Prayer Support and preparations

It's nearing mid December already, which means my departure date is coming soon! In about three weeks I leave for a 5 month stay in Costa Rica where I will rejoin YWAM as a volunteer staff member. I'm so very excited to see what God has in store for us all during the upcoming months...I know it's much more than I could even imagine at this point. I've been receiving some info through the grapevine as to what this group of students will be like, and I figured that since I've been praying with these specifics in mind, I should include you in on them as well- that way you can prayerfully support me as I (and many others) prepare to leave in a few weeks.

What I know:

-Big group of students! More than twenty already accepted into the discipleship training school, and nine staff. (My group was 13 students and 5 staff, so this is a large group in comparison!)

-Students from all over the globe

-A few married couples as students (very exciting!)

As you can imagine, I could use prayer for a few other things as I get ready to leave:

-Finances (still gathering support and trusting God will provide)

-Leaving Les Femmes (I am sad to go but hoping to bring some of Les Femmes to Costa Rica!)

-Saying goodbye to friends and family (though it's an exciting transition, it's always hard to say goodbye for a long period of time)

Thanks for the support and encouragement. I will post again as the new year begins!

What I'm reading:
The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer

What I'm listening to:
Ray Lamontagne
Brooke Fraser

Still Debriefing...

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about living in community. When I was in YWAM last year, this was something that left a huge impression on me. I remember arriving to the house the first day and being unsure how that part of the experience would go. Since I was 2 or 3 I’ve always had my own room, and often my own bathroom. I’m an introvert- and feel drained quickly without alone time. When I walked into the girls’ room in Costa Rica and saw 8 beds, one closet, and hardly any floor space, I think part of me kind of freaked out. I mean, really? Could I do this? Share a room with all these girls and share one bathroom with 13 girls? Turns out I could. I actually loved it. And while yes, there were definitely times where I wanted to crawl in the corner and shut everyone else out, living like that was one of the best things I’ve ever done. (And when I did want to crawl in the corner, I would settle for crawling onto my bunk, closing my eyes, and turning up my Ipod…just as good.) We had our moments of bickering, eye rolling, and differences of opinion. And we also had room meetings and confrontations because there, you couldn’t just walk away and ignore a problem. But what I remember even more were the loud and chatty family meals every morning, noon, and night. I remember sitting out on the patio with our computers and talking and laughing between the Skype or Facebook conversations with people back home. I remember walking out back in the morning and seeing a few of my friends reading in hammocks, sipping coffee. I remember dodging kids as they would breathlessly run from the front door through the kitchen into the backyard, giggling. I remember staying up late to sing with a few people playing guitar on the benches in the dining room- not for practice or a performance, just because we wanted to and we could. Because we were all together. My favorite memories are not usually the planned events, or the scheduled meeting times. They are the moments where someone walked in the room and plopped down next to you on the couch and struck up a conversation. Or you are bored for a quick second and realize there are about 20 people within the house that you could hang with. Constant, tangible support. Whether you’re having a rough day, a great day, or just a regular ole’ day- that’s what family is, what community means- being there, together for it all.

Why is this hard to do here, back in California? We all want our own rooms, our own bathrooms, our own privacy and division that separates us from this very community I speak of. This mindset I’ve had all my life is really being challenged as I feel a hole in my heart from the lack of this type of community. I’ve been struggling with this question of how to live in community here, and I realize it’s mostly up to me. Yes, it’d be easier to live in a house with 10 or 20 people, and I am seriously considering doing something like this in the near future. But before I take that step, I think I need to seriously look at my present relationships. Am I all in? Am I consistently there? When people in my life need me, do I even hesitate? Because that’s what it comes down to, is selflessness. Commitment. Sacrifice. Christ models this type of living for us. And until we can devote ourselves to our community of friends and loved ones fully, until we can be consistent and persistent with our relationships-our lives will continue to be selfishly lived out. And we were created for so much more than such a narrow existence.

It's been over a month since I've written anything...my Costa Rica visit seems like a long time ago now! :) What's been going on since then...

