Dirty Dash!

This last weekend several of our YWAM Salem staff ran the Dirty Dash in Eugene, Oregon.  This sloppy race was to raise funds for several charities in the community so it was great to make a difference as we had fun in the mud!  We crawled through tunnels... climbed over obstacles... wallowed in the mud pits... and laughed a lot!  

Our attempts at crazy outfits!

The Giant hay bales

We got a little muddy so far

Glad I had goggles when I got totally dunked in the mud!

I can see again... yay!

I think we enjoyed the race :0)

The greatest thing is that my skin was soooo smooth after the race... like I got a special facial at the spa!

Will you hold my leg for a minute?

I never really know what is going to happen when leading a group on the ropes course.  Yesterday was a great example of just that...


So, we started out the day with a large group of 54 people on the lawn playing some get to know you games.  This group was a mix of some different churches joining up to do some team bonding before heading out on a mission trip to Haiti.  Such a wonderful group of people wanting to serve the Lord!  After the games we all harnessed up, split into 5 groups, and headed off to the course.  


The first stop for my group... the Huge Green Cheetahs... was the low circuit, which is an obstacle course just off the ground.  The goal is to do the obstacles without touching the ground.  This is a difficult task for most groups and requires physical strength, creativity, and teamwork.   


On this particular day I had a man named Zack in my group.  I was a little nervous about this because he had a prosthetic leg.  I thought about his safety and wondered how he would do on the course because of the difficult nature of the obstacles, but as I watched I was amazed!  Not only did he complete each challenge, he was instrumental in helping the rest of the team.  Wow!  What an example of creativity and the determination!  


My favorite moment of the day was when Zack came to the underground tunnel.  He was having a little trouble fitting through the tunnel because of the tight space.  I was about to tell him that he could just skip that obstacle... the next thing I knew he was holding his leg out to me and asking me if I could hold it for him.  Oh my goodness... I could't believe it... I was holding his leg and walking it to the other side of the tunnel!  We got a good chuckle out of this and it totally broke the ice for the rest of the day where he rocked the rest of the challenges!


Throughout the day I heard a little bit of his life story... how he lost his leg serving our country in Iraq... and how he has chosen to not be held back, but instead to press forward and give to others.  I'm sure God will use him in mighty ways as he heads out to love and serve people in Haiti! 

So... the end of my day came with another little surprise... a bird decided to poo on my arm.  Gotta love the random things that happen when working on the ropes course!

Loving Salem Ropes!

Hey everyone, thought I'd let you know that I love what I'm doing here in Salem!  Here's a little look into what I do on the Salem Ropes Course. 

First of all, I'm finding that no two days are ever the same when working on the Salem Ropes Course.  Each group is unique and it keeps me on my toes as I do my best to lead them through the course in a way that will challenge them and also give them opportunities for great success.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm the one doing all the learning because I get so much out of the activities that I lead the groups through.  

Teamwork written in many different languages

One of the main reasons that groups come to the course is to work on TEAMWORK.  Most of the elements are designed specifically to require teamwork and it's fun to watch groups begin the day with an independent mindset and leave at the end of the day depending on and even enjoying working as a team.

  

The five commitments that we all make at the beginning of the day

I love seeing how so many amazing things can be learned from these fairly simple and fun activities.  

I can't begin to list all the lessons that are learned through the activities, but I will share a couple to give a general idea.

Flying Squirrel

The Flying Squirrel:  a high element where the "flyer" is pulled up about 30 feet into the air by the rest of the team.  This element allows individuals the opportunity to trust their team with their life as they fly into the air and also for the team to serve the "flyer."  It's really cool to see how much fun people have in pulling on the rope.  Service doesn't have to be an agonizing thing... in fact there can be great joy in serving others as you are joining with them in reaching a goal! 

Giant Swing

The  Giant Swing:  a high element where you climb a pole 25 feet up to a platform and then swing out over the hill to a height of about 60 feet.  Definitely a breathtaking experience!  This element is great for bringing out the encouragement of the group and also for overcoming fear.  There are very few people who don't fear this swing... even I still have a moment of fear up there!  The Giant Swing has been an amazing thing to experience as a facilitator.  To witness the life giving power of encouragement is so cool and seeing people overcome their fears is truly wonderful!   

"For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind."  - II Timothy 1:7 

        

A Change in Plans...

GOD KNOWS BEST!
I find it quite interesting how often I need to be reminded that God's plans are BETTER than my own.  This is what I've been learning recently and it has been such a blessed journey along the way!  


Almost exactly a month ago I arrived in Salem to staff the Crossroads DTS here at the YWAM base.  Upon my arrival I learned that we only had one student signed up for the school and that it would be cancelled if we didn't get more students.  This came as a huge surprise and made for an interesting first few days as I questioned if I was even supposed to be here in Salem.  


