jot has a history and a reason.  I met women in my beloved land of Papua New Guinea who bear the mark of old tribal history upon the weathered skin of their faces.  They have come from out of the jungle.  They have traveled into the light.  Some still scorn them for the marks upon their brows and cheeks.  These marks are the signs of witchcraft.  Of beliefs of old that have been cracked open by the Light of the World.

Is it so surprising that a culture, that has sustained much of it's traditions over the last century, is visible in threads among modern society?  Is it so strange to see facial tattoos when walking along in any major metropolitan area?  What may have been looked down upon 50, or even 20, years ago has found a stable place in culture.  Because the art of expressing oneself is never to be repressed.  Right?

My own tattoo... it has a story.  It's a reminder to me to remember.  (Funny how we need those, hey?)  Life isn't always easy.  It's not generally pretty.  There's a lot of shoe scuffing, glass breaking, nail biting moments in day to day life.  A year ago, my life was dark and bleak.  I walked through a season of death and searching in ways my 21 and 22 year old self had never imagined possible.  Every day was a struggle to just get up.  To face reality and the raw mess that we're left with in the blink of an eye sometimes.  After months of pain, sorrow, and self-inflicted isolation from God, a friend helped pull me out of the place I had holed myself up in.  I am forever grateful to him.  I'm not sure he'll ever truly understand the depth of my thankfulness.  As winter turned into spring inside my soul, I found myself with my girl Charlie at a tattoo parlor.  I knew what I wanted.  Small.  Unobtrusive.  A reminder.  This small mark upon my flesh was a sort of manifesto against the enemy.  It was my way of screaming what I couldn't vocalize.  "You.  Did.  Not.  Win."  It was the closing of a chapter, the opening of another.

I chose the ichthus.



Early believers used this simple fish to identify one another.  One would draw an arc casually in the sand, and if the new aquaintance completed the second arc then they knew of the mutual faith between them.  It's used today in a more mainstream way, but nonetheless.

Honestly, people hardly ever notice this ink permanently resting underneath my skin.  Which is 100% fine.  My goal wasn't to announce to the world that I'm a believer of Jesus Christ and that He conquered death and rose from the grave and now sits at the right hand of the Father waiting to come back to bring judgement and then once and for all defeat the enemy of us all.  Some people may choose to mark upon their bodies that way.  Which is great.  Seriously.  I offer no sass about it.

So what about future tattoos?

Personally, at this point in my life I have decided to not get any more tattoos.  I would love to, but I want to respect myself and the people that I will possibly live with and spend time with in the future.  I want to travel the world and the seven seas.  I want to be a part of cultures and shine for Jesus in a dark world.  Overall though, in regards to tattoos, I want to be respectful.  Since I have no clue where my travels will take me, I would rather be conservative.  Do I regret having my tattoo?  Absolutely not.  I'm not ashamed of it or embarrassed by it.  I understand the implications of ink upon my body referring to Christ may mean in a foreign land though.

I want to be effective.  I want to be respectful.  I want to bring life and show the world how life without Jesus is nothing.

::Katie Jean

Day One.

Every person has a story to tell.  Every person has a life to live.  My life and my story have landed here, in this space, to be shared with all of you.  Welcome.  I pray that we will drink lots of tea, laugh with each other, and even cry over the hard days.  Above everything I give all the glory to God and His plans and purposes for my life.  This is my imperfect, day to day, devotion to living as a disciple of Christ.  It's not easy, it's sometimes not pretty, but it's what I'm called to do.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

::Katie Jean

The Little Things

I sent this text message to Hannah one day: "Hey, will you be praying for me?  It's been a really rough day :/"

Not 10 seconds later my phone was buzzing with an incoming call from one of the best friends on the planet.  I was at work and couldn't take it.  So I let it go to voicemail.  She said she had expected it to go to voicemail, and then.... and then she proceeded to leave me a voicemail prayer.  I listened to it at work.  (NOT a good idea). I nearly lost it.  My Father in heaven loves me so much.  He speaks through people all the time.  It's amazing.  So she prayed for me, and it was the strength I needed to get through the day. 

Today, one of my favorite Germans  (You all are AMAZING btw) texted me and asked me to pray for her.  And from across the sea that seperates her and me I got to pray for her.  For the same thing that I am struggling with today - feeling alone.  How amazing a God we serve.  So Naoms reaching out to me was really God-in-flesh stretching out His hand and saying neither of you are alone.  

So, in short - You are not alone.  And that mountain looming in front of you?  Just remember it only takes one step at a time to scale, and a God who is walking in front of you, holding out His hand and simply saying, "Come." 

