M.I.A.

After realizing and being scolded by a few various people at the lack of blog writing I've done, I thought I owed an update to those who chance to read this (aka my mother and G.C.). *wink wink*

So tomorrow starts the 7th week of my Phase II school here at YWAM Denver and it has so far been fabulous and really eye-opening. Our first week was on Strengths Finder, which is basically this test that we all had to take before the week started to discover our top five strengths and then we spent the next four days detailing, identifying, and learning how to live and function in our specific strengths. My top five, in case you were curious, are Adaptability, Includer, Restorative, Developer, and Connectedness; which basically means I am a relationship oriented person who goes with the flow and loves to encourage people and see them grow and develop into who they're meant to be. Basically. So yea that week of teaching was really enlightening, it brought so much clarity as to why I act and respond the way I do in certain situations and also how I can better serve and relate to other people as I grow into and discover more of who God has made me to be. The speaker, Chey, that week had us make and keep two lists, one was things we loved and one was things we loathed which we filled throughout the week as we came across certain things that we felt needed to be added to one or both of the lists. Some of the things that I wrote down were contradictory or on both lists, which was weird but it was often that it was due to the situation or setting, not that I was bipolar in my reasoning process. For instance on my loathe it list I have both "not making quick decisions" and "being rushed to make decisions." I promise it makes sense. ha. Anyway, it was fun, and still is fun, discovering how to use my strengths and then making a conscious effort to engage and practice using them in everyday situations. Good times.

About two or so weeks ago we had another lady from Boulder come and speak, which has probably been my favorite week of teaching so far. Brenda Lewis is her name and she taught on dreams and desires and did so with such authority, wisdom, humility, love, and laughter. She really had us think and consider what our dreams were and how we were living in order to achieve those dreams and desires, which made me realize, sadly, that I didn't have any dreams really. I had stopped dreaming for so long, I had become such a practical, down-to-earth thinker that I had completely avoided the idea of dreaming because I labeled all of that as impossible and unrealistic. If I can't achieve it then it will never be possible and I will never see it come to pass, that was my thinking for so long. I had gotten used to being disappointed and let down by my dreams and desires in life as I watched them all fall away unfulfilled that I just quit dreaming or allowing God to fill me with new dreams and desires altogether. Sad but true. Throughout the week Brenda challenged and encouraged us to step out on a limb and trust God to fill us with new dreams and to trust Him to fulfill them in His way and His timing, not our own. Nothing ever turns out the way we think it will anyway. So at the end of that week I took out a sheet of paper and began to write and scribble designs and ideas and hopes and plans that I felt God had been hinting at for awhile and things that I am passionate about and now I am so excited about my future, about what God is going to do, about the dreams and thoughts He's got just for me to walk out here and now. Dreaming again has never made me feel more free and alive. God is so faithful!

Tonight my Phase II school is heading up to the Eagle Rock campus for the week, I can't describe to you my enthusiasm about that fact right now, but it is real high! I spent three amazing months up there and so for me it's like returning home, it makes my heart happy. This week is going to be full of good teachings, a hectic schedule, fireside talks in the dining hall, lovely Jesus time, and living in the mountains again...I am stoked beyond words. I hope that you're week is more than amazing as well, filled with splendid moments and good Jesus time too.

~Josie K.


P.S. Shout out to my lovely mother today for being amazing, kind, patient, loving, caring, open, listening, and an all around terrific mother. I love you mother dearest, happy mom's day!

The Twelve

I have been home for three weeks and leave for Colorado again in three weeks which, for me, is more than difficult to believe and wrap my head around. I feel like a) I just got home, b) I just left for outreach, c) I just graduated from DTS, and/or d) all of the above and more. The season of life that I am in now is completely amazing, God is so kind and He continues to teach me so much about Him and myself which daily blows my mind. I've been reading through the book of Matthew for the past month or so because I realized recently that I hadn't read through any of the Gospels in quite awhile. Jesus is such a rad guy and His disciples are almost complete dunce buckets, making me wonder all the more, "why them" or "how did Jesus put up with them?!" Let me restate that God is kind. The more I read in Matthew the more I want to slap the disciples because sometimes they are dumb or the more I want to run and hide from Jesus who is more than amazing and terrifying. But If you think about it the twelve were THE first disciples and they had a lot to learn and therefore they were given much grace. Even in the presence of the Son of God they were free to be themselves, ask possibly dumb questions, and simply learn how to live Jesus and one another. Which is how it's meant to be. We are called to be free and lay our broken bodies before Him unashamedly. The disciples may have not been the brightest bulbs in the bunch but they learned as they walked with Jesus and even though they messed up or didn't even try at all Jesus was still full of grace and love for them.