The next few days I began to realize that God had me right where HE wanted me and that I didn't need to worry at all because HE wouldn't leave me hanging.  As I waited to see if more students would sign up I sought out other areas where I could serve, just in case the school did get cancelled.  Looking into other ministries seemed kind of crazy at first because it felt like I was giving up on the Crossroads school, but God reminded me that dreaming and planning wouldn't change what HE was doing.  


Out of all the ministry possibilities available I was especially interested in the ropes course.  As I prayed about this possibility I began to get excited with the feeling that this was where God wanted me to be and that HE wasn't making a plan "B," but was actually revealing plan "A"... the BEST plan for me!  


I kinda joke now that God lured me here with staffing the Crossroads DTS because it was familiar and I felt secure in it and then revealed that he wanted me to work with the ropes course once I got here... not sure if that was really God's original plan, but it works for me ;0)


PLAN "A"... THE ROPES COURSE
At this point, I have just finished my second week working with the ropes course team and it has been AMAZING!  I have achy muscles... I have blisters and bruises...  and I've cut pitch out of my hair... but I will have to say that this job fits me so well!  I love the opportunity I have to share my love for God and the outdoors with so many people!  It's like a mission field right in my back yard :0)


The ropes course draws such a diverse array of people... in just two weeks I've had the privilege of serving a youth group preparing for a mission trip, a group of YWAM leaders, a group of college football players, a Brownie troop, and a group of teens celebrating a birthday.  I find it crazy that these groups quickly become captive audiences when they are stretched outside of their comfort zone... it's like the challenge course opens the door wide open to speak God's truth and encouragement into their lives.  


TRUST THE GIRL AND THE BENCH...
I'm sure I will have many stories to tell as the weeks go by, but to start off I will share about the college football players that I worked with last week.  We were just finishing up with the High Climb, which is a 93 foot climb up a big sturdy tree... of course the participants are harnessed in and I happened to be belaying for one of the ropes while the football players were belaying for the other rope.  As the guys shared about their experience the issue of trust came up and one of the guys stated that he chose to climb on the side with the girl who was anchored to the bench (me) instead of his three buff teammates.  We all got a good laugh about this because I only weigh about 120 lbs and was trusted more than 3 guys who together were at least 500 lbs.  Not only did we have a good laugh about this, it opened the door to talk about trust in their lives and how they can build trust as a football team.  


To learn more about the Salem ropes course and to watch a cool video of what we do check out this link:
http://www.ywamsalem.org/#/salem-ropes/  

Settling In...

I've now been here at the YWAM base in Salem, Oregon for over two weeks and it is starting to feel a bit like home.  

To start off I'd like to share a little about where I live... the house I live in is called "Meadow Mobile" because it is a big mobile home in the meadow... gotta love the creative names of some places here!  This house has 6 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths and currently there are six single gals living here.  I hear that the house really isn't that full... so I guess doubling up in rooms is pretty normal at times.  Good thing I've had lots of practice sharing a room in my lifetime!

My house... my window is the second from the right.

Moving in was a breeze for me... I arrived right around 5:00 when people were getting done with work for the day.  Within moments of my arrival I was greeted by two of my friends who helped me haul my things out of the car... thanks Amy and Shane!

My room... ready to be unpacked.

I thought it would be fun to post a picture of my first cooking down here.  I made chicken and rice soup and it was soooo good!  

The cool thing is that God had a plan for my soup that went beyond me eating it... I found out the next day that a friend of mine was recovering from pneumonia.  I had lots of extra soup so I was able to bless her with some healthy soup to eat while she got better.  I think it's amazing how God can even use soup to bless others!

Gotta love the ease of crock pots!

Just about the time that I showed up here on the base, this goose also showed up.  Most of the time the goose is friendly and will eat out of my hand, but I found out today that geese sometimes have bad days... it chased me and tried to bite me.  Yikes!  Thank goodness that they have rounded beaks that don't hurt!

Our mostly friendly goose... it has blue eyes that are pretty cool.

 My Second weekend here was BEAUTIFUL!  We had weather in the 80's and it was wonderful!  After church on Sunday we got the supplies to make ice cream and enjoyed a nice treat in the afternoon sun and then went and played softball to practice for a church league team... our team is named the Misfits... kinda fits our group because we are a mix of lots of random people.

Ice cream with two of my housemates, Sarah and Amy.

I hope you enjoyed hearing a little bit of my first two weeks here in Salem... God has been so faithful in leading me in this new season of life.  I have to admit that things haven't gone exactly like I expected they would down here, but I'm finding that God has things under control and that His ways are ALWAYS better than mine!  

I'll share more about some unexpected changes in another post when I have the chance to process the details. 

BLESSED!

I'm so blessed by the family I have!  
There are kids all over the place, but it's wonderful and each and every one of them have a special place in my heart!  


I will have to say that one of the hardest things about being away from home is missing all of these shining faces and the giggles and hugs that go with them!  I love my special kids to the moon and back and I will miss them dearly!  Thank goodness for technology so we can keep in touch.  I don't want to miss those babbling conversations and the silly stories of all the wonderful things kids do :0) 
  

Movie time... Aubrey, Grace, Stephanie, Josiah,  me, Alana, Zoey, and Hailey!

