Wow, it’s July again. It’s sunny in Portland today. I’ve been here nearly a year and I’m still learning what it’s like to live in the Northwest. I can’t say that I’ve made Portland my home. I’ve only been in stable housing for the last 3 months and I haven’t made it as far in school as I hoped. It’s been a really slow process of getting settled in, but I think I’ve almost made it. Tearing up my roots in Minneapolis was hard, replanting them harder, but I can’t think of a place I’d rather have done it. Ok, maybe Wellington, New Zealand, but I’d be missing a huge piece of what I’m now appreciating the most.
The day I left Minneapolis, I was living with one of the most beautiful families I know – the Berry-Brohaugh familia in the the silver casa on Bloomington Ave. just a block from the May Day Café and Powderhorn Park. I got to work with my dear friend and roommate, Matt Lammers, on the US Census (of all things), and had a dear friend from Scotland venture all the way to the American Midwest to help me make the move. The day I left, I transitioned my house to a new set of tenants – girls mostly all graduates of Bethel University. I went to church at the Salvage Yard, was prayed for by my community, and left on the train for the Northwest.
From the first moment, there was opposition – the folks at the Amtrak counter didn’t want to check my belongings even though we had everything was in order. Thankfully, I was sent an angel in the form of a beautiful lady working in the dining car who helped me get all my belongings aboard. After 3 hours in Portland, Barry and I got in a car with 2 new friends and drove to southern California for Christian Summer Camp 2010. It was a huge contrast to the small gathering in the desert the previous year. The hills outside of Yosemite hid a spring-fed creek with numerous waterfalls and pools under towering Sequoia and Douglas Fir trees. I tried to rest and was blessed by the presence of 70 of my traveling family in Christ. I was even blessed to baptize my friend Danielle in the stream along with several others – the presence of the Holy Spirit was felt by everyone in that place.
Within days, I was back in Portland. Barry was on a plane to Aberdeen, and I was in a Pastoral Care class at George Fox Seminary. I sublet a room from my friends Nate and Tessa Allen and continued my search for a job. Within 2 months, I had a position at Outside In as a Housing Specialist, but I could heavily sense a war against me. Things were often tense in the house, I broke my hard drive in the middle of writing the longest paper of my term, and I was incredibly lonely and homesick. I bought a moped that worked for about a week. The holidays came and went while I worked most of them. I found a welcoming communities at The Bridge and Bread and Wine churches, but I didn’t feel like either were the place to put down roots in just yet.
After a trip to see my parents in Florida, I returned to Portland and started going to Door of Hope on the SE side. I had actually visited there with Barry and my long-time friend, Laura Kucera, the first week I was in Portland, but I was overwhelmed by the masses of people who seemed way too cool for me. When I dared to go back, it was obvious that a lot of these folks loved the Lord in spirit and in truth. I felt like this was the place to get planted. I joined a small group over the winter and began to feel like I’d found my place there leading worship and prayer from time to time. My friend Bethany visited for an artist residency at the Sitka Center for Arts and Ecology, and I twice got to spend time with Jesus, elk and bird-watching in the glorious creation of the Oregon coast.
Looking back on it, the spring seems pretty uneventful. Looking for stable housing and getting turned down for no reason. Applying for jobs and getting passed over. I was, however, greatly impacted by my classes at George Fox – Prayer, Spiritual Life, and Social Justice. I’m currently working on a zine on the topic of following Jesus in a consumer society. I’ve also been inspired to really seek the Lord’s heart on starting an outreach ministry at some point focused on serving the traveling community. Then May rolled around, and I finally moved into a place I don’t have to leave with awesome people that love Jesus. And I got chickens. And the sun came out. Briefly.
I went home for 10 days in June to celebrate my parents’ 50 anniversary and my 2nd oldest niece’s graduation from high school (Yes, I am that old. I am nearly 32, I am a bird nerd, and I listen to Oregon Public Radio). These were 10 of the best days of the year. Every day was full of the people I love and the places I miss again now that I’m away. Laur, Meghan & Jordan, Seth, the Seward Café, Kirsty, Berry, Kitty and Shaggy, The Walker Art Center, The Salvage Yard, Nikolas & Sharne, Matt, May Day, Triple Rock, Hollypoo and Anna, a Juicy Lucy at Matt’s Bar, spiritual direction with Lisa Harrell… My dear friend Joe even came to town from South Carolina! What a beloved brother in the Lord! My last day there, I went to the amusement park Valley Fair with my nephew. Who should magically pop up? None other than one of my favorites krustys of all time – Chris. Fresh off a train from Montana, it was bonding time for the three of us. That, my friends, is what I call a divine appointment.
It was hard to leave, but eventually one has to get back to real life. It’s been a rough season for a lot of beloved folks in my life these last few months, but I’m honored to have been put in a place where I can support them. I’ve seen the Lord’s goodness in solidifying new friendships and seeing amazing transformation occurring in the life of one dear friend in particular. And today – good news! A new job doing full-time what has been a volunteer position for the last 8 months. Next month, I will begin doing street outreach to homeless youth providing resource information, hygiene and harm-reduction supplies on the streets, under bridges, and among folks living in camps outside.
I can’t thank the Lord enough for the things he’s shown me over the last year or the people he’s brought into my life. The beauty of the northwest and the ways he’s been teaching me are priceless. The summer has brought visits from friends and opportunities to escape the city, and I look forward to another summer camp – this year in Colorado.
If I wrote more often, I could tell you more in depth about learning to trust in God’s unfailing love or how the dreams he’s given me concerning the depths of his love for me. If you’re interested, please ask. And pray for me, whatever you do!
With love, H.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Thursday, July 15, 2010
A New Kind of Adventure!
I have to apologize for the lack of updates over this last year. Time continually got away with me, and it certainly wasn’t for lack of stories to tell! Thank you all who prayed for me over this last year. I can’t really articulate how important your prayers are and how much they mean to me. The Lord certainly heard and answered them in more ways than I probably even realize! The stress of my challenging roommate situations and dealing with my mortgage company was at times overwhelming, but the Lord showed me that I was not alone in it. In the fall, I was able to travel to the Pacific Northwest for my third year at a camp out with many of my transient friends. I also got to spend nearly a month at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. The winter brought a new kind of adventure – a position as a case manager in a program for long-term homeless young adults, while Spring brought a string of jobs to help me save up for the next adventure: moving to Portland, OR to finish graduate school! In all, there have been may twists and turns over this last year, but I’m happy to have an exciting (and slightly frightening) new season on the horizon.
My last update went out in July, 2009, shortly after my momentous adventure to New Zealand (NZ) and the west coast of the US. That summer, the Lord provided a few roommates to help hold down the fort as well as several visitors including my parents visiting from Florida and several friends from the NZ school (3 Poles and an Aussie). I decided it was time for a break from being a live-in landlord, so I found a group of renters to fill the house while I went traveling for another couple months. These guys were a real answer to prayer at just the right time!
