The Journey

Today marks exactly one month of being in Montana. This afternoon I was walking and chatting with one of my dear friends Jo about how we got to Montana and all that God has done to get us here at this very time. When I think back over the process of how I came to Montana, I am just overwhelmed with the goodness of God and how He knows exactly the right direction for our lives. 

I remember the exact time in my life where I started to feel a call to explore YWAM and the possibility of doing a DTS. I had just returned from a week long missions trip to Costa Rica where we happen to stay at a YWAM base for the week. After we arrived home I remember googling YWAM and learning more about their mission and all the options they presented. I knew I wanted missions to be apart of my life in some way but I just wasn't sure to what capacity it would look like. After doing some research and praying I felt as if DTS would be the best option for me after I graduated high school. 

As I started my senior year of school I remember starting the process of praying and looking into which base I should do DTS at. YWAM has bases all across the world and it was slightly overwhelming trying to narrow my options down. I remember looking into bases all within the south eastern part of the USA. I figured it would be nice to stay relatively close to home and it would be something sort of in my comfort zone. I eventually decided to do my DTS in Jacksonville, Florida. I thought it would be the perfect location. It was on the beach and only six hours from home. Little did I know God had other plans for my life! 

January rolled around and I remember feeling very neutral about my choice to head to Jacksonville. I remember asking God to give me real confirmation about Jacksonville. During the holidays my aunt told me about this guy from her church who had done his DTS and two other schools at a base in Montana. She asked me if she could give him my phone number so he could call me and answer any questions for me. Around the end of January he called my mom and they talked for a really long time about me, YWAM, and DTS. My mom encouraged me to give him a call and chat with him for myself. I did end up calling him and we had a really encouraging conversation. He told me all about the base in Montana and encouraged me to look into it. I wasn't really interested at first but I finally googled it and fell in LOVE! I knew that Montana was the place where I would do my DTS. 

Fast forward nearly nine months and here I am. I just love that fact the God took me COMPLETELY out of what was comfortable to me and placed me far from home. I faced many emotions along the journey and there were many days I doubted wether or not I would make it to Montana. Now that I'm here I look back and see God's hand in the whole situation. He knew what the best base would be for me and I am so glad I listened and followed His direction for my life. 

I feel so at home here in Montana and have fallen in love with so many people. I have said this before but I have made so many friendships that I can see lasting the rest of my life. These past weeks haven't been easy by any stretch of the imagination but they have been good and I've been experiencing so much growth in my relationship with God. This is such a cool journey I'm on and I am overwhelmed by what an amazing God I serve and how much He loves me. I can hardly wait to see what He has in store for the rest of my time here in Montana and then all that will happen in South Africa! 

GOD IS SO GOOD!

Learning, Ice Cream, Knitting & More!

Hey Y'all! 

So sorry I've been MIA on the ole' blog lately. A lot has been going on and we've been super busy around here. It is hard to believe I've been here for one month already. Time sure does fly when you are learning and having fun. In two weeks we will be headed to Portland, Oregon for mini-outreach for a week. I'm so excited to go to Portland and it will be the first time I've traveled to the west coast of the United States. It is about a 12 hour drive from the base and we will be loading up in several fifteen passenger vans to make the trek out there. I cannot wait to see all that God does on that trip! 

We have had two speakers over the last two weeks and they both were interesting. Mark Masucci spoke two weeks ago on the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith. It was a very cool week as we dug deep into God's word and learned more about Him. I had a new and fresh revelation of God's grace for me and my life which was a cool thing. I love reading truth from the Bible and I was challenged to really not just read God's word but know it and hide it in my heart. Last week we had a guy named Matt Atkins speak on the father heart of God and it was a good week as well. I would say Matt has been my least favorite speaker since we've been here but he did have some good points. God is working and moving in so many ways here and it has been quite the roller coaster of emotions over the last month. I'm still loving every minute of it and growing so much. 

Last weekend my good friend Kyla's parents came down for the weekend from Canada to celebrate Canadian thanksgiving with her. They rented a house in Kalispell for a few nights and me and two other girls were invited to stay with them for one night. It was beyond refreshing to escape the base for an evening and just be apart of a family unit again. When you are constantly surrounded by people it can get challenging so it was a good weekend to recharge and rest. That same weekend we had a harvest party on base that included a chili cook-off, games, square dancing, and a popcorn bar. We always have fun things happening here in Montana. 

In the photo above is the best ice cream shop I've ever been to in my whole life. It is in old downtown Kalispell and it is adorable. All of their ice cream in made with local ingredients and the prices are so cheap! They also have an odd and unique assortment of flavors which is awesome. I got a waffle cone of salty caramel and it was pure DELICIOUSNESS. Good thing this place isn't in walking distance from base or else my wallet and waistline would be in some serious trouble! 

The photo above includes two of my favorite people I've met since coming to Montana. The girl in the middle is Jo and she is from Manitoba, Canada. She is adorable in so many ways. She is super creative, she can bake, and is an artist. We get along very well and enjoy a lot of the same things in life. She is one of those people that you feel as if you've known forever when you meet her. I love her dearly and cannot wait until she comes to North Carolina and visits me after DTS is over. The girl all the way on the right in one of my roommates, Hannah. She is from PA and is as equally adorable as Jo. Her parents have a huge grain farm in PA so she loves all things farming and outdoors. We get along really well and spend a lot of time together. I also get the pleasure of going to South Africa with her for two months. God has majorly blessed me with friends that will last a lifetime here. 

The weekends can sometimes get boring because all we do is homework and laundry. We have to get creative with ways to spend our time so I've decided to learn how to knit. I started last night and it was a rocky start. Jo is teaching me and keeps making me continue even if I want to give up. I am making a scarf and today I started to get the hang of it. It is very relaxing and therapeutic and I can see myself really enjoying it as i get better! We watched a good ole' chick flick last night in my room and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Today Jo and I started watching One Tree Hill on netflixs and got four episode into season eight. It looks like knitting and watching One Tree Hill will be come our new Sunday routine! 

Its hard to believe I am almost halfway done with my time here in Montana. It will be a sad day when we all have to say goodbye to each other in Feburary. We have already started brainstorming about when and where we are going to have a reunion after DTS is over :) I am missing my family, friends, and church back in Charlotte and you all stay in my thoughts a lot. I cannot wait to come back home with stories of how God is working throughout this whole experience. I am so blessed and am trying to soak up every minute. Until next time folks!