You gotta love a house full of kids... especially when they are all so sweet and cute!  This picture shows most of the wonderful kids that are near and dear to my heart.  My nephew Isaac was at Cub Scouts when this picture was taken and my nephews Micah and Gideon (recently adopted) were on their way home from the Ukraine!  


I love how my family has answered the call to adopt!  It is not an easy task, but I believe it's worth a little sweat and tears because there are now 5 less orphans in the world today!  

Joey and Gracie enjoying a warm seat on the beloved dog, Bentley :0)

Zoey creating some mealtime entertainment for everyone!

 This night was such a funny night!  We were all sitting around at dinner time and Zoey was full of spunk and chattering up a storm.  I'd been trying to get her to say "auntie" for months and was trying again since she was being so vocal.  The great thing is that she finally said it!  This will be such a memorable moment because not only did she say "auntie," she had a burp right in the middle of it... it was the sweetest, funniest "aun uurrp tie" I've ever heard!  We were all rolling on the floor laughing and Zoey thought it was the greatest thing!  Now the crazy thing is that she usually claps when I ask her to say "auntie" because we made such a big deal about it... but she does know how to say it so way to go Zoey!

She is the silliest girl and loves it when she has a captive audience!

This poor couch gets a workout all the time!  


I'm really going to miss my little sisters (shadows)!  Rarely does a day go by when one of them doesn't ask to have a sleepover in my room, or to help me feed the horses, or to have me tuck them into bed!  I love how they look up to me, but the pressure is on... do they see Jesus in me?  I sure hope so!

I totally love my family!  They have all taught me so much about living life to the fullest and always hoping for the best!  Their endless hugs, pokes, and kisses will truly be missed!   

A Time of Waiting...

The Delay...
Being delayed in heading to Salem has been a very insightful time for me...  At first the delay was a big disappointment and I actually felt like I messed up and failed in following God's plan.  As I've pressed in for answers and recovered from the initial shock, I've found that this time of waiting isn't a waste of time or a failure in any way.  The waiting has actually been a time of great joy and encouragement in my life!  God is so GOOD and He never ceases to amaze me with His perfect plan for my life!


Here are a few things that I've been learning in this time of waiting...
That I can be a missionary anywhere.  I may not be in Salem yet, but God still has amazing things for me to do here in Aberdeen! 


Over the past few weeks I've been blessed with the women's Bible study going on at my church.  "A Woman's Heart" by Beth Moor is showing me so much about myself and how God is the center of my universe.  I can try and fulfill my needs through relationships with people, but I will not be satisfied because I was created with a need that only God can fill.  This study has showed me a lot of truth and the ministry times have been so sweet as many women share their lives and pray for one another!


One big area that has become my mission field here in Aberdeen is the public school setting that I find myself in.  Being a substitute teacher is an interesting place to be and I've come to realize that I can be intentional about building relationships with the kids by showing them patience and love instead of just surviving the day.  Some days are harder than others, but I'm finding that listening to the students and spending an extra couple of minutes getting to know them goes a long way.  So many of these kids are starving for attention and love... their behavior is just crying out for someone to take notice and care.  I am choosing to care and hopefully they will see God's love shining through me.


A song that has encouraged me along the way... 
"Desert Song" by Hillsong


This song has spoken to me so much about the different battles and trials we all go through in life, but how the VICTORY is already won... PRAISE JESUS!  My choice is to bring praise to the King in every season of life because He is WORTHY of PRAISE... He is my reason to LIVE!


Blessings of the delay...
Another blessing of the delay is that I will be able to meet my two new nephews before I head down to Salem.  My brother and sister-in-law are in the process of adopting two 5 year old boys from the Ukraine.  Currently Rachelle and her mom are in the Ukraine to bring Gideon and Micah home and hopefully in the next few days they will finally be home.  I'm seeing now that it is important to be here for this change in our family and I'm excited to meet these precious boys who have spent years longing for a family.
Please pray for a safe passage home for Rachelle, Doris (Rachelle's mom), Gideon, and Micah.  Gideon is an active boy who loves to see and experience new things and places... he will be busy, but will probably do ok with the traveling.  Micah, on the other hand, struggles with being outside of the confining walls of the institution, the only surroundings he's ever known.  It is very scary for him to be out and about so please pray that he will adjust to the outside world quickly and not have a traumatic trip all the way home.


To read more about their adoption journey visit their blog:
 http://addtothebeauty-evensen.blogspot.com/2012/03/paperchase-is-done.html


I've been so blessed in the waiting, but I do need help in moving forward in God's plan!
Please pray that the finances continue to come in.  I'm getting closer to being fully funded, but I have a little way still to go.  


I invite you to come hear more about what God is doing in my life and the exciting mission work that He has called me to do through YWAM!


I will be sharing about my missionary journey at Calvary Lutheran Church on Sunday, March 18th at 9am.  
2515 Sumner Ave.  Aberdeen