September brought a road trip to the desert of eastern Oregon for Christian Summer Camp 2009 – an annual gathering of friends from across the US, some of whom are largely transient on a full-time basis. I got the chance to lead worship and to speak on the love of Jesus for his wayward Bride at a couple of our evening meetings. My favorite skill share was on making homemade Kombucha and Ginger Beer where I got to try several different batches made by my friends Patricia and Laur. From there, I went to Portland, OR, where the Lord set up some divine appointments. I met a local pastor who had just begun attending George Fox Evangelical Seminary to study spiritual direction, something I had discovered during my time at Bethel Seminary here in Minnesota. The next day was the first day of classes for the semester, so I went with her for a visit and met the Associate Dean who was also the designer of their Spiritual Formation program. I found the visit to be an answer to prayer – my search for the right school to finish my Master’s degree was complete. Another student at the school even provided me a ride to Seattle the next day!
After visiting friends in the northwest, I made my way back through Minneapolis and Chicago on my way to Kansas City, MO. There I spent three and a half weeks at the International House of Prayer. Although I was sick for 2 of those weeks, it was still a wonderful time of restoration and blessing. I returned to Minnesota in November, where I was blessed with an amazing temporary position as a case manager for long-term homeless youth. This position was, a partnership of Lutheran Social Services, Youth Link, and Hearth Connection, relit my long-held passion for working with homeless youth! It was by far the best job I’ve ever held. I am very hopeful that God will be able to use me to a much fuller extent when I move to Portland in the fall to complete my schooling at George Fox.
There are so many other stories I could tell of this last year – including how God miraculously made a way for my mortgage to be modified after an incredibly frustrating year-long struggle with my mortgage company. I wish I could say that He taught me a lot of patience over that time, but right now I’m just thankful that He taught me how to deal with the anxiety that became at times quite a battle. He was my advocate through it all, even providing a human one in the Office of the President of the company! Thank you, again, for your prayers. I can’t hesitate to ask you to continue as I prepare to transition from my home state of 30 years to a new home in Oregon! I’m really excited, but there is a lot of preparation to be done both physically and emotionally. I am waiting to see how He works out all the details. His faithfulness never ceases!
My last update went out in July, 2009, shortly after my momentous adventure to New Zealand (NZ) and the west coast of the US. That summer, the Lord provided a few roommates to help hold down the fort as well as several visitors including my parents visiting from Florida and several friends from the NZ school (3 Poles and an Aussie). I decided it was time for a break from being a live-in landlord, so I found a group of renters to fill the house while I went traveling for another couple months. These guys were a real answer to prayer at just the right time!
September brought a road trip to the desert of eastern Oregon for Christian Summer Camp 2009 – an annual gathering of friends from across the US, some of whom are largely transient on a full-time basis. I got the chance to lead worship and to speak on the love of Jesus for his wayward Bride at a couple of our evening meetings. My favorite skill share was on making homemade Kombucha and Ginger Beer where I got to try several different batches made by my friends Patricia and Laur. From there, I went to Portland, OR, where the Lord set up some divine appointments. I met a local pastor who had just begun attending George Fox Evangelical Seminary to study spiritual direction, something I had discovered during my time at Bethel Seminary here in Minnesota. The next day was the first day of classes for the semester, so I went with her for a visit and met the Associate Dean who was also the designer of their Spiritual Formation program. I found the visit to be an answer to prayer – my search for the right school to finish my Master’s degree was complete. Another student at the school even provided me a ride to Seattle the next day!
After visiting friends in the northwest, I made my way back through Minneapolis and Chicago on my way to Kansas City, MO. There I spent three and a half weeks at the International House of Prayer. Although I was sick for 2 of those weeks, it was still a wonderful time of restoration and blessing. I returned to Minnesota in November, where I was blessed with an amazing temporary position as a case manager for long-term homeless youth. This position was, a partnership of Lutheran Social Services, Youth Link, and Hearth Connection, relit my long-held passion for working with homeless youth! It was by far the best job I’ve ever held. I am very hopeful that God will be able to use me to a much fuller extent when I move to Portland in the fall to complete my schooling at George Fox.
There are so many other stories I could tell of this last year – including how God miraculously made a way for my mortgage to be modified after an incredibly frustrating year-long struggle with my mortgage company. I wish I could say that He taught me a lot of patience over that time, but right now I’m just thankful that He taught me how to deal with the anxiety that became at times quite a battle. He was my advocate through it all, even providing a human one in the Office of the President of the company! Thank you, again, for your prayers. I can’t hesitate to ask you to continue as I prepare to transition from my home state of 30 years to a new home in Oregon! I’m really excited, but there is a lot of preparation to be done both physically and emotionally. I am waiting to see how He works out all the details. His faithfulness never ceases!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
End of the Adventure
It seems like the last month of the Steiger Radical Missions School was a whirlwind. I think I blinked, because it was there, and then it was gone. Despite all the attempts of the Enemy to steal my joy and take my focus away from the goodness of all that was going on around me in New Zealand (NZ), I found myself continually blessed there. It’s been two months since I left NZ (already?). I was blessed to visit friends on the West Coast of the US on the way back to Minneapolis. Returning home, my house was very different than when I left it. This was also a huge blessing in more ways than one. It’s been a transition long in coming, and I’ve adjusted back. My wait for the next step continues, and I’m hoping for some kind of major change this fall.
After returning from our break, we were blessed with a series of speakers that really impacted our group. Among them was Cecily Hill, a Maori missionary and pastor from Auckland. Cecily’s life experience was especially valuable to the single people in the school who were predominantly between the ages of 25-35. Cecily ministered around the world, even seeing hundreds of miraculous healings, as a single person until the age of 49 when she married for the first time. Jenny Duckworth shared the wisdom of her many years of discipleship and living in intentional Christian community. This impacted me greatly as I also own a community house in Minneapolis that has seen a particularly high rate of challenges over its 3 short years. I also spent time with Jenny’s family at their community, Ngatiawa, located up the valley from Waikanae Beach. It was a beautiful time of rest and contemplation, and I found myself going away quite encouraged. One of our last speakers was Weston Cerrye with whom we saw many in our group experience physical healing. This included my friend Kristin, whose leg grew to match the length of the other!