Lots with Les Femmes- our first group ended on March 30th. It was a truly incredible time, and so much came with the closing of the group. The community and environment created within the six weeks was really restorative and encouraging for many of the women. A lot felt empowered and strengthened in their uniqueness, many felt a push towards growth and the next step in their lives, others felt a deep relationship with Christ for the first time. It was the end of the group but a beginning in many ways for most all of us. I think it's safe to say we are all changed from those weeks....

Les Femmes is continuing to grow; our second group is midway through and a third is starting in a couple weeks. We've formed a leadership team to help Heather and I with all the millions of details that seem to be coming up. It's all fun stuff-but the further we go into this the more we find to do, and we need some help! So our team consists of a couple of the women from our first group who have knowledge of tech stuff as well as great vision casting. The web site is getting very close to being up online and many many MANY ideas are being discussed for the future. Heather and I continue to be overwhelmed with how this is all coming together and the responses and interest we're seeing. And I love being a part of this more and more all the time.

I just got back from a Orlando/Key West/Miami trip with the fam. It was a very fun, relaxing, sunny, beautiful vacation. Playing at Disney World, wearing flip flops and sunglasses everyday, sitting at the beach with a book, and walking the streets of a very intriguing and colorful town (Key West) is a summation of what the week consisted. I was reminded, once again, why I do not prefer sleeping in the same bed as my brother on vacations. In Orlando we each had our own bed (thank goodness) and in the morning Trevor found himself lying on a bare mattress. His pillow, sheet, comforter, AND fitted sheet were all on the floor. He has no memory of doing this. I pity the wife who will one day share his bed.

I've been going to a different church recently-Bridgeway Christian Church. It's in Rocklin, it's smaller than what I've been used to, and they have an awesome college aged group. That's kind of my new venture right now, just another transition going on in my life. Ah, the winds of change. Been happening a lot lately. :) Good stuff though.

Tica for a week...

I spent this past week in Costa Rica, visiting part of my YWAM family. It was fun to be there as a visitor because I had the freedom to be part of some of the YWAM activities on base, meet new people from the three schools running currently, and also head to the beach for the weekend! While there, I got so much encouragement for Les Femmes, as well as a couple more intercessors for our support team. And for everyone who warned me "Don't hurt yourself this time!"--I came back unharmed...no broken limbs this time. Although I got a pretty bad sunburn from the beach...blisters and all. :(

Les Femmes is midway through its first small group, and everything is going so well! We are meeting for the fourth time this Monday night, and I'm excited to see what has been happening in the hearts of all of the women this week. We are all discovering new ways to hear God through our creativeness, and for me at least, He is answering so many of my questions.

One of the tasks I'm in the process of is our website. Currently we (as in me and my brother, Trevor) have posted a very rough draft of the site. If you want to see it, just link to www.lesfemmes.creativedzyns.com to check it out. None of the links are up yet, just a simple home page. Hopefully within a few weeks we will have more of a solid site up...stay tuned.

New Adventures

Les Femmes has officially begun! We had our first small group session this past Monday night and had 11 women total. There is a wide range of ages and artistic talents-from a well practiced painter to several women who would claim NO creativity whatsoever (although that's very untrue!) But it is an atmosphere of ease and encouragement, and the level of skill has nothing to do with the intention of the group. Les Femmes (French for "the women") has the mission to aide the journey of a woman's heart awakening to their unique walk with God. To think outside the box, if you will, as each woman explores new and creative ways of connecting with God and understanding His purpose for them.

The night started out as Heather read a parable she wrote, titled The Bracelet. Afterwards, instead of discussing the story amongst each other, each woman individually responded through their journals. Many collaged with cutouts of magazine pictures, some wrote their thoughts or interpretations of the parable, some created a drawing. After a period of time alone, we gathered together to share in small groups what we had created. It was a truly inspiring time, as each person had a very unique and different response. No woman created the same journal, which is such a reflection of the heart of this ministry. Before our next meeting, we will start going through a book of the Bible and respond to it creatively so that we may share with each other when we meet again.

Heather and I met up the next day to share thoughts, and we both agreed the group went amazingly well. The most encouraging part to me is how obviously God is leading this ministry. I've felt as though such little effort has been put in for this all to start up so quickly. I've enjoyed each small thing I've done in preparation and can't believe I get to be a part of this...I feel like I'm hardly doing a thing, simply sitting back and watching God work in His perfection. I love it.