The Unexpected Reality of Life

Once again, more time has passed then I thought would in this small corner of the blogging world.  Life has been busy since returning to sunny Phoenix.  Life has been full of surprises and nothing I could have ever imagined.  Some bad, some good, and some in between.  I've been hard on myself when my attitude stinks at work, I've cried out to God when it seems like nothing has changed at all.  And then I get on Facebook and see the beautiful faces of my brothers and sisters around the world, and I do remember.  I remember the time we stayed up ALL night praying for healing for a brother who had to go home.  I remember the nights Hannah and I spent up in the bridge crying out to God and walking into a calling as intercessors we didn't fully understand (and still don't).  I remember. And it's like my Daddy is just shaking his head a little and saying something like, "Patience, my young daughter.  My grace is enough for you.  No matter what."  

And every single time I crumble.  Because nothing is what I thought it was going to be.  My quiet time is in shambles.  My sleep is so so.  Better than it was in PNG, but still not great.  My house, now that my roomie went back east: in shambles again.  And I cry out, "WHY?" 

Then a weekend spent in Minnesota cleared up a lot of things inside my head.  And I got to spend a short time with a small group of my family.  And it was amazing.  

Then back to work I went.  Looking up a little, not so worried about everything.  But it happened again.  I lost control of my temper and I snapped at my boss, and I could hardly breathe for the suffocating nature of me.  Again, I cry out, "WHY?"  Then a prompting to look up YWAM PHX.  They were having a gathering, so I RSVP'd and got in the car two days straight after work to go find whatever happened to my heart.  

And the second night?  The speaker.  He was a YWAMer for 30 years.  He retired, moved back to his hometown, and met a man.  They did ministry together for two years before one night, that will forever be ingrained in my memory, took him away.  This man who listened to The Lord when He said, "Don't speak at a YWAM event until I say yes." kept asking and kept getting, "No."  Until this time.  God said yes and he said yes.  And he travelled the two hours down the freeway to Phoenix.  And he said yes to God about the timing of this story.  To be the only session I could go to.  There was so much healing there.  So much God.  So much grace.  

I am still not perfect.  My apartment is still a mess.  I really am an extrovert.  I am still not a morning person.  But I am still a child of God.  I am unable to do this on my own.  I can't get out of bed without Jesus. I can't do my job without a bad attitude without my Savior.  This is the place I'm in right now.  I'm trying, every day, to grow.  To figure out how to live this life.  

My encouragement to you?  Breathe in grace and just let it settle before taking that next step.  Look for the small things to hold on to and let God deal with the rest.  

Discipleship is this.  One step at a time, saying yes.  I've been standing still for a while now.  It's time to move forward.  

Home

Hey folks,

It's been a while since I've posted.  Life has been a little crazy since coming back from beautiful PNG.  I'd like to share with you a report I had to write for YWAM.  It answers some specific questions they asked, but I think it is a good, quick overview of what Papua New Guinea was for me.  Don't worry, there will be more to come!  For now though, here is this.

Some people may look back at our outreach and see just the surface level, that we didn't "accomplish" a whole lot on the scales that the world likes to measure us against.  My God, who is bigger than the universe and who called 9 people from all over the world to Milne Bay, doesn't measure us against those scales, and that's a big thing I learned on outreach.   I've learned that The Lord sustains, even when sleep is fleeting, if you are deep in the Word.  I learned how important the individual really is and realized how that is so important in my own story as well.  Two small families in Alotau taught me these things.  The Butunas and the Wallaces changed my life.  It wasn't in a big, flashy production.  It was living life everyday.  

I love how in Milne Bay it's expected that you say hello and greet everyone you see.  At first that was really awkward.  In America, if you're from a small town, it okay to greet people you know.  In the city though, life is so fast paced and busy that people hardly notice the people around them.  The individual isn't recognized on a social level, so how can it be on a familial, spiritual, or church level?  If something isn't a habit personally, I think it's hard to apply it to the rest of the world.  So while in Milne Bay, I waved at every person we drove by and greeted everyone we walked by.  To see the excitement in a person's face when they realize that you are looking at them is humbling.  To see a middle aged man jumping up and down in excitement at a dimdim sticking her hand out the window and waving is something that makes you pause and really consider both the small and the big things in life.     

I knew that PNG was going to be less than what I'm used to as an American woman.  I knew that toilets were probably going to be different and that stuff wasn't going to abound.  We cooked meals over a camp stove every night.  About every two and a half weeks we would have to go get more gas to fuel the fire.  At home I have air con in my kitchen, floors that don't have cracks and that are completely sealed, and every kind of appliance you can imagine.  My family in Alotau has almost nothing in comparison.  They have cockroaches, fire ants, and cats in their kitchen where all they have is a chest freezer that also serves as their refrigerator.  Taking all of that in was a little challenging.  But I adapted.  I cooked kau-kau like Mom showed me (sometimes) and at least tried everything put in front of me.  I slept on the floor for 7 weeks and didn't complain.  I was blessed to have four walls and a roof over my head with a locking door.  