Some days I'd like to think I'm smarter or wiser than the 12 disciples but then I think 'hey, they changed the world...' They may have had their slip ups and failures, sure, but who doesn't? I know I've had mine and probably have more waiting for me later down the road, but that's not what we focus on, that's not where we place our worth, value, or sights. I've learned that we can't judge our failures or successes by another man's, knowing that that'll just bring frustration and despair, but should learn to judge or measure what we do or don't do by His word. He will always take us back even though the world rejects us every time. We may not be the brightest bulbs in the pack either but He has still chosen us and called us out, which means that He trusts us and loves us; He knows we're capable of whatever He gives us whether we get it on the first try or not.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

~Josie

Gloria a Dios!

It would be nice if I even knew where to start with updating you all on the past 2+ months of my life, it's just hard to wrap life experiences and crazy God moments into a set of paragraphs. I'll give it my best though...

I finally arrived back home this past Sunday after 5 long and wonderful months of being away in CO with Youth with a mission. It has been strange and good being home, adjusting to "normal" life has its highs and lows but God has continued to show Himself faithful and constant amidst it all. Life as I once knew it has forever changed and there is no going back.

Outreach with my team to the Dominican Republic and Haiti was more amazing, eye-opening, and heart-breaking than I could have ever anticipated or imagined. I was asking God before we left for outreach what He wanted me to learn/get out of this outreach and He said "to be more willing." So, as one can imagine, God challenged me and I learned what it looked like to be willing to pick up kids until my back ached; willing to declare to a crowd the things God has done in my life; willing to hike the mountain of death; willing to love when it was hardest; willing to allow God to speak through me; willing to allow God to change me; willing to listen to the rhythm of His heartbeat; willing to bring Kingdom to earth no matter how I was feeling that day. There were quite a few days when I just didn't want to do a thing or open my mouth to share, but God never refused to meet us where we were or show us love in our frail and broken state so I had to daily make a conscious effort to strive to love and serve more. God was faithful to fulfill His promises and show Himself strong even in my weakest states.

On New Years day in the DR our team attended a local church that the DR YWAM base leader, Mitch, regularly attended. This was our second time visiting, the first time I had such a blast...the Dominicans really know how to keep a beat and go wild with it in worship! As we all settled into our seats and started worship one of my outreach leaders tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I wanted to give my testimony because they were giving us a slot that night to do so. I said sure and then started freaking out. I had something prepared but it's still nerve-racking, if not slightly intimidating. I eventually got up on the stage and began to speak in front of 200+ people and had such an overwhelming peace come over me. I was able to share with the people there about how I was once rooted in the lies that the world and the enemy had spoken over me, which lead to rotten thoughts and attitudes. Then I was able to tell them how God's truth, when you read it, listen to it, and accept it, will give you a solid and immovable foundation that gives you freedom and life. I always used to claim that my testimony, because I never got into any real trouble, had no power and would never be good enough for God too use. However, I soon realized that when I'm willing to say "yes" to God and allow Him to do what He wants through my life that anything is possible. God will use every area of your submitted life to bring Him glory, which is a humbling honor. The Spirit was heavy in that church that night and I know God was moving in people's hearts, you could feel it in the air, it was incredible.

After three weeks in the DR we traveled by bus to Haiti. The bus ride was supposed to be 8 hours, it turned into a 24 hour bus ride, but that's another story entirely. Our second week in Jacmel, Haiti we separated into small groups and just walked around the local communities to get to know the people and just be His hands and feet by simply going to communities and to houses asking if we could help them with anything. A lot of the time we would get denied because the people of Haiti don't accept much if any help from others. The first day we were able to help out a few homes, we swept, mopped and did some dishes. They were really blessed by us coming and working like we did, which led them to ask questions as to why, giving us an opportunity to tell them that we were here just to love them and serve them. It was such a encouraging time. The next day we went to another home in the same area, the lady we met at first was quite insistent that she didn't need any help. She was holding her little baby and all the while continuing to say no with a huge smile and a laugh, she was the shyest and cutest person we'd ever met.

We eventually convinced her to allow us to help her out after much pleading and laughter. Her and her husband had just had a baby 29 days before, so us coming to help turned out to be more of a blessing than we initially realized. This small family lived among 3 other families that we later learned were all related to one another. We were able to do more dishes, more than I've ever seen before, sweep their yards, mop the houses, and just sit and listen to their stories. I've never seen a family with such joy and love, they literally couldn't stop smiling and the husband couldn't keep his eyes off of his lovely wife. They were the most precious of families, all of them were so welcoming and generous to us complete strangers. After we were finished with the chores they had allowed us to do they climbed the coconut tree and chopped down each one of us girls a fresh and delicious coconut. We sat around and talked with them while we munched on our coconuts just listening to their stories and hearts, which were amazing and beautiful. What we did was simple, but it was love. However, I'm pretty sure this family showed us just as much love as we did them, they just displayed God's love, beauty, grace, and faithfulness and it truly was a blessing just to serve them.

