Hello everyone! This picture of the waterfall was taken by my friend Clarke Harris.

I have to say I am sorry I haven't update my blog in a while. I have been very busy with the last couple of weeks of lecture and such. We have been going through several weeks of lecture where there is so much information it is hard to keep up with the home updates as well. We have our notes, journal reports, book reports, and if you want a personal journal to keep updated as well. I told myself that I would make people at home more of a priority because I know you all would like to be more informed. Plus it helps if you would keep me in your prayers!

The last several weeks have been really full, as I said. We went over the Missions, Father Heart of God, Hearing the Voice of the Lord, Evangelism, and now we are just finishing the Plumbline week. Over this time God has really been working in my life. Every week we are taking a different look at how to learn more about the Lord, but also how to grow closer to Him. I'll explain a bit of the Plumbline, seeing as how it is fresh in my mind. Today we had just finished lectures about how when people are not building themselves with a Divine Plumbline, that our structure is doomed to tumble and fail. I know that I have relied on my own pride to get me through when things get rough. I often think, "Well if everything were to fail me, that's fine because, well I am ME and I'll make it." Even getting to the point where God starts to pin point these areas in my life has been a long road. So often I have said that God will sustain me, and yet in the back of my mind thought, 'and I will sustain me too! Just in case." What deep unbelief and pride has kept me from really seeking God's voice! I have been learning real repentance and being humbleness as a key to my growth.

So with that I would like to say to everyone that I really do respect all the love, help, and care you have given to me. I know that I would not be so blessed had I not received the love and support, the prayer and fellowship, and many other blessings you have shown me through God our Father. Thank you so much!

Well, the time came to pray and decided where we would go to outreach. After the staff prayed and prayed, and re-prayed, we were all dying to know the outreach locations. We were not allowed to discuss them amongst ourselves but were given three options: Fiji, Thailand, and Japan. I was so excited to go to any of the places, really, but knew that God had a plan to send me to just one and was calling me to be on a specific team. To be honest my ideas and God's were running in different directions! I thought, "Yes! Fiji is the optical outreach, medical is where I'm at!" But I wasn't told to go there, so then it was "YES! Thailand is in such a great need for Justice! I have looked into justice missions and think this is it!" And again I was told to go somewhere else. And I finally thought, "Japan!? But Lord, everyone at home will expect me to pick this place. They know I have a heart for this culture and they'll think Im just going wherever I want and not where You are asking me! I don't want to go to Japan!" What a silly girl I am. Over then next few days God started to speak to me, patiently and gently; about how He planted a seed in my heart for a people, about how he took my brothers to places they studied and invested in so why wouldn't he do the same for me? I had to agree, "Ok Lord, take me to Japan."

Isn't that exciting!? I'm going to Japan to do who knows what? I've been waiting for this for years and now God has opened that door for me! So now I must ask for some help. I know that we have a lot of work to do about the outreach, so please keep my team in prayer. We still have to come up with the money for outreach, make sure the visas, shots and everything else is in order. First world missions is something I'm not as prepared for so pray that God really starts to teach me and give me a renewed heart for Japan. Thanks again everyone, and I love and miss you all!

If you would like to know anything particular about what's happening please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]