The last days in Waikanae were short and emotional, but the good-byes were sweet. Four of my schoolmates and I hopped in a camper van and drove north through Taupo to Auckland. From there, I went to Tauranga where I met several new friends from the Tauranga House of Prayer (THOP). We had adventures to Cathedral Cove (featured at the beginning of the movie Prince Caspian) and Hot Water Beach where we got to dig shallow holes in the sand and sit in the hot springs that rose through the sand. Even on the way back to Auckland, I was blessed to meet up with a Fijian woman from THOP. I spent the evening with her family and a group of islander women from their church. They were a beautiful example of the strength of family – something they were quite sad to hear that I did not have to that same extent.
Once I set foot back in the US, I met up with my friend Andrzej (pronounced ahn-DRAY-ik) in LA. I got to stay with a few of his friends in Hollywood, Monkey and Myra, and Katy in Los Feliz. After being in beautiful, laid-back NZ for over two months, Hollywood was a rough adjustment. I spent a lot of time by myself while my friends were at work, but the weekend brought another adventure – a road trip with Andrzej, Manda, and baby Silas to Portland, OR! We surprised several of our friends with our visit. We saw their new band play their first show and we even took one of them back to LA with us.
My house was quiet when I got home. After all the extremely stressful drama I’d had to deal with from several of my tenants while I was away, it was a delightful change. There was a lot to do, but my Polish friend and Steiger schoolmate, Lukasz, came to stay with me for a month. His presence and help around made all the difference. My parents also stayed with me for a week after driving up from Florida for a visit. It was great to have a full house, including their dog, Ty. Since their departure, two couples have moved in for the summer, both in transition. I continue in my search for reliable and trustworthy tenants. My hope is to rent out the whole house and move out for a year. I’m just waiting on the Lord for a specific leading our door to open in regard to where I should go next.
Please pray for me as I deal with all the unfinished business concerning my former tenants and seek God’s will for the future. It’s been a particularly stressful season, and I still am trusting the Lord for a season of rest and restoration. Please also remember me in my search for the right people to rent out my house beginning in September. I believe that God has great plans and purposes for me, and I look forward to seeing what adventures He has in store!
After returning from our break, we were blessed with a series of speakers that really impacted our group. Among them was Cecily Hill, a Maori missionary and pastor from Auckland. Cecily’s life experience was especially valuable to the single people in the school who were predominantly between the ages of 25-35. Cecily ministered around the world, even seeing hundreds of miraculous healings, as a single person until the age of 49 when she married for the first time. Jenny Duckworth shared the wisdom of her many years of discipleship and living in intentional Christian community. This impacted me greatly as I also own a community house in Minneapolis that has seen a particularly high rate of challenges over its 3 short years. I also spent time with Jenny’s family at their community, Ngatiawa, located up the valley from Waikanae Beach. It was a beautiful time of rest and contemplation, and I found myself going away quite encouraged. One of our last speakers was Weston Cerrye with whom we saw many in our group experience physical healing. This included my friend Kristin, whose leg grew to match the length of the other!
The last days in Waikanae were short and emotional, but the good-byes were sweet. Four of my schoolmates and I hopped in a camper van and drove north through Taupo to Auckland. From there, I went to Tauranga where I met several new friends from the Tauranga House of Prayer (THOP). We had adventures to Cathedral Cove (featured at the beginning of the movie Prince Caspian) and Hot Water Beach where we got to dig shallow holes in the sand and sit in the hot springs that rose through the sand. Even on the way back to Auckland, I was blessed to meet up with a Fijian woman from THOP. I spent the evening with her family and a group of islander women from their church. They were a beautiful example of the strength of family – something they were quite sad to hear that I did not have to that same extent.
Once I set foot back in the US, I met up with my friend Andrzej (pronounced ahn-DRAY-ik) in LA. I got to stay with a few of his friends in Hollywood, Monkey and Myra, and Katy in Los Feliz. After being in beautiful, laid-back NZ for over two months, Hollywood was a rough adjustment. I spent a lot of time by myself while my friends were at work, but the weekend brought another adventure – a road trip with Andrzej, Manda, and baby Silas to Portland, OR! We surprised several of our friends with our visit. We saw their new band play their first show and we even took one of them back to LA with us.
My house was quiet when I got home. After all the extremely stressful drama I’d had to deal with from several of my tenants while I was away, it was a delightful change. There was a lot to do, but my Polish friend and Steiger schoolmate, Lukasz, came to stay with me for a month. His presence and help around made all the difference. My parents also stayed with me for a week after driving up from Florida for a visit. It was great to have a full house, including their dog, Ty. Since their departure, two couples have moved in for the summer, both in transition. I continue in my search for reliable and trustworthy tenants. My hope is to rent out the whole house and move out for a year. I’m just waiting on the Lord for a specific leading our door to open in regard to where I should go next.
Please pray for me as I deal with all the unfinished business concerning my former tenants and seek God’s will for the future. It’s been a particularly stressful season, and I still am trusting the Lord for a season of rest and restoration. Please also remember me in my search for the right people to rent out my house beginning in September. I believe that God has great plans and purposes for me, and I look forward to seeing what adventures He has in store!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
इ"म नोट सुरे वही थिस इस इन थाई.
Where to begin...
After about four weeks of classes and evangelistic outreach, we had a break for 10 days. I had contacted an old acquaintance a few weeks before coming to New Zealand -- "Glennem from Blenheim," as we called him on Teen Missions Team 93033 - Zimbabwe, 1993. Glen and his family have lived in Nelson, New Zealand (NZ), for the last several years. Nelson is located on the northern edge of NZ's South Island not far from kilometers and kilometers of bush treks and beautiful beaches. This was my only real plan for the break - the ferry to Picton and on to the Buckley's in Nelson. Up until a week before I left, I didn't have a travel partner, and I suddenly realized that I didn't want to travel alone for 10 days. So, I prayed, and the next morning my roommate told me her travel plans had fallen through. My response? "Praise the Lord - I asked God last night for someone to travel with!"
Mirjam and I took a ferry across the Cook Strait which is known as one of the most dangerous sea passages in the world. We were highly favored both ways, though, and had nothing but sunshine, dolphins, and beautiful scenery. There were actually 11 of us from the school on the same boat, which was a lot of fun. Mirjam and I took the bus to Nelson and spent two days with the Buckleys, who were great to hang out with. God blessed us with hosts who love homemade espresso drinks and even took us an hour up the coast to see the golden beaches of Kaiteriteri.
Afterward, we took the bus to Blenheim and the TransScenic railway through Kaikoura. The open-air observation car was an amazing way to see the east coast despite the sometimes overzealous, teenaged ruggers (rugby players) on board with us. Mirjam and I sat with two lovely old English women on holiday from Essex. They were quite amused with Mirjam's dredlocks ("Are they your real hair?") and our knitting/sewing projects.