There are so many more stories, both funny and powerful, that I could share with you, and probably will at some point, but I just wanted to give you a glimpse into what God has been doing and continues to do among His people. He is drawing His children back to Himself and forever revealing His love to the hurt and broken. I serve a big and mighty God and I'm so excited to be on this journey of life walking by His side. May His Kingdom come and His will be done! Gloria a Dios!

~Josie K.

Dominican Republic

I want to start this post off by saying that God is really amazing and He is doing so much here in the Dominican Republic and also so much in my heart. Secondly, I would like to apologize for never updating this thing. My mother harasses me constantly about it and so since I figured this was my last time near a computer for another month I would give you all a quick update.
Never having gone on a mission trip or outreach like this before has been hard at times because half the time I don't know what to expect from ministry times or just being here in general. Which is why I started off this post with the sentence I did.

God is moving so much in the DR and so much in the hearts of everyone on our team as we realize the enormity of His faithfulness, love, and power. Last night we went out into the middle of San Pedro and shared dramas and testimonies with the people in and around the square for our final time of ministry in the D.R. We pull up in our bus and the streets and sidewalks are packed with people and booths and a lot of hub-bub because it turns out that last night was called the Three Wise Men, which is the night before the DR's Christmas for their children. It was totally cool how God timed it all because that festival only happens once a year, so we had more opportunity to rewach more people because the streets were packed. So our team did the dramas and testimonies planned and added in few more because the opportunity to do so was in front of us. We ended the night by asking if everyone in the crowd would come to the front so we could pray for them. Most of them were hesitant but we encouraged them to come up and they all did and we were able to pray with a lot of people with the help of our wonderful translators. I had the urge to pray for this one lady in the crowd and had May, our Spanish speaker on the team, translate for me. We prayed for her and then May spoke truth over her and prayed with her again and she accepted Christ right then and there. (!!!) As they say here, "Gloria a Dios!" There were more testimonies when we got back and debriefed about the night of two other people who gave their lives to Christ and crazy stories that went along with them. I realized again last night through so many different situations and people how perfect God's timing is and how His heart is crying out for each person individually to return to Him.

So yea, my time here has been full of lessons from God, just walking in His goodness, and watching His power be displayed in and through His people in this country. We've been extremely blessed by having the privilege of staying at the new YWAM base here in the DR. I walked into the gates for the first time and was amazed to see where I was going to be living for the next three weeks. We have been blessed with mattresses, a pool, palm trees, DELICIOUS food, and a five minute walk from the beach. But the best part has been the staff here and our translators who all have become our dear friends. The base just started nine months ago with only five staffers, but they have done an exceptional job of serving and leading us by pure examples of faith and love. I have come to cherish the people here with all of my heart and I know saying goodbye tomorrow will be extremely difficult, goodbyes always are for me. God is doing amazing things with the people here at this base to reach out to the people here in the DR for Christ. It's been a huge blessing for me to be a part of that.

~Josie

Eagle Rock

Today I got to climb Eagle Rock. That sentence was easy to type but hike up there was everything but easy. Either I am completely out of shape or my lungs are still not okay with the high altitude. The Eagle Rock campus itself is 8,535 feet high in elevation and Lord knows how much higher the tip top of the actual Eagle Rock is. I am always amazed when my lungs act properly and actually inhale and exhale air in the fashion in which God designed them to do so.

The view from the top was insanely beautiful and it was also insanely windy and cold as heck. But it was so totally worth every painful step to the top. LOVED IT. If I could hike that every weekend I think I would, but the state of my knees, thighs, calves, arms, and overall body is in such agony right now that I think my body would crumble if I tried it again anytime in the near future. However, God's creation was absolutely fantastic and breath-taking, both literally and visually. ;)

Kk, outreach prep is next week and I am excited. I am in SIX skits, which is a darn tootin' lot, but I am pumped...outreach is going to be AWESOME. My team is completely awesome and I am just so ready to set Haiti and the DR on fir for God. whoop whoop! :)

~Josie

(my freezing face & my home from the top)

Introverted Love

Sorry for the absence from my blog and the lack of updates. It's been super crazy and busy up here but I've been having a ball. So, for starters, this past week we had an awesome lady from the Lakeside, MT ywam base come down and speak for the week. She talked on relationships and it blew my mind, half the time i was just sitting there thinking 'oh dear heavens' just because she was so right on and full of wisdom. I really love how God is bringing just the right speaker and topic at just the time i need to hear it. The passion with which the Word is being brought and the zeal with which the truth is coming at me is melting my face off and it's awesome!