Ministry opportunities looked different for us.  We had two ministry times where we played the guitars in the park and sang worship for a couple hours.  So my sharing of the gospel was through music.  I can't say there was one day I sat down with someone and had a "gospel conversation".  Music was everything I did.  I shared everything I had to give, and I did see people respond to that.  

Preparing for outreach and arriving was interesting.  We had expectations and ideas and a plan  that we thought was going to be wonderful.  The Lord had a different plan.  Outreach didn't seem like outreach until about halfway through when we all realized that we were already where God wanted  us.  Transitioning mind sets was simple for me.  I was happy to be waiting on The Lord for other things.  

Transitioning back to Australia was a little harder.  I've now seen how the rest of the world is, and those two worlds wage war inside my head and before my eyes in ways I never imagined they would.  Going back to the States will be much more dramatic, I anticipate.  While Australia is absolutely a first world nation in every regard, it doesn't hold a candle to America in most respects, which makes me sad.  Going back to a world of consumerism and everything at your fingertips at all times really is making me consider the truly important things in life and how I want to live.  How do I help impact both worlds I've now lived in?  I don't  know yet, but I'm ready for this crazy journey with my Savior to find out. 

Every Day Things

I arrive at the ship like most days.  I change into work clothes and find all the supplies to clean the boys bathroom.  Broom, dust pan, general cleaner, disenfenctant, and rags.  Starting with the toilet in the corner I clean one at a time, working clockwise and making sure the lids are shut and the doors closed and locked when I'm finished.  I get to one toilet that needs a little extra love and care then continue on.  Next is the urinal. That takes it's own special cleaner.  Once that is finished the mirror above the double sink.  Once the toothpaste splatters are gone, like they never were there, it comes to the vanity.  My brothers here are hard workers.  Inevitably there is some grease or dirt to clean, reminding me of how He created men to work with their hands and to serve Him in the practical.  The floor comes next.  Swish goes the broom until there is no speck of dirt on the floor, but rather in my dustpan.  

Now the rather ugly part.  The showers.  The drains must be scrubbed to try and hold back the ever encroaching mold.  Because living on a ship on the Pacific Ocean, in a tropical climate means that nothing ever really gets dry.  The tile of the shower is also attacked with gusto.  There's that one corner that water never quite drains out of.  The walls, in their peeling beauty also must be scrubbed back to white from black.  More mold that is ever trying to take over the place. 

Empty the garbage, then mop the floor.  That is how I spend most days from 1:45 to about 2:30.  It's work.  Hard work, but every day it allows me time to think about and process a myriad of things going on here in my little corner of the world.  

Some days I think that if I find one more pair of boxers on the floor or one more wet towel, I might explode.  Often times, it's when these thoughts flit across my minds eye that The Lord softly reminds me of the song I'm already humming.  He asks me again and again to give everything I have to Him.  Even if I literally have nothing to give.

This weekend for example.  I woke up on Saturday morning (okay, let's be real... Morning is a relative term for this girl.  Morning does not come before 10:30) and went upstairs.  While I was eating breakfast someone came into the Mess Hall and said that we weren't supposed to do the dishes because people had just been leaving them everywhere.  They wanted us to leave a sink full of dishes until the people responsible came and washed them.  

We have to pause the story here and start another so you understand where I'm coming from next.  I've been reading the book, "Kisses From Katie" and one thing she has taught me is that we have to love with every single ounce of everything we have.  That even when it hurts and people don't necessarily "deserve" it, we are still called to love.  

You may not agree with me, and people on the ship certainly don't, but this is my conviction:  people will not change unless they have revelation.  And most will not receive revelation by shoving dishes down their throats.  

So I washed a sink full of dirty dishes.  Because all I can do in this life is love.  I am not a parent to these people I live with, even though some call me Momma Katie.  They have chosen to, and they would listen.  But those I don't have a relationship like that with, they will never hear words.  They will only see love.  So I love them, and try to be the hands of Christ for half an hour and wash dishes.  Are there other things I would like to do on a Saturday?  Yes.  But God taught me the hard lessons of the simple things in 2013, and washing dishes is something I can do on a Saturday morning.  

I'm not here to preach.  I understand there is a place for correction in the body of Christ.  All I have is my story to share, and this is it.

It's hardly believable that we leave for PNG this Sunday.  I am so excited!  Excited for what the Lord is doing in the people and what the Lord our God is doing in my outreach family.  

Praise Report:  The Lord is faithful and is bringing exactly the right people to come and share with us this week.  We're having some time to bond with Selena, which has been great.  

