my first blog!!

Hello everybody! Welcome to my new blog!!

     I've been thinking for a while about how I can share what I'm doing in life with everyone that I love.. I dont have Facebook so that makes connecting with people a bit challenging but seeing how popular blogging is... I've decided this is the way to go!

                My vision for this blog is to allow people 
   to join me in all my adventures with God.

 As some of you may know, I have been a part of YWAM- a non profit, non denomination Christian organization called Youth with a  Mission for the past 4 years. 

   Youth With A Mission is an international volunteer movement of Christians from many backgrounds, cultures and Christian traditions, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. Also known as YWAM (pronounced "WHY-wham"), our purpose is simply to know God and to make Him known.

When YWAM began in 1960, our main focus was giving young people opportunities to demonstrate the love of Jesus to the whole world, according to His command in Mark 16:15. Today, we still focus on youth, but we have members (known as “YWAMers”) of almost every age and many of our short-term efforts have grown into long-term endeavors that have impacted lives and nations.

YWAM has a decentralized structure that encourages new vision and the exploration of new ways to change lives through training, convey the message of the gospel and care for those in need. We are currently operating in more than 1000 locations in over 180 countries, with a staff of over 18,000.

               Over the past four years I have been 

     able to do so many incredible things and go to soo

              many amazing countries with YWAM.

Here is a small recap of my life with YWAM over the past four years:

    - In the fall of 2008 I attended a 6 month Discipleship Training School with YWAM LA

    - During the spring of 2009; following my DTS, I did a 3 School of Ministry Development in LA.

   - In the fall of 2009 I was a part of staff for a Transformation DTS and co lead a team of 21 young people to Thailand for 2 1/2 months.

  -  During the summer of 2010 I staffed a summer program with YWAM called Mission Adventures.. where we spent time pouring into middle school aged youth and taking them on local outreach in the city of Los Angeles.

 - In the fall of 2010 I was again a part of staff for a DTS and lead a team to South Africa for 2 1/2 months

 - in May of 2011 I left YWAM for a time, I was working as a waitress and then in a local pet shop near the YWAM campus. I spent the year seeking God and asking what He would have me do in the years to come. Which lead me to where I am TODAY!...

 - In September of this year I started a 9 month long Bible school with YWAM LA called Chronological school of Biblical Studies 

  CSBS is a school where-- 

     students survey each book in the Bible (all 66 books)  and discover the big picture, while also digging into the details, paragraph by paragraph. We place an emphasis on understanding the cultural and historic background of each author and original reader of each book. In C-SBS we also consider where each book fits into the big picture of the Gospel story. Then, the student can interpret Scripture with the mindset of the original reader. Finally, that student can take those truths that transcend time and culture, and apply them to their own lives.

     So that is a bit of where I've been and what I'm doing now...

     The CSBS started in September and will graduate on June 22 of 2013, 

so I have some time to plan my next steps of action in life. 

I know that I am called to missions for the long haul and 

that I want to use the Bible to reach people all over the world. 

Studying God's Word has been an awesome experience so far.
I will be sure to share what I am learning with you in the coming months! 


Thank you for following this blog! 
Your love is a gift to my life 
& I am super excited to be connected with you again! 
I hope you are having a wonderful November! 
God bless you! 

These are pictures from recent happenings in my life...
                  1. Lucy sleeping.. Cutest dog ever

                                         

                                  2. Studying Song of Songs at Starbucks

                        3. Jessica and me spending a cold, fall day together

                            4-5. My birthday dinner with great friends

6. Jessica, Shaun, me, David (my boyfriend!) and David's parents :)