One of the school staff members connected us with a fabulously hospitable couple in her hometown of Christchurch. Nick and Jenny picked us up from the rail station and took us to their home where we each had our own private bedrooms. This was the first time either of us had slept alone in a room since we'd come to NZ! Our first full day was spent driving Nick's old manual, column-shift work van on all over the area (constant self reminder = "left side, Heather"). Mirjam and I hiked along the crater's edge above Governor's Bay and enjoyed amazing views. We had to run briefly from an onslaught of Orks (obligatory Lord of the Rings reference - sorry, I'll try not to let it happen again). Ok, it was a group of 40 or so identically-clad hikers. Still, it was fun to pretend. Then we had coffee at Lyttleton Coffee Co. in the little shipping town of Lyttleton. It was defintely the cutest coffee shop I've been to in this country. It was so great, I bought the closest thing I will most likely purchase to a NZ t-shirt. Check out the artwork on my Flickr.com site.
A couple of our schoolmates arrived in Christchurch our last night there, and Nick brought them over for a dip in the spa with Mirjam and I. Then we picked up a camper van for relocation to Wellington. The company we drove for made a mistake in calculating the charges, and when I pointed it out, they decided to overlook the $135NZ discount they gave us! We drove through the NZ Alps by way of Arthur's Pass to Greymouth. Our last day on the South Island was Mirjam's 22nd birthday which we spent driving up the west coast and back across to Picton. Our friends had made it back there as well, so after a mussel dinner in Havelock, we hung out at their backpacker (NZ travelers' hostel). There we met several other travelers from Finland, England, Scotland, Germany, and Austria. Our Scottish friend met us on the ferry back to Wellington and spent the whole day hanging out with us.
Everything was going well until the parking lot of the camper van park. (Note: any of my family members reading this are not allowed to laugh at or mention the following story at any point in the future.) We unloaded the grey water from the van and were preparing to refill the fresh water tank when, OH JESUS! I side-swiped the stupid, yet functional, metal pole guarding the little pavilion over the dump station. I was a little upset. Fortunately, I had Mirjam along to cover me in prayer. I resigned myself to losing my $400NZ deposit, while she quietly asked for a miracle. When I presented the situation and our camper van to the nice man at the office, he said he would take a look at it. He then proceeded to refund my $400 and gently send us on our way!
God is good. And He loves me.
The Lord has continued to bless me despite everything that's been thrown at me that could steal my joy. During my time away, there was more turmoil on the homefront. Wow, the Devil never quits. I am believing for a miracle as, once again, I am faced with a complete turn-over of tenants and the prospect of an empty house on June 1st. Please pray for the provision of a reliable, godly tenant to rent the whole house for at least 6 months. Also, I am trusting God as my advocate with the potential numerous mediations as I return home. I am looking forward to connecting with the one God has set aside for my house and being released from the stress that has felt like a millstone for quite some time.
Since we've been back, we've had a series of amazing speakers at the school. Just previous to the break, we had a Vinyard pastor from Christchurch come up to us to speak to us mainly concerning the gift of prophecy. In actuality, he and a dear lady from the local Anglican congregation spent the majority of three days praying and prophesying over each one of us. We've also had many occasions to pray for each other and speak into one another's lives. Another speaker we had was Cecily Hill, a pastor from Auckland, who ministered for 49 of her 51 years as a single person. Hearing her experiences in ministering to people at the margins of society, healing the sick and doing so as a single woman were both encouraging and inspiring. This last week, we had Justin and Jenny Duckworth speak on perseverance and sustainable community living. I'm really looking forward to spending the night at their camp in Ngatiawa next weekend. I'm really praying that the Lord uses them to restore some of the hope in Christ-centered community that's been damaged by the discouragement I've encountered over the last couple of years.
The rest of the school, minus a few of us stragglers, drove up to Tauranga this weekend for an artists' seminar being held by David Pierce. I got to stay behind to spend time with Jesus and do things like have people over for dinner, have a soaking-in-the-Spirit time at the house, visit Ngatiawa, and write this journal entry. Please pray for me as I seek the Lord for direction beyond the school including a two-week visit to California on my way home and the possibilities of going to the Rainbow Gathering with the Jesus Kitchen and traveling to Beruit with a team from my church, The Salvage Yard, this summer.
Feel free to check out the photos I've posted at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjael79/
For more info. on the Jesus Kitchen and NLM, go to: http://www.steiger.org/2008/
After about four weeks of classes and evangelistic outreach, we had a break for 10 days. I had contacted an old acquaintance a few weeks before coming to New Zealand -- "Glennem from Blenheim," as we called him on Teen Missions Team 93033 - Zimbabwe, 1993. Glen and his family have lived in Nelson, New Zealand (NZ), for the last several years. Nelson is located on the northern edge of NZ's South Island not far from kilometers and kilometers of bush treks and beautiful beaches. This was my only real plan for the break - the ferry to Picton and on to the Buckley's in Nelson. Up until a week before I left, I didn't have a travel partner, and I suddenly realized that I didn't want to travel alone for 10 days. So, I prayed, and the next morning my roommate told me her travel plans had fallen through. My response? "Praise the Lord - I asked God last night for someone to travel with!"
Mirjam and I took a ferry across the Cook Strait which is known as one of the most dangerous sea passages in the world. We were highly favored both ways, though, and had nothing but sunshine, dolphins, and beautiful scenery. There were actually 11 of us from the school on the same boat, which was a lot of fun. Mirjam and I took the bus to Nelson and spent two days with the Buckleys, who were great to hang out with. God blessed us with hosts who love homemade espresso drinks and even took us an hour up the coast to see the golden beaches of Kaiteriteri.
Afterward, we took the bus to Blenheim and the TransScenic railway through Kaikoura. The open-air observation car was an amazing way to see the east coast despite the sometimes overzealous, teenaged ruggers (rugby players) on board with us. Mirjam and I sat with two lovely old English women on holiday from Essex. They were quite amused with Mirjam's dredlocks ("Are they your real hair?") and our knitting/sewing projects.
One of the school staff members connected us with a fabulously hospitable couple in her hometown of Christchurch. Nick and Jenny picked us up from the rail station and took us to their home where we each had our own private bedrooms. This was the first time either of us had slept alone in a room since we'd come to NZ! Our first full day was spent driving Nick's old manual, column-shift work van on all over the area (constant self reminder = "left side, Heather"). Mirjam and I hiked along the crater's edge above Governor's Bay and enjoyed amazing views. We had to run briefly from an onslaught of Orks (obligatory Lord of the Rings reference - sorry, I'll try not to let it happen again). Ok, it was a group of 40 or so identically-clad hikers. Still, it was fun to pretend. Then we had coffee at Lyttleton Coffee Co. in the little shipping town of Lyttleton. It was defintely the cutest coffee shop I've been to in this country. It was so great, I bought the closest thing I will most likely purchase to a NZ t-shirt. Check out the artwork on my Flickr.com site.