Prayer Requests:  Our school has about $12,000 still owed, spread out across about 12 people.  Really be praying for a release in finances.  We're trusting God with big, amazing things.  We know He will provide.  

That my outreach family would continue to bond as we get day by day closer to those airplanes.  

I sincerely appreciate every prayer.  I believe with all of my heart that it does make a difference.  I would ask that you continue to lift up my team and whole DTS as we head to PNG and Darwin over the next 7 weeks.  I won't be able to post or respond to anything, but we serve a God who works despite lack of internet. ;) 

Be blessed and until next time,

-Katie 

24 Hours to Change a Life

Upon returning to Townsville from the beautiful Gold Coast we learned that another one of our own would be going home.  There is nothing more terrifying than the feeling that your heart is being ripped in two.  

A sweet man from South Dakota, 18 and ready to take on the world.  Heat rash has covered his body for a while now.  It is painful and even the doctors could not find relief.  

My outreach team was the last to arrive home.  It was tender and sweet.  Everyone gathered out on the dock and all of our friends ran to greet us.  I cried when I saw Hannah Renee and again when I saw Nat.  There is something crazy that has happened in all of our hearts.  We have bonded more than most DTSs.  We've been made fun of, but that's okay.  We love with everything we have.  

After hugs all around we started to sit and talk with everyone about the overall experience of outreach.  Things were both positive and negative.  While sitting and chatting in the lounge, a group of people came in and said we were praying for our brother.  So we stood up and prayed Korean style (Everyone prays at one time, out loud).  I asked if anyone received a word or a picture and Rey said she had 24 hour prayer.  So I found a piece of paper and we wrote down time slots of an hour each, asking two people to fill each slot.  

I am amazed.

God is good and He is great and mighty to save.  The slots filled and we started at 10 pm.  Hour by hour, my brothers and sisters gathered to pray for one of our own.  Many times there would be people that weren't on shift that would come to pray as well.  The first two started a piece of paper for others to write down words, pictures, or scriptures from the Lord.  We prayed through the night.  We didn't see healing, but it didn't phase us.  We kept. on. praying.  

Morning dawned and Nat and I started our shift at 8.  The group before us started another sheet for what the Lord was speaking about other things.  One thing was to really start the sessions with worship.  So we did.  

I cannot explain to you how much the lounge changed over that time.  The atmosphere was changed.  You could tell that the Holy Spirit was dwelling there.  When two or more agree, that's when the crazy, beautiful happens.  There were more than two of us.  

The 24th hour we decided to do corporate worship to end everything off.  Looking back on that night still amazes me.  We prayed all together for our brother and two of our sisters who needed healing as well.  We didn't see healing.

That doesn't mean that God didn't work though.  Just because we didn't see immediate healing does not mean that our God does not heal.  He does heal and He does work, but only in His timing.  Does that mean we should just give up?  No.  Prayer does change situations and people's hearts.  It brings the Kingdom to earth.  Someone asked me quietly why we didn't see healing, and this is the impression The Lord put upon my soul.

"If I had healed him in the second hour, would you have kept praying?  If I had healed him in the twelfth, would you have kept praising My name?  If I had healed them, would you have come together to worship Me like you did?"

Silence

Now it makes sense.  While we didn't see physical healing for Dillon, Hannah, or Naomi we did see amazing healing in people's hearts.  We saw prayer warriors and worshipers rise up to do what they were created for.  That is enough.  Our praying didn't heal our fellow students, it changed us.  

We also found out that my outreach teammate who had to go home due to a knee injury does not have to have surgery.  That is the work of my God who heals and saves.  It is so exciting!  And encouraging!  

Praise:  Minor outreach was amazing and we saw God work in incredible ways. 

Prayer Requests: Last week we found out we would have another member added to our outreach family.  My outreach team is the underdog team as well as the older team.  There are 9 of us.  8 women and 1 man.  We would greatly appreciate your prayers.  The newest addition to our family is another leader.  Her name is Selena.  She actually just returned from Milne Bay about a month ago.  It will be a blessing to have her on the team, and she will bring a whole new vibe to what we're doing.  I'm excited.  

I think that's plenty for now.  Thank you for bearing with me and my sporadic, generally long blog posts.  Be blessed and much love from Down Under.

-Katie

Overdue

Where do I begin this crazy story?  Since the last time I updated you all (which I realize was over a month ago), so much has happened and so much has changed.  When I left off we were just preparing to go camping.  So far, camping has been my favorite part of DTS.  

We had the most amazing speaker for the first week.  He's a Kiwi (someone from New Zealand).  I've never met a teacher like him.  His topic for the week was "The Lordship of Christ".  Going into the week I had no idea what to expect.  Mark Parker is the most exuberant 58 year old man I know.  Not only that, but he LOVES Jesus and he loves teaching young people.  A worship leader by trade, his lectures were confronting, comical, and a little on the long side.  But that's okay.  Mark taught us about the fear of The Lord and what being a disciple really means.

