Long time no... read?

Hello absolutely beautiful souls.  It has definitely been two months too long since I have written you on all that has been going on here in Kona.  Yes, I am alive... very alive & very well.  I am sitting in the local Starbucks here (go figure), as I do almost every Sunday.  I am getting to be a regular at this one, and I cannot say that I hate it.  I like going places so much that they know who I am and I can begin to build relationship with them.  A lot of the YWAMers take over this Starbucks on Sundays to read, catch up on blogging, do some of our memorization, and of course drinks lots of coffee.  Enough of that.

So much has happened that it seems hard to know where to start, so I will give you an over all update on what's been going on, and what the plan is for the next few months.
The track has been going amazing!  There have been so many things that confirm why I am here, and the Lord continues to bring me to situations that I have to choose Him, and what a beautiful it is to choose Him.  He has only begun to teach me how to truly be free, how to walk in integrity, and to seek His face in the midst of it all.  At the beginning of the track, the Lord spoke to me that this season was for a few reason; to ground me in the Word, for patience, and for endurance.  The wonderful thing about being in this season, with about 60 other amazing men & woman hard after the heart of the Father, is that you are surrounded by so many different areas for the Lord to speak.  Such as:  our mornings all start with practical service & serving the campus in any way that we can, and in the afternoons we are intentionally going after the heart of the Lord with first worship, and then intercession on topics like San Fran, and the pope, or on things like revival in Korea, and the ending of Abortion; and the reality of us moving the heart of the Father so much that He moves on our prayers is mind blowing!  We are all also involved in community outreaches which are super fun.  At the beginning I was going to the local high-school and hanging out with the kids there, but now the school year is over and so I will be going into downtown Kona and hanging out with the homeless, getting to know the people in the shops, and really gong anywhere the Lord leads us to to intentionally invest in the people in the streets.  Some of the other people are going to the Salvation Army every Sunday to have church with the families there who are Samoan and Filipino and there are a lot of kids they also get to play with and make breakfast for and so on.  Others are involved in Deep & Beyond which is a program made available to the handicapped so that they can enjoy the water and go scuba-diving and swimming and see God's creation in a whole new way they never expected to.  Then we also get to have family time, enjoying each others presence over desserts & dinners, and blessing each other with laughing so hard you are crying and really becoming family.  And I honestly can say that I have found family here, what a beautiful thing it is.  Our days are also filled with having the privilege of listening to teachers from all around the world, and leaders from the Kona campus releasing their wisdom & revelations to us, preparing us to be better leaders.  I catch myself hating to call this a program, because it really doesn't feel like that.  In the beginning my mindset felt that a little bit, but now... It's learning to love Jesus, learning humility & integrity, learning to lead by serving... So many things that shape us into who we are occur every single day and so no longer is my mind in the mindset that this is a program, but rather a revolutionary way of living life; and I feel honored I get to do this and not only that, but with such amazing people who teach me how to be fought for, and how to fight for them as well.  The last thing that I will share is I am discipling for ladies from the PhotogenX DTS here on campus.  They had about 40+ girls in the DTS with a lot less staff, so I was asked by their school leader to be a part of the staff by helping them out, and I am absolutely loving it.  That was one of my favorite things about staffing the DTS last year, was being able to meet with the girls each week and become friends, and pour into their lives and just be an open ear to all that the Lord is doing in their lives. So I am very excited that I have been able to do that again.

So that is mostly what as been going on!  To say that it hasn't been challenging would be a lie, but I am so extremely thankful for all of the obstacles, making a way for the Lord to reveal His glory & how it really is HIM I rely on, and not my own strength.  He has been teaching me how my hope really needs to be in HIM, and Him alone.  When we choose to put our hope in something, or someone, or the outcomes or anything like that, we open the door to disappointment.  But when we choose to place our hope in Him, setting our gaze on Him and His purposes and plans, then our hearts will also be in Him and He is so faithful to protect our hearts and really work all things out for the good of those who love Him.  It's not always easy, but it pushes me to really become alive in Him, and not anything or anyone else.
Right now the plan stands as it did before, I will be in Kona until December at least, then I will visit friends & family back home in North Carolina.  Then in January 2013, my plan is to come back to Kona to finish the rest of the Leadership Track.  I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I am asking the Lord more in detail what that will look like.  Thank you again, for being so amazing, for investing in my life and all that the Lord is doing here.  None of this would have happened without the family & friends that I have, and for each and every prayer that has been invested, and for all of the financial donations as well.  The Lord has used each one of you in a powerful way in my life and I could not be more thankful for that.  You all mean so much to me and I miss you so much & cannot wait to see your faces!!  Please know that I think about you all the time & pray for you regularly.

Currently, I am still in need of a good amount of monthly support.  My goal is to have $600.00 at least a month in support, and I am at $150.00.  If you feel the Lord leading you to give you one time or monthly, I would be so happy to talk with you more in depth about what that money covers & and also about more of what I am doing here.  You can press the "Donate" button to the left of the page, or email me at oceansroar@gmail.com.

Enjoy some of the photos that show a little bit of life here in Kona :)

[Praying for the nations on a freakishly massive map, and us another day having a huge dance

party in the 24Hour prayer room we have on campus]

  

[Track retreat at Makapala & my lovely roommate, Taren]

  

[The hillsides of the big island, and all of my amazing roommates I get to live with!!]

 

[Josh, me, and Charity hanging out at dessert night]

  

[Oh and another update: I have an amazing boyfriend!!]

[Ryan and me at Mauna Kea, one of the most beautiful places on the island]

 

    

[Amazing gifts that hit the heart, and celebrating my 21st birthday]

  

 [One of the incredible sunsets here just the other night, and a Track pool party & the boys being boys]

Much love & blessings to each and every one of you!!