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These last few weeks have been a bit more of a challenge for me and my walk with Christ. I have been stretched and pushed outside of my comfort zone which is something that I have been praying for even before this trip began. I am so excited about what Christ has been doing to my heart as well as my relationship with Him.  These last few weeks I have been trying to figure out some of the reasons why people don't want to get to know our God and have a relationship with Jesus. I started out journaling about how there are so many factors that shape our decision to either accept Christ or deny Him, but as I continued to pray about it I have realized that I think it is a much simpler and much easier concept. I think that it all comes down to love.  You might ask why lo…

New Zealand, what am amazing place to be. I have been experiencing God in a way that I haven't really ever experienced him before. This trip has been a journey of listening. From the beginning god told me to shut up and be still. This is something that can be difficult for someone who loves to talk. I started praying before even coming on this trip that I can see God in a new way and I will be able to experience him in a way that I never really have. So I have been slowing down and listening more, and big surprise God shows up. He starts talking and sharing little bits of himself to you. God is taking the time to talk to me and share with me his plans! How neat is that?! Although God did not just call us to listen he told us to act in his word. I thought that hearing…

A lot has happened in the past week. We did listening prayer at the beginning of the week to ask God what He has for the rest of the time that we're in New Zealand. He blew us away with how clearly He spoke to each and every one of us. He gave us visions and words and complete direction of where to go.  To make a long story short, we are on a two week journey to 4 different places in the north island. Our first stop is in a small town called Moerewa, a town that most people haven't heard of, and the people that have have told us that they would never choose to come here. Every time someone tells us that, I can't help but laugh because of how different God is than man. He wants us here and I think it's amazing that He brought us to a place where no one else would…

I was feeling very attacked tonight. I’ve had a wonderful day, getting to fully enjoy some of the cool resources at El Rancho. There are amazing ministry opportunities lying ahead that are sure to stretch us and force us to grow. I’d had some great conversations today. My brain was doing well; Until about an hour ago. I think partially the struggle began because I found out my little sister had a rough night and that breaks my heart always. Things just seemed to go downhill from there. I feel as though everyone’s spirits dampened immensely. It culminated when I was sitting alone in my flat and heard this far-off, blood-curdling scream that I am now positive was in my head. I know I sound nuts, but it’s true. I began to shake and felt extremely uneasy. So I…

                    This past week God has been expanding my view of what it means to love with no conditions, specifically loving people without expecting anything in return. He convicted me the other night of how often I don’t choose to do this. He really opened my eyes to how often I hold back on loving others when I don’t feel loved by them first. I selfishly give love with conditions and this is not what I’m called to do.  I can hear Him calling me out of this and into a place where I am able to love despite how I feel.                  He really opened my eyes to how we are so often focused more on how other people love us rather than how w…

It's hard to explain Waikanae Beach on the Kapiti Coast. As you approach and wander off the trail, the sand is soft and smooth, littered with debri that is carefully and intentionally shaped by the hand of God–that fact is evident. The water winds in and out of the beach; some places it creeps up onto the sand, other places it recedes, finding comfort in the massive ocean.  There's a line of driftwood that the tide carried over. Beyond that, the water coexists calmly with the sand, allowing for the appearance of walking on water.  The water carves its way carefully over the sand, making a million little sand dunes and bringing tiny sea creatures and happy crab shells to your feet. The sun reflects off the brightest blue ocean, making everything brighter a…

Tonight, as we were riding home, I was struck by the unintentional culture we live in… Bus rides. Trains. Subways. These transport us so many directions– north, south, east, west, but never inward. So many meaningless encounters with fellow strangers of this world. At least we make these encounters meaningless. And we allow these people to be strangers. We quench the divine orchestrations presented by our creator. Opportunities to acknowledge another's humanity. To learn a new name. To see a new face. To hear a new story. To discover a new heart. To meet a new brother. to care for another sister. So many pass by's. So many casual smiles and nonchalant nods. So many unspoken conversations. The headphones we place in our ears are outlets to li…

The magnificence of it will take your breath away. But I’m not content with just standing on the shore. Just looking out into the sea. I have to go in. I feel the sand in between my toes, but I want to feel the ocean on my skin. I need to feel the waves crashing into me– to taste the salt water. So that’s what I did. I saw a rock in the middle of a crashing wave and I knew I had to stand on it. I ventured into the water and found the rock. I found my balance and climbed onto it. As I was looking at the vast ocean, surrounded by clouds, a giant wave came crashing over me.   It was cold. So cold. But that’s not what I felt.   In that moment, I felt the tangible love of Christ.  I felt the love He has been SCREAMING at me for…

These last couple weeks have been completely life changing. I am in a beautiful country with amazing girls and God is rocking my world. I've been learning a lot about God and who I am in Him. The most prevalent thing I'm learning is that I am not in charge of life. I find myself planning even more now that I'm about to graduate from college. It is almost time for me to become a real adult. I find myself planning what this next phase of my life is going to look like. When in reality the plans He has for my life are greater than anything I could every imagine. I'm at a place where I need to surrender my future to him and ask him to come and lead me. I cannot face this next part of my life if he is not leading me in every possible way. This is not easy at ti…

It amazes me that the hands that created the beauty in these pictures are the same hands that crafted my existence. The only difference is.. He breathed life into me. He LOVES me so much more than the oceans and the mountains. Yes, there is beauty and glory in the creation of the mountains and the waters, but he sees me as so much more beautiful because I was created to look like him. I was made in the image of Christ, and the image of Christ is much more glorious than the blue waters and green hills of New Zealand (even though this place is unreal.) Today, I got to witness God's creation, and dang God was right when he said "It was good."           (Just for the sake of talking so much about the creation of our Maker, I had to…