What he spoke, I had never heard before.  He taught what it means and looks like to lay down your life every day.  And in Mark Parker's words, "Shut up and die to yourself and get on the altar."  He is the first person I have ever heard say that there is no excuse for human nature, stop sinning.  I hear all the time, "People aren't perfect, so of course you're going to mess up."  Never before has someone looked at me and said point blank, "Stop sinning."  Don't get confused here.  I am not saying that all of the sudden I've found the key to Atlantis and the way to be perfect.  I am saying that speaking life over people and giving them a chance and space to live holy lives is what I have found freeing beyond imagine.  

The second week of camping was just as beautiful, but more simple.  Our speaker was an amazing South African woman named Ania.  I wish she could have stayed for the rest of our DTS with us.  Her testimony was without a doubt the best I've ever heard.  She is a woman who will change the world.  

Ania spoke on "Christian Disciplines" a.k.a how to live like a Christian.  She didn't speak about lollipops and gumdrops, but rather what walking in the true freedom of Christ looks like.  She talked about making decisions that you know are right and sticking to your guns, even when the world around you tells you you're wrong. She spoke about hearing God's voice and the 10 Commandments like I've never heard before.   

She's amazing to talk to personally.  She was the first speaker I really connected with and got to sit down and chat with.  I talked about my dreams and what I feel The Lord calling me to do.  It was an amazing week.  

Then we returned to Townsville a week before Christmas.  It was a pretty quiet Christmas, and a little odd with all of the heat.  I'll share more later as I think this has been long enough.  

My current location is the Gold Coast.  It is beauty beyond compare.  We're on week two of our outreach.  We fly back to Townsville on Saturday.  

Until next time, folks.

-Katie :)

It's About Time

How great is our God!  I think it will take me years to process all the information that has been poured into me since I've been here (and we've just barely passed the 1 month mark).  He has been teaching me what it means to hear and to listen, as well as what it means to just be still and give Him the control.  There has been revelation about people in my life I need to forgive and incredible clarity in some areas of the Trinity.  It has been a roller coaster, and I'm hanging on for the ride.  

Life here in Townsville has been busy. We're applying the lessons we learn in lectures into our ministry placement every day.  Scrubbing mold out of showers and mopping the floors has a way of pushing deeper the truths we've learned and God's love deeper into our souls.  

Last week I came down with cold like symptoms which turned into a nasty cough.  Coughing through two nights and days was uncomfortable.  Some antibiotics later I have leaps and bounds more energy, although I still have a pesky cough.  It's getting better though. 

I've been waiting to post until I knew for certain where my outreach team was going.  I have to tell you the truth.  When I left the States and headed to Australia I knew that if we had outreaches into the Pacific or Asia, I would be more than happy to go.  If I was called to stay in Australia I was fine with that as well.  The one place I did not want to go was Papua New Guinea (PNG).  I'm not sure why I felt strongly that I didn't want to go, but I did. 

Then I arrived in Townsville.  And everything was moved upside down.  From the very first day it was obvious that YWAM TSV has a huge heart for the nation of PNG.  Just 676 miles north of Townsville, Port Moresby (the capital of PNG) is also their sister city.  It seems like every day there was a new story about how YWAM TSV was working with the people of PNG.  It started softening my heart.  Living on the Medical Ship has also in a way made me more sensitive to PNG.  You can't help but feel the heart for this nation here.  

I found myself more and more open to the possibility of going to PNG.  We knew that some of our teams would be going there and that some would be staying in Australia, but that's all we knew until last Friday.  The other thing holding me back was a comment that my momma had made to me.  She said something about my dad not wanting me to go to PNG.  

I respect my parents, and I really wanted to honor them.  So we found out what our outreach locations were going to be on Friday.  Here were the major outreach options:

1. Darwin

2. Milne Bay, PNG

3. Port Moresby, PNG

4. Western Province, PNG

The fact of the matter was that 75% of us were going to PNG.  As Markus (our school leader) was reading out the options, there was one that immediately stuck out to me.  We were given the weekend to pray about it, and Monday morning we wrote our pick on a piece of paper and handed it to our small group leaders.  I believed the Lord was leading me to PNG, so Monday morning I called my parents to see what their reaction would be.  It was mixed, but they said they would talk about it.  I wrote down the option I felt led to.  

Tuesday evening we found out our outreach groups.  Our staff sent us all to different rooms and told us that they had to give last minute presentations.  I am so excited for my group!  There are 8 of us, and we have 1 staff member.  We are going to Gold Coast for our minor outreach, which is two weeks long.  Then we are going to Milne Bay (pronounced Mill-in Bay) for our major outreach, which is seven weeks long.  Here's a handy map. 