Anyway, so she, Kristy Wilkie, talked on everything under the sun when it comes to relationships and was so blunt and real with all of us, it was so refreshing. her black and white teaching method was exactly what I needed and God must have known that because this week rocked my world and the way I think about or treat relationships. At the end of every lecture week we have a time of reflection and this week for reflection we wrote a letter to God telling him what he can expect from us when it comes to relationships. So I basically promised God John 13:35 which says that the world will know you love and follow God if you love others. Surprising as it may be it's really hard for me to step out of myself and my fear of being rejected and love freely. But I want people to know God and know that he loves them and I've been given this exact love so all the more reason to step out of my bubble and love without fear.

One way that i have been stretched to practice this is on Friday nights when we go down to downtown Denver for what we call Kingdom Night. We seek God's face on what his heart is for Denver that night in particular and then go out and minister to the people in whatever way God leads. It was a challenge at first to go out and talk with people and just pray with them and it has gotten slightly easier but the fear of my introverted self is still around. But Kristy Wilkie this week said something that blew my socks off; she said that we have to be people of influence and we can't do that successfully if we stay shy. Basically, we have to lay down our right to being introverted because otherwise we'll never reach people the way God desires us to. True fact.

I'm really excited about what God is doing and where he is leading me. he is stirring up the fire that's burning inside of me and giving me opportunities to apply all he is teaching me. Like, no joke, it's been insane how many doors he's opened allowing me to experience and apply what he's teaching me. GOD IS SO GOOD.

On another note....my "h"' key no longer works. I have ctrl-v'd my way through this entire post and this entire sentence. It is slightly frustrating but it's slowly becoming habit....lol. I ordered a new keyboard today which i KNOW is going to make my typing much easier and my brain much less stressed out. I am allowed to be slightly dramatic about this...yea.

I'm currently sitting next to a toasty fire in the dining hall with awesome people all around. I love the people here, God has set me among such an awesome community of people, I am so extremely blessed. God is good all the time. . . .

~Josie

Update Mate

Today is Wednesday, but you could have told me otherwise and I would have believed you. My days have been thrown so off kilter that it's slightly unnerving. Schedules are generally my friend and routine in small doses is also nice, which is slowly making it's way back into my life. Hi, i'm slightly ocd about those kinds of things.

Anyway, so this past week or so has been a crazy whirlwind of fun, new people, new places, adventures, revelations, and insights. Last week we talked about Kingdom Culture and what that involved and how to apply it to our daily lives. The five basic parts of Kingdom Culture are intimacy, honor, gratitude, life in the Spirit, and family, which can all be broken down and expounded upon. For instance, my small group took the five and wrote down our own thoughts concerning a particular aspect and then what we could recall from what we got in lecture time. I got the word intimacy and broke it down basically to 'knowing love from another without the fear of judgement' and then related it back to Song of Songs 4:7 which talks of how God sees us without flaw or blemish. Which really is a beautiful picture. I love that book of the bible anyway.

This week, starting yesterday, was the official start of lecture week. We have a local pastor, Black Mattocks, coming up the mountain all week to talk about the nature and character of God and so far it has been insanely awesome! He's laying down the building blocks and introducing us to his character in a really cool way. He's very engaging and excited about what God has done and shown him in his life and about teaching it to us. I'm excited too, to be honest. Yesterday he was talking about how there are no posers in the Kingdom of God. We're not allowed to have walls or fake identities because we've declared that we have surrendered that to God if we also declare that we are His children. It reminded me of that scripture, I think it's in John, where it talks about how nothing is hidden from God, but everything is uncovered and laid bare before Him, which is exactly how we're supposed to be living before God and before the body of Christ and the world. He's called us to be His ambassadors and we can't do that if we're pretending we're someone or something that we're not. He sees through our disguises so might as well take them off and surrender them willingly to begin with. Can I get an "Amen"??! :D

Anyway, I will write of more exciting God things soon, but right now I am wiped out. This upcoming week, Monday through Wednesday, our whole DTS group plus the other four ywam bases in CO, which adds up to somewhere around 400 people will be in Colorado Springs. We're going to this conference called Acts 1 and it's supposed to be awesome. I'm expecting amazing things to come out of this next week...and these next five months. I'm stoked, guys...to the core. I miss you all back home and hope to keep you more updated. Love!

~Josie

I MADE IT TO COLORADO

Hullo. I have made it to Colorado and my ywam base in the mountains. It is beautiful and walking out my front door this morning and seeing the mountains like literally in my front yard was kind of surreal. Love it. The people here are also so wonderful. It set all of my worries, fears, and hesitations aside.

So, this is a short update because we just got done with a really long day and I'm about to go play settlers of catan. SETTLERS OF CATAN! With girls. Yeah, I totally picked the best dts school. <3

But here are a few pictures from our road trip to hold you over until I upload them over to Google+.

Miss you all!