A couple of our schoolmates arrived in Christchurch our last night there, and Nick brought them over for a dip in the spa with Mirjam and I. Then we picked up a camper van for relocation to Wellington. The company we drove for made a mistake in calculating the charges, and when I pointed it out, they decided to overlook the $135NZ discount they gave us! We drove through the NZ Alps by way of Arthur's Pass to Greymouth. Our last day on the South Island was Mirjam's 22nd birthday which we spent driving up the west coast and back across to Picton. Our friends had made it back there as well, so after a mussel dinner in Havelock, we hung out at their backpacker (NZ travelers' hostel). There we met several other travelers from Finland, England, Scotland, Germany, and Austria. Our Scottish friend met us on the ferry back to Wellington and spent the whole day hanging out with us.
Everything was going well until the parking lot of the camper van park. (Note: any of my family members reading this are not allowed to laugh at or mention the following story at any point in the future.) We unloaded the grey water from the van and were preparing to refill the fresh water tank when, OH JESUS! I side-swiped the stupid, yet functional, metal pole guarding the little pavilion over the dump station. I was a little upset. Fortunately, I had Mirjam along to cover me in prayer. I resigned myself to losing my $400NZ deposit, while she quietly asked for a miracle. When I presented the situation and our camper van to the nice man at the office, he said he would take a look at it. He then proceeded to refund my $400 and gently send us on our way!
God is good. And He loves me.
The Lord has continued to bless me despite everything that's been thrown at me that could steal my joy. During my time away, there was more turmoil on the homefront. Wow, the Devil never quits. I am believing for a miracle as, once again, I am faced with a complete turn-over of tenants and the prospect of an empty house on June 1st. Please pray for the provision of a reliable, godly tenant to rent the whole house for at least 6 months. Also, I am trusting God as my advocate with the potential numerous mediations as I return home. I am looking forward to connecting with the one God has set aside for my house and being released from the stress that has felt like a millstone for quite some time.
Since we've been back, we've had a series of amazing speakers at the school. Just previous to the break, we had a Vinyard pastor from Christchurch come up to us to speak to us mainly concerning the gift of prophecy. In actuality, he and a dear lady from the local Anglican congregation spent the majority of three days praying and prophesying over each one of us. We've also had many occasions to pray for each other and speak into one another's lives. Another speaker we had was Cecily Hill, a pastor from Auckland, who ministered for 49 of her 51 years as a single person. Hearing her experiences in ministering to people at the margins of society, healing the sick and doing so as a single woman were both encouraging and inspiring. This last week, we had Justin and Jenny Duckworth speak on perseverance and sustainable community living. I'm really looking forward to spending the night at their camp in Ngatiawa next weekend. I'm really praying that the Lord uses them to restore some of the hope in Christ-centered community that's been damaged by the discouragement I've encountered over the last couple of years.
The rest of the school, minus a few of us stragglers, drove up to Tauranga this weekend for an artists' seminar being held by David Pierce. I got to stay behind to spend time with Jesus and do things like have people over for dinner, have a soaking-in-the-Spirit time at the house, visit Ngatiawa, and write this journal entry. Please pray for me as I seek the Lord for direction beyond the school including a two-week visit to California on my way home and the possibilities of going to the Rainbow Gathering with the Jesus Kitchen and traveling to Beruit with a team from my church, The Salvage Yard, this summer.
Feel free to check out the photos I've posted at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjael79/
For more info. on the Jesus Kitchen and NLM, go to: http://www.steiger.org/2008/
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Kapiti: Part 1
My trip has been really interesting from the moment my friend Joel dropped me off at the bus stop in Minneapolis. It seems like the Enemy has been busy trying to throw whatever he can at me to foil all the good things the Lord has been trying to do. I will say, though, that the Lord's blessings have outweighed them all. The first couple of weeks were full of anxiety and distraction, but I've been slowly learning how to lay those things at God's feet and not pick them up again immediately. I've been surprised more than a few times being blessed unexpectedly - from free lattes to beautiful sunlight streaming through the trees on a mountainside hike. There are a few things that I've been asking God about. I'm still waiting for answers, but this is a pretty amazing place to do it!
On the crowded bus to Chicago, an old college friend popped up the stairs and sat in front of me. He'd decided earlier that afternoon to go to Guatemala! I spent the next day tramping all over Chicago and waiting in line for his passport renewal. I was on time to the airport, but the flight was delayed. The snow storm that dumped 6" on Minneapolis delayed all the flights at O'Hare with rain. So, I also missed my connecting flight to New Zealand in San Francisco. I got rerouted to Sydney. The upside to a 10-layover was that I got a day visa and went to see the Sydney Opera House and explore the downtown area a bit. I got to Wellington 16 hours late, and my luggage was lost, but my lovely friend Jemma was there to pick me up.
The next day, I was to be picked up to head to Waikanae. When that fell through, I got to spend the day with Jemma. We went to her church, Blue Print, a young-adult congregation right in the heart of the city. The next morning, Jemma's cute British roommate, Laura, took me down the cable car and around town to the train station where I I caught a train to Paraparaumu. I finally met up with the rest of the students on a farm outside of Waikanae. Later, I was taken to the house where I now live with 4 other women from Germany, Canada, and Minneapolis.
The first couple of weeks were rough only because the Enemy was hard at work causing trouble at my house back home. There will need to be a mediation upon my return concerning the issues I have been unable to resolve from here. I have had also had additional financial expenses because of the situation. I am very thankful that my friends Kitty and Shaggy have been available to help sort things out while I've been away. Beth Chaya, my mentor, has also volunteered to intervene and help sort out the financial issues. It's a huge blessing to know that someone as wise and trustworthy as these three are covering me while I'm away. The Lord is also helping be to combat the attacks of anxiety that are becoming less and less.
As far as the school goes, it's been really positive. The classes run three days per week and have been mostly taught by David and Jodi Pierce, who head Steiger International. My pastor, Mark Johnson, was also here 2 weeks ago, which made me feel right at home. I am incredibly blessed by the One-on-One partner I have been matched with. She is a lovely woman of prayer from the local church. We hit it off right away. God has really used her to reveal His love for me (coffee, dark chocolate, and a bike!). My favorite day of the week is Friday, our Seeking God Day. Walking on the beach, hiking up the hill, and going on dates with Jesus has been amazing. The house I live in is only 2 blocks from Waikanae beach, where you can walk for hours. It's not too far to the countryside here, either, where you can start a 4 hour bushwalk through a semi-tropical jungle at the edge of town. The steep decline at the end tore me up a little bit, but it was definitely worth it!