So the last week has been crazy with exciting news in addition to our Thanksgiving celebration.  While it wasn't like turkey day back in the States, it was still a great celebration with friends and family.  

This Sunday we leave to go camping in Hidden Valley for two weeks, which equals no internet for that time.  We're excited for some hang out time and a little bit of a break.  

It's about time to head back to the ship for the night.  I will talk to you all in two weeks! 

Until then,

Katie

The Midnight Girl

To the shock of all of my fellow DTS YWAMers I have been the girl burning the midnight oil the last two Sundays past to finish my homework.  I have to admit that being back in "school" is a little weird for me.  I guess it's only been 11 month since I was called out of college to Arizona, but still... It's amazing everything you can forget in 11 months, and honestly I wasn't doing so hot in college anyway.  

I'm committed to this though unlike anything else before.  College for me all those years held little purpose and almost nothing to look forward to.  There was no vision, just mind boggling facts and hard classes that made me feel less than worthy.  Now that I think about it, there were only a few classes I truly enjoyed.  

Group piano:  I don't know why, but this class was so much fun.  My teacher was this wirey old grandma who was the happiest person I've ever met in the mornings.  She was a joy to have at 8 am every other day for three terms!  

Marching Band:  I'm not sure if this really counts as a class?  I was paying for the credit to get a stipend?  I never realized how odd that kind of was.  MB was so much fun.  And I met the best people there.

Geography of the non-western world:  Maybe it shouldn't surprise me that I'm sitting in one of the easiest places to reach the South Pacific and Asia Minor.  I loved everything about that class, in fact I considered minoring in Geography for a while.  

I don't have an epifany of why all of this is important or what my life will necessarily be shaped like after the whole experience, but I do know a few things.  

1.  I would be happy to serve in missions for the rest of my life if that is what The Lord calls me to.

2.  My main goal while I'm here is to seek the Creator of heaven and earth and to hear His voice.  I don't want to glide through life.  I want a relationship with my Messiah, and I want to do the crazy for Him.  

3.  I realize the huge statements that numbers one and two are, and I am willing to live by them.

Saying all of this, I need to give God all of the praise for getting me here.  He is amazing and wonderful and I would not be across the world right now if it wasn't for the Great and Mighty God who has chosen me to be apart of His kingdom forever.  

Reflection over the last few weeks since I've been here about this last season of my life has been that of rejoicing and also of sorrow.  It's crazy how God calls the broken and those who aren't qualified to do His will.  I'm amazed at the opportunities both stateside and here Down Under that I have been given.  

This week in lectures our topic is Relationships.  We're talking about all different kinds of relationships, and I'm excited to see what our dynamic speaker has to bring and how The Lord will speak to us through him.  

Living on the ship is still great.  I'm learning different things about boats that I never thought I would know.  We're all starting to get comfortable in our routine here in Townsville.  I can hardly believe that we've been here so long already!  

For those who are wondering where my Outreaches are going to be, the short version is that we're not sure yet. 

Prayer Requests:

1.  That we would be open to what The Lord wants to teach us and tell us through lectures.

2.  That we would be successful in engaging the youth of Townsville for Christ through the Saturday program we run.

3.  That we would continue to show grace and love to one another on the ship.

4.  Lastly, would you be praying for my brothers and sisters who do not have all of their finances in yet for Outreach?  

Be blessed, and until next time,

Katie

Crunchy Peanut Butter

I apoligize it's been a while since I've updated everyone!  We have been busy and hard at work here in Townsville.  It's been extraordinary to see how The Lord is working through the lives of these precious people around me.  

This week was long.  This year before my coming here was absolutely mentally taxing.  I've found it interesting that my time here hasn't been difficult mentally, but rather physically.  We sweat so much, it's not even funny.  This is good though.  We still don't have temperatures like Phoenix, but it's getting closer.  Today it's supposed to be somewhere around 30* C, which is roughly 100* F (I think.. math is not my thing).  I'm also learning the joys of humidity again.  It's been nearly 11 years since I traipsed around the South with the Young Continentals for six weeks.

This week our lecture topic is "Clear Conscience" and it is being taught by the director of YWAM Townsville, Ken Mulligan.  It's been a challenging week for many people.  His teaching style reminds me of a professor in college.  His goal is that we would stop and truly consider and establish the foundations that we live our life on.  He doesn't want us to take things at face value - the things we've heard from the church for years for example - but he wants us to really ponder what we believe and why.  There is a lot of practical application for this.  How can we share the Gospel of Christ if we don't first truly understand and believe in our hearts what we say we believe?  How can we claim to be walking with The Lord in deep and intimate relationship if we don't know what His Word says?  Like I said, it's been a challenging and exciting week.  There have been questions raised that I didn't even consider worthy of questioning because I thought I knew the answer to them.  I'm excited to delve deeper and to discover for myself what I truly believe.  