The other thing I'm looking forward to is that I'm leaving for Costa Rica this Wednesday! I get to go visit for a week, and reconnect with several people from my mission trip that I haven't seen in several months. A couple of my DTS-mates are living there and going to Spanish school. Several others are in different YWAM schools at the San Jose base. I'm so thankful I get to make this trip out there...it'll be great to see everyone.

Enjoy the week, and I'll keep you updated on Les Femmes :)

Settling back in....

It's been over two months since I've left Costa Rica and my DTS family. After such a return culture shock it's difficult to feel adjusted and back to “normal.” But honestly, I hope and pray that I will never feel “normal” again. As life passes by, we gain more experience and perspective, and it should be a priority to never let those things fade. I never want to be complacent and say I'm exactly the same as I was a year ago. Because that would mean I didn't take risks, face challenges, or let God stretch my character...which DEFINITELY happened every day during my DTS. And even though the memories will fade, they will never go away. In fact, many are captured-either in my journals, through pictures, or resonating strongly in my heart.
Seeing my mom, dad, and brother waiting for me at the airport was an incredible feeling. A mixture of excitement, relief, emotion, and familiarity. Within a few days, it felt as though I had never left them, and I realized how precious those relationships are-the ones where you can pick up EXACTLY where you left off, without skipping a beat. I'm very fortunate to have several of those relationships in my life, and I cherish them even more after my trip.
One experience I remember vividly is the day after I returned home. I went to Trader Joe's with my mom and when we walked inside I kind of went numb. I felt like I was in a movie, when everyone is hustling by and you're frozen, standing in the middle of a blur. I wasn't sure whether I felt nauseous, breathless, exhausted, or all three. But coming from living in a thatched hut without electricity and bathing in the river to a wealthy society during the peak season of consumerism was overwhelming, to put it mildly. I'm much more adapted now, obviously you adjust to your surroundings over time, but it's still a concept that blows me away. I was living in such “limited” conditions, according to many views, but I was FINE. In fact, I was happy. More relaxed and alive than I've ever felt. Since returning, a lot of people have asked me if I saw a lot of poverty. But the truth is, it's all relative. Yes, I saw and lived with communities without electricity, a flushing toilet, cell phones, cars, etc...but who's to say that makes them poor? They were doing just fine. It made me think of all the things I claim to “need.”
Having said all that, I am glad to be home. I understand how blessed America is, and how much I have to be grateful for here. It's just difficult to live such a contrasting life and not feel conflicted. But that's another one of those things I'm glad to have-conflicted feelings. I don't want to get so comfortable that I never strive to better myself or my surroundings. I never want to feel like I understand life, or God, because that's a scary place to be. I always want to be growing and be challenged and be conflicted. Because amidst all of those emotions is a person who is truly living. I always want to be that person.
As far as next steps have gone, I'm back in Roseville and working part time at Original Pete's-a restaurant I've worked at for 8 years now. I moved out with my dear friend Nicole, into an apartment near the mall. Recently, I've gotten connected with a woman, Heather Penny, who is starting a women's group/ministry called Les Femmes. It is a community for women to discover their unique giftings and creativeness. Through many mediums like art, poetry, discussion, and whatever else comes us, we will learn to grow closer to God and support each other during the process. Heather has asked me to be her partner in this whole thing, and we are in the process of launching this vision of hers. My tasks at the moment are to create a website, design the “face” of Les Femmes, start brainstorming ideas of opportunities, and help begin a small group. I'm SO excited and thrilled that I have this opportunity which combines several of my passions into one position. It's a volunteer position and so I will still keep my job at the restaurant, to sustain my income. Prayers would be very appreciated for this new and different ministry!
I miss Costa Rica. I miss the friends I made, the family we created, and the beauty I saw. But I know that God is continuing to bring beauty and excitement into my life in all sorts of ways, that's just the kind of God He is. I'm looking forward to what's ahead and where He takes me. I will keep you updated on Les Femmes and where it's headed, but until then...

Blessings,
Melissa