We have also been reaching out to the community in several ways. One example was a community during a big bike race held in town. We helped one of the local churches serve food and coffee, do face-painting and games with the children, perform music, and entertain the spectators with tall bikes, spinning poi, and bicycle jousting. Only one of the students got hurt slightly -- my Finnish friend Miika lost the cap to a tooth he broke three years ago. I'll have to post the video online of him playing his guitar at the event -- for anyone who knows my old roommate Bryce, it's like watching his Finnish brother! At first, it was disappointing to see how few of the local congregation were there to help, but for many this was something that was truly outside of their comfort zone. The people attending the bike race kept asking why we were offering them free snacks. The whole thing seemed quite out of the ordinary for this community, but we had a lot of positive feedback. It was really hard knowing that I was missing the wedding of one of my closest friends at that moment, but I prayed that they would be blessed. The busyness of the day helped make it easier.
My friends, Stephanie and Greg, also live here and work at a little restaurant near the beach. I've been getting to know the staff there, and each of them are open to us as Christians. One guy, Matt, has been asking a lot of questions about God, so I've been hanging around to answer them as well as I can. There's also a lovely Maori girl named Robyn, who has really accepted me into their little circle. There are a couple younger kids working there also -- Anna, Cain, and Paul -- that I've become friendly with. I'm hoping that the Lord will continue to give me more opportunities to share Jesus' love with them. There was also a kid I met on the bus, Josh, that I'd appreciate your prayers for. We had a good initial conversation, and I'm hoping that God continues to have our paths cross over the next month.
Next week is our break from the school, and I'm really excited! My roommate, Mirjam, and I are heading to the South Island for an adventure. I will be visiting a man who was a leader on the first mission trip I ever went on 16 years ago.
Feel free to write me, if you have a chance - I love mail!
Heather Penzel
14 Titoki Rd.
Waikanae 5036
New Zealand
Thanks!
On the crowded bus to Chicago, an old college friend popped up the stairs and sat in front of me. He'd decided earlier that afternoon to go to Guatemala! I spent the next day tramping all over Chicago and waiting in line for his passport renewal. I was on time to the airport, but the flight was delayed. The snow storm that dumped 6" on Minneapolis delayed all the flights at O'Hare with rain. So, I also missed my connecting flight to New Zealand in San Francisco. I got rerouted to Sydney. The upside to a 10-layover was that I got a day visa and went to see the Sydney Opera House and explore the downtown area a bit. I got to Wellington 16 hours late, and my luggage was lost, but my lovely friend Jemma was there to pick me up.
The next day, I was to be picked up to head to Waikanae. When that fell through, I got to spend the day with Jemma. We went to her church, Blue Print, a young-adult congregation right in the heart of the city. The next morning, Jemma's cute British roommate, Laura, took me down the cable car and around town to the train station where I I caught a train to Paraparaumu. I finally met up with the rest of the students on a farm outside of Waikanae. Later, I was taken to the house where I now live with 4 other women from Germany, Canada, and Minneapolis.
The first couple of weeks were rough only because the Enemy was hard at work causing trouble at my house back home. There will need to be a mediation upon my return concerning the issues I have been unable to resolve from here. I have had also had additional financial expenses because of the situation. I am very thankful that my friends Kitty and Shaggy have been available to help sort things out while I've been away. Beth Chaya, my mentor, has also volunteered to intervene and help sort out the financial issues. It's a huge blessing to know that someone as wise and trustworthy as these three are covering me while I'm away. The Lord is also helping be to combat the attacks of anxiety that are becoming less and less.
As far as the school goes, it's been really positive. The classes run three days per week and have been mostly taught by David and Jodi Pierce, who head Steiger International. My pastor, Mark Johnson, was also here 2 weeks ago, which made me feel right at home. I am incredibly blessed by the One-on-One partner I have been matched with. She is a lovely woman of prayer from the local church. We hit it off right away. God has really used her to reveal His love for me (coffee, dark chocolate, and a bike!). My favorite day of the week is Friday, our Seeking God Day. Walking on the beach, hiking up the hill, and going on dates with Jesus has been amazing. The house I live in is only 2 blocks from Waikanae beach, where you can walk for hours. It's not too far to the countryside here, either, where you can start a 4 hour bushwalk through a semi-tropical jungle at the edge of town. The steep decline at the end tore me up a little bit, but it was definitely worth it!
We have also been reaching out to the community in several ways. One example was a community during a big bike race held in town. We helped one of the local churches serve food and coffee, do face-painting and games with the children, perform music, and entertain the spectators with tall bikes, spinning poi, and bicycle jousting. Only one of the students got hurt slightly -- my Finnish friend Miika lost the cap to a tooth he broke three years ago. I'll have to post the video online of him playing his guitar at the event -- for anyone who knows my old roommate Bryce, it's like watching his Finnish brother! At first, it was disappointing to see how few of the local congregation were there to help, but for many this was something that was truly outside of their comfort zone. The people attending the bike race kept asking why we were offering them free snacks. The whole thing seemed quite out of the ordinary for this community, but we had a lot of positive feedback. It was really hard knowing that I was missing the wedding of one of my closest friends at that moment, but I prayed that they would be blessed. The busyness of the day helped make it easier.
My friends, Stephanie and Greg, also live here and work at a little restaurant near the beach. I've been getting to know the staff there, and each of them are open to us as Christians. One guy, Matt, has been asking a lot of questions about God, so I've been hanging around to answer them as well as I can. There's also a lovely Maori girl named Robyn, who has really accepted me into their little circle. There are a couple younger kids working there also -- Anna, Cain, and Paul -- that I've become friendly with. I'm hoping that the Lord will continue to give me more opportunities to share Jesus' love with them. There was also a kid I met on the bus, Josh, that I'd appreciate your prayers for. We had a good initial conversation, and I'm hoping that God continues to have our paths cross over the next month.
Next week is our break from the school, and I'm really excited! My roommate, Mirjam, and I are heading to the South Island for an adventure. I will be visiting a man who was a leader on the first mission trip I ever went on 16 years ago.
Feel free to write me, if you have a chance - I love mail!
Heather Penzel
14 Titoki Rd.
Waikanae 5036
New Zealand
Thanks!
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Next Stage: New Zealand!
At the end of my last entry, I mentioned that I was applying for the Steiger Leadership School on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand. Well, it’s time! In a few short weeks (Feb. 26th), I’ll be flying from Chicago to Wellington, just an hour from the little beachtown of Waikanae. I should explain how I got to this point - first who Steiger is, second my history with them, and third how I came to this next step in my ministerial journey. These last few months have been a hard journey in letting go of everything that makes sense in trusting God to be who He says He is. I’m not sure if I have any more faith than when I started this journey, but I am sure that He’s still loving and working on me.