It's not all work around here though!  Last Sunday we got to go as a group to the Billabong!  I had imagined it being mostly like a zoo.  Oh. My. Goodness. No.  It was one of the coolest experiences ever.  We walked into the park and immediately saw kangaroos hopping around.  They have free reign.  You can get up close and personal and even get a picture while you're petting a kangaroo.  A few of the other native Aussie animals we got to see were a wombat, cassuaries, a dingo, a larakeet (like a parrot), a baby crocidile, an olive python, kualas, ducks, turtles, and a huge crocidile.  It was quite the adventure.  We had tour guides around the Billabong, so we also got to hear information about the animals and their history in Australia.  It was a great day!

Straight after that we traveled to the Strand (the name of the beach here in Townsville) and go to go swimming in the ocean, and had a BBQ.  It was a little funny that we went and saw the cute kangaroos in the Billabong, and then ate roo shikabobs afterwards.  There was chicken as well though!  I thought the kangaroo was good (and no, it did not taste like chicken).  

Life on the ship is still going well.  We're experiencing what it truly means to live in community and to prefer one another and honor one another.  Especially since for two days this week the toilets weren't working and we had to go up on the warf to use the dock toilets.  All is well now and operational! 

On Wednesday we worked at the new city campus.  Every time I step onto the campus I am just amazed at the incredible blessing it is.  We were cleaning one of the blocks that is most likely going to be accomodation.  It was hard and sweaty, but it was so good to be able to pour into this place that will impact and change lives forever.  We also were honored to be the first DTS to have lectures on the new campus on Wednesday night!  That was quite the night!  It's amazing to see all that The Lord is doing here in Townsville.  

Last thing for today is the interesting fact that I have only seen crunchy peanut butter here.  And I've eaten it, which is quite the feat!  

Until next time,

Katie

When It's Not so Easy

Some days it's easy to push myself and do the hard things or the tough things for the Lord, but other days, it's just plain hard.  Wednesdays for us on base are long, hard days.  They start somewhere around 0500 and don't end until somewhere around 2200.  We start with breakfast and quiet time, then go into a time of corporate worship, which is always so sweet.  Following worship we head down to the new city campus and labor to get it ready for our coming move.

Instead of going to the city campus yesterday, my group stayed behind to help in the renovations of the last flat (apartment in the U.S) that needs to be completed before selling.  It was pretty amazing to see how much work 12 people can do in a small apartment.  I also learned how to grout yesterday!  Exciting stuff right there.  We had fun!  Following that we headed down to the city campus to have lunch with everyone else.  I ended up staying to help for the rest of the afternoon prepping offices.  My job was clear coating.  We don't have this in America (or at least I haven't ever seen it.. not even on HGTV or TLC), but it essentially makes it so you don't have to sand the existing paint off the walls, at least that's what I gathered.  It's potent.  We had to wear masks and everything, which only helped a little.

It was hard work and most of us spent more time outside the room than in it I think!  We got our rooms done though and I escaped to another room with some nice white paint.  (No masks required ;)  I finally felt like I was doing something useful when I realised that I could scrape the paint off the bottom of the chair rail all the way around the room.  So that was what I did.

When it was time to go back to the base, it was time for Family BBQ, which is a BBQ one night a week for anyone from the community to come and eat with us and hang out.  There are quite a few people that come!  So, we all had sausage sizzles (or hot dogs) in our sweaty, painty clothes.

At this point I was ready to fall asleep standing up.  So after a quick pretend nap in the corner of the cafe in one of the comfy chairs, I ordered a white mocha and prepared myself for lectures.  Which basically means sour gummies and coffee (which by the way are not that good of a combination).  This week in lectures we are learning about Identity.  Our speaker is amazing.  She is relevant and personable and she speaks with authority from God.

It is heart breaking to see all the lies that we believe that the enemy has convinced us are truth.  We have today and tomorrow of lectures and I pray that we will continue to learn and that our Creator would speak truth into our lives about who we are.

-Katie

Week One

I can hardly believe that we have already been in this beautiful country for a week!  The word I would use to describe this past week would be loved.  It has been a lot of information and new places and faces, but everywhere we go it's so obvious that we are being welcomed with open arms.  Already this group of 40 people that have been smashed together from all over the world is bonding and forming relationship and growing together in Christ.  It has been amazing to experience so far.  I am so excited to see where the Lord takes us and how He is going to grow us all on this journey.

Sundays are free days, and today I am staying on the ship to finish some homework.  We have a journal we write in every week and turn in to our one on one leader every week and also a workbook that goes along with what we're studying.  I have been so impressed with the speakers we've had so far.  They've done a great job, and I know we have more amazing men and women of God coming to share and speak with us.

Saturdays are youth day on the base.  The first three hours are group activities and then the last 5 are a mix of everything.  It's a great time for crew (what they call the kids) to come from all over the community and hang out in a safe environment.  They also get to do some pretty cool stuff.

I've been catching up on sleep this weekend and trying to let my body heal itself!  Quite a few of us are sharing a cold or something and have coughs and scratchy voices.  We're hopeful it'll pass quickly.

Have a great weekend!

-Katie

Cleaning is My Happy Place

It's afternoon here in Townsville.  I decided to sleep in this morning and so slept through my normal blogging time.  Between traveling, jet lag, information overload, and working this week has been a little exhausting!  I'm looking forward to sleeping in this weekend.  :)

Yesterday we had all campus worship.  All of the staff came and we had an hour of singing and praising the Lord with the whole base.  It is so amazing to see how free YWAM Townsville is in their worship!  After that we all got loaded up in the vans to head to the new campus.  My assigned group was on "Hillside Duty".  We cleaned up a huge hill (I have pictures and video... I'll try and add them later) behind the campus.  We cleaned up lots of random trash and gathered a lot of downed limbs and trees to put in the dumpster.  It was hard work, but very enjoyable!  We had a good working group with great attitudes!  The City Campus is such a blessing.  Every time we go I just can't help but feel joyful and inspired!

After base cleanup we came back to do Ministry Placement.  I love the group of girls that clean the ship with me.  We work very well together and are efficient in what we do!  And I just can't help but take joy and be honoured that I have the opportunity to serve my brothers and sisters by taking care of them this way.

This morning we had an all campus prayer session.  The staff presented a few different topics and we prayed over them for about 45 minutes.  It's so good to see the Lord at work!  This morning during lectures we heard from two of the base leadership team.  One spoke on communication and the other was Ken, who is the base leader.  It was neat to hear his heart for this ministry and to see his humbleness in it all.  He is an aspiring leader.  The Lord is doing great and mighty things at YWAM Townsville and it's such an amazing opportunity to be a part of it.

We have to go back to the ship for dinner tonight and then we have free time.  I think an early bed time will be in order.

That's all for now!

Prayer Requests:
1. That all of us with colds would be healed soon.
2.  That we would be well rested and be able to do everything we need to with our 100%

-Katie

Placements

Good morning!  The sunrise is beautiful here this morning, although I think the saying, "Red skies at morning, sailors take warning; red skies at night, sailors delight" is appropriate this morning!  I'm praying for a cool weather so that our campus work day will be nice!

The good news this morning is that my throat feels better!  Hallelujah!!!  Yesterday was an odd day, but good overall.  On the way from the ship to campus yesterday morning, I got sick.  I hadn't eaten anything, which is a blessing, but it was super weird.  Generally when I'm sick I can just sit and close my eyes and make myself calm down.  Not yesterday.  My poor, new backpack had to go through the wash.  Today I have a bit of a stuffy nose, but otherwise am feeling much better.  Thank you for all of your prayers!

After my eventful morning we received our ministry placements.  A ministry placement could be compared to a chore of sorts.  It's the heart of YWAM Townsville that everyone live in community and that we help and support those in full-time staff.   My ministry placement is Ship Ops.  Essentially, I get to clean the ship every day! (:  It was my first choice, and I'm glad to have gotten it.  There's something special about being able to take care of and clean the place your DTS is staying.  It's two hours a day and there are four ladies on the team.   We are responsible for cleaning the bathrooms, mess hall, accommodation, lounge, medical clinic, and the bridge.  I'm honoured to have been chosen to be a steward of the ship.

Yesterday in lectures we went over some more orientation things and also about the assignments that we will have throughout the lecture phase.  I'll tell you more about them as I'm working on them.  Each week we have a journal and a workbook we have to complete and turn in.  In addition we have two creative devotions to lead in our small groups and two book reports.  One of the book reports is on a book written by the founder of YWAM, Loren Cunningham called Is That Really You, God?.  The other is a missionary biography of choice.  If anyone has any good suggestions, let me know in the comments below or through Facebook!

Each week we will get to meet with a mentor in a 'one-on-one' and also a small group.  I can't even tell you how excited I am to be here and to be living in community with other believers.  I can't wait to see what the Lord has for all of us and how He will move in great and mighty ways!

Prayer Requests:
1. That I would kick this cold
2. That the Lord would be forming deep, lasting relationships between all of us on this journey

That's all for now, folks!
-Katie