Steiger International began as a Bible study on a pier in Amsterdam. Punk rock was at its peak in Europe, and David and Jodi Pierce purposed themselves to reach out to skinheads and other radical sub-culture youth. Using music, art, drama and the living Word of God, they began to travel into communist regions and eventually the world ministering the love of Christ in places where most Christians would fear to tred. Thousands of broken, angry, and hopeless young people have turned themselves over to Christ through the ministry of the band No Longer Music (NLM), and 35 other ministries based in 9 countries. Learn more at .
I think that it was my freshman year at Northwestern College when I first went to Hardcore Bible Study at the People’s Center on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank. I sat in the upper part of the theater seats in front of a small stage with a few friends from school. The man teaching was also part of the rock-worship band and had ties to Steiger. I went with them to the New Age-inspired Rainbow Gathering two summers in a row to serve food to hippies and homeless travelers as part of the Jesus Kitchen. I came and went from this little group over the next 6 years as it changed and moved and grew. When the Hardcore Bible Study became The Salvage Yard Church of Jesus Christ, I was there, and later also became a member. For the last two years, I’ve been a part of the Servant Leadership Team there and recently became the head of the Salvage Yard’s prayer ministries.
I’ve been traveling abroad in ministry since I was 13 years old and built structures for a Bible School in Zimbabwe with Teen Missions International. Since then, I’ve been to 6 countries in this capacity and many more as a visitor. As an adult, I have grown in my identity and calling as an intercessor, and been radically changed through an internship at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. As a graduate student at Bethel Seminary, a desire in my heart to become a Spiritual Director was awakened. My hope and desire is that through my experiences at the Steiger Radical Missions School and time spent with Jesus there, these many pieces will begin to come together in a more specific calling for my life and ministry. I have few preconceived ideas about what the Lord will do in me while I’m there, but I am excited that He has amazing things in store for me over the next few months. Please pray for me during this important time!
Since ending my career as a teacher at the end of July, I have been blessed to work several jobs and have been able to save a significant portion of the finances required for my travel and tuition expenses. If you are moved to do so, please help me to emerge from this experience debt-free. Donations can be made online at Paypal.com by clicking the link belowm or checks can be mailed to me directly. Thank you!
Heather Penzel
2731 17th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Steiger International began as a Bible study on a pier in Amsterdam. Punk rock was at its peak in Europe, and David and Jodi Pierce purposed themselves to reach out to skinheads and other radical sub-culture youth. Using music, art, drama and the living Word of God, they began to travel into communist regions and eventually the world ministering the love of Christ in places where most Christians would fear to tred. Thousands of broken, angry, and hopeless young people have turned themselves over to Christ through the ministry of the band No Longer Music (NLM), and 35 other ministries based in 9 countries. Learn more at .
I think that it was my freshman year at Northwestern College when I first went to Hardcore Bible Study at the People’s Center on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank. I sat in the upper part of the theater seats in front of a small stage with a few friends from school. The man teaching was also part of the rock-worship band and had ties to Steiger. I went with them to the New Age-inspired Rainbow Gathering two summers in a row to serve food to hippies and homeless travelers as part of the Jesus Kitchen. I came and went from this little group over the next 6 years as it changed and moved and grew. When the Hardcore Bible Study became The Salvage Yard Church of Jesus Christ, I was there, and later also became a member. For the last two years, I’ve been a part of the Servant Leadership Team there and recently became the head of the Salvage Yard’s prayer ministries.
I’ve been traveling abroad in ministry since I was 13 years old and built structures for a Bible School in Zimbabwe with Teen Missions International. Since then, I’ve been to 6 countries in this capacity and many more as a visitor. As an adult, I have grown in my identity and calling as an intercessor, and been radically changed through an internship at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. As a graduate student at Bethel Seminary, a desire in my heart to become a Spiritual Director was awakened. My hope and desire is that through my experiences at the Steiger Radical Missions School and time spent with Jesus there, these many pieces will begin to come together in a more specific calling for my life and ministry. I have few preconceived ideas about what the Lord will do in me while I’m there, but I am excited that He has amazing things in store for me over the next few months. Please pray for me during this important time!
Since ending my career as a teacher at the end of July, I have been blessed to work several jobs and have been able to save a significant portion of the finances required for my travel and tuition expenses. If you are moved to do so, please help me to emerge from this experience debt-free. Donations can be made online at Paypal.com by clicking the link belowm or checks can be mailed to me directly. Thank you!
Heather Penzel
2731 17th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Monday, September 15, 2008
An update at last...
It is far beyond time for a wrap-up of my experiences in Egypt, Israel, and the Netherlands from the spring of 2007. To be honest, this will probably be more about the call of the Lord on my life than my time in the Netherlands. It will be a lot about the pieces the Lord has been putting together in my life and the process that has taken. So, I apologize in advance for the length and expanse of subjects I’m going to try to cover. Hopefully, the picture will be relatively more clear in the end.
The last leg of my journey with Dr. Pat in April, 2007, was to Hardewijk and Amsterdam, Netherlands. My team and I stayed in Hardewijk, a little Dutch town a couple hours outside of Amsterdam. Hardewijk also happens to be the hometown of one of the most distinct examples of part of the call on my life: Brother Andrew. Brother Andrew is a man that was a forerunner of smuggling the Word of God into closed countries. Now, he focuses on supporting and encouraging believers in the Middle East as well as building bridges between Christian and Muslim groups and being a voice of social justice in the region. He is a man whom the Lord sends on special missions in His Name. As passionate as he is, he is equally humble and down-to-earth. He even let me borrow his bike to tool around town! It was a joy for us to meet with him in his home, and it stirred my heart that someone had already done something similar to what I want to do. It felt good to know that although it’s not a traditional form of ministry, it’s something that the Lord is raising up people to do (and I’m not crazy for thinking outside of the box!).
After a couple of days with my team, I left them to spend a couple days in Amsterdam. My friend John, whom I used to work with at First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry and is a grad student there, hung out with me and we had a lot of good times. Two things I had noticed about the Dutch were their love for bikes and their very well-trained dogs. Thankfully, my neighbor at the YWAM base where I stayed let me borrow his bike to get around. If I lived anywhere else in the world, I think I would feel the most at home in Amsterdam. The green, the bike paths on every major street, and the laid-back culture is beautiful!
The neighbor on the other side of my room was Iranian man named David. My last night in Amsterdam was spent with him and a bunch of other YWAMers. As David and I walked back to the base after watching a movie at a friend’s house and he shared with me his story about applying numerous times for a visa to the US to be with his family. He was on his 7th attempt and in a state of real confusion about his role at the YWAM base and the Lord’s purposes in delaying his entry to the US. He also shared about how Jesus tends to communicate to Arab people through dreams and visions and is widely accepted as a righteous prophet who healed the sick. To me, it was a divine appointment after coming from Israel and Palestine to meet a man from that region with a faith in the Lord and a hope for Jesus to be revealed in the Middle East as the healing Savior.
After my return to Minneapolis, a large number of new friends began traveling through. Two of these friends, Ben and Patricia were organizing a camp out in Montana to connect their traveling friends with one another. It was a joy and a privilege to help them make plans and pray for “Christian Summer Camp 2007”. We traveled to the mountains with a group of 12 people and made it only creaming one deer along the way. The whole week was amazing! I made 30 new friends from all over the US and got to see God move in people’s lives in ways they’d never experienced before. It was an adventure with the Lord that I will also never forget.
That fall, I began the Masters of Divinity program with an emphasis in Global and Contextual Studies at Bethel Seminary. Although I had cut down working to four days per week and was only taking two classes, the busy schedule was incredibly difficult for me. Trying to shift my brain to student mode after teaching the high school level for 4 years was rough. There’s no way I would have made it through except for the grace of God – for real. As the school year progressed, my job allowed me to cut down to just three days per week, another huge blessing. I realized that though I have a heart for reaching out to people from all over the world, I wanted to shift my focus to strengthening and encouraging those people. Despite the fact that I changed my emphasis to Pastoral Counseling, I still didn’t feel whole-hearted about pushing through what looked like would amount to five years of study. Then in the spring, I took a class in Spiritual Direction and it seemed like 2 of the biggest pieces of my life suddenly fit together! These were the pieces of intercession, set on fire particularly through my experiences at the International House of Prayer, and that of ministering to other believers. I cried, I was so blessed by the revelation.
(For a definition of Spiritual Direction, please visit: http://www.sdiworld.org/what_is_spiritual_direction2/what-is-christian-spiritual-direction.html )
With that said, I also realized that my life needed reorganization so that my top priorities – Jesus, prayer, and my house – could reclaim their rightful places in my life. So here it comes: I quit my job, put school on hold, and went out of town for a month. Ok, the going out of town part was mostly for enjoyment, but it sure was incredible. I went from Minneapolis to Glacier National Park, Seattle, Oregon, and finally to northern Idaho for Christian Summer Camp 2008. Now, I’m starting a new job as a tutor and a new role at my church as the head of prayer ministries. I'm also in the process of applying for the Steiger Leadership School on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand. Please pray for me as I try to reorder my life, begin a new season of work (I need another job, too), and trust the Lord to make my steps sure.
Photos can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjael79/sets/
The last leg of my journey with Dr. Pat in April, 2007, was to Hardewijk and Amsterdam, Netherlands. My team and I stayed in Hardewijk, a little Dutch town a couple hours outside of Amsterdam. Hardewijk also happens to be the hometown of one of the most distinct examples of part of the call on my life: Brother Andrew. Brother Andrew is a man that was a forerunner of smuggling the Word of God into closed countries. Now, he focuses on supporting and encouraging believers in the Middle East as well as building bridges between Christian and Muslim groups and being a voice of social justice in the region. He is a man whom the Lord sends on special missions in His Name. As passionate as he is, he is equally humble and down-to-earth. He even let me borrow his bike to tool around town! It was a joy for us to meet with him in his home, and it stirred my heart that someone had already done something similar to what I want to do. It felt good to know that although it’s not a traditional form of ministry, it’s something that the Lord is raising up people to do (and I’m not crazy for thinking outside of the box!).
After a couple of days with my team, I left them to spend a couple days in Amsterdam. My friend John, whom I used to work with at First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry and is a grad student there, hung out with me and we had a lot of good times. Two things I had noticed about the Dutch were their love for bikes and their very well-trained dogs. Thankfully, my neighbor at the YWAM base where I stayed let me borrow his bike to get around. If I lived anywhere else in the world, I think I would feel the most at home in Amsterdam. The green, the bike paths on every major street, and the laid-back culture is beautiful!
The neighbor on the other side of my room was Iranian man named David. My last night in Amsterdam was spent with him and a bunch of other YWAMers. As David and I walked back to the base after watching a movie at a friend’s house and he shared with me his story about applying numerous times for a visa to the US to be with his family. He was on his 7th attempt and in a state of real confusion about his role at the YWAM base and the Lord’s purposes in delaying his entry to the US. He also shared about how Jesus tends to communicate to Arab people through dreams and visions and is widely accepted as a righteous prophet who healed the sick. To me, it was a divine appointment after coming from Israel and Palestine to meet a man from that region with a faith in the Lord and a hope for Jesus to be revealed in the Middle East as the healing Savior.
After my return to Minneapolis, a large number of new friends began traveling through. Two of these friends, Ben and Patricia were organizing a camp out in Montana to connect their traveling friends with one another. It was a joy and a privilege to help them make plans and pray for “Christian Summer Camp 2007”. We traveled to the mountains with a group of 12 people and made it only creaming one deer along the way. The whole week was amazing! I made 30 new friends from all over the US and got to see God move in people’s lives in ways they’d never experienced before. It was an adventure with the Lord that I will also never forget.
That fall, I began the Masters of Divinity program with an emphasis in Global and Contextual Studies at Bethel Seminary. Although I had cut down working to four days per week and was only taking two classes, the busy schedule was incredibly difficult for me. Trying to shift my brain to student mode after teaching the high school level for 4 years was rough. There’s no way I would have made it through except for the grace of God – for real. As the school year progressed, my job allowed me to cut down to just three days per week, another huge blessing. I realized that though I have a heart for reaching out to people from all over the world, I wanted to shift my focus to strengthening and encouraging those people. Despite the fact that I changed my emphasis to Pastoral Counseling, I still didn’t feel whole-hearted about pushing through what looked like would amount to five years of study. Then in the spring, I took a class in Spiritual Direction and it seemed like 2 of the biggest pieces of my life suddenly fit together! These were the pieces of intercession, set on fire particularly through my experiences at the International House of Prayer, and that of ministering to other believers. I cried, I was so blessed by the revelation.
(For a definition of Spiritual Direction, please visit: http://www.sdiworld.org/what_is_spiritual_direction2/what-is-christian-spiritual-direction.html )
With that said, I also realized that my life needed reorganization so that my top priorities – Jesus, prayer, and my house – could reclaim their rightful places in my life. So here it comes: I quit my job, put school on hold, and went out of town for a month. Ok, the going out of town part was mostly for enjoyment, but it sure was incredible. I went from Minneapolis to Glacier National Park, Seattle, Oregon, and finally to northern Idaho for Christian Summer Camp 2008. Now, I’m starting a new job as a tutor and a new role at my church as the head of prayer ministries. I'm also in the process of applying for the Steiger Leadership School on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand. Please pray for me as I try to reorder my life, begin a new season of work (I need another job, too), and trust the Lord to make my steps sure.
Photos can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjael79/sets/
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