One Month

I leave for South Africa in ONE MONTH! 

This baby knows exactly what I feeling...

I don't know whether to run around the house screaming in excitement,  

go on a mad packing spree,

spend 10 hours a day on my computer cramming my brain with Afrikaans, 

 visit Starbucks hourly so I'm so sick of it I can't wait to spend a year without it, 

lock myself in my room shaking with nerves, 

stare at my cool new countdown at the top of the page for the next month...

I just don't know what to do!

 

Give Thanks

Day after Thanksgiving Sunrise

Psalm 136

 ¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
         His faithful love endures forever.
 ² Give thanks to the God of gods.
         His faithful love endures forever.
 ³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
         His faithful love endures forever.

 ⁴ Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.
         His faithful love endures forever.
 ⁵ Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully.
         His faithful love endures forever.
 ⁶ Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters.
         His faithful love endures forever.
 ⁷ Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—
         His faithful love endures forever.
 ⁸ the sun to rule the day,
         His faithful love endures forever.
 ⁹ and the moon and stars to rule the night.
         His faithful love endures forever.

So Many Goodbyes

How blessed am I to have so many people that are so hard to say goodbye to?!

I spent the last two weeks on a grand road (and plane) trip visiting so many people I love so dearly. It was an amazing two weeks. No expectations, no hard plans, just 14 days to spend with the people I care most about.

 GRAND JUNCTION with my three Feather nieces.

 BOULDER with Jesse and Jack...3 states, 3 Countries on 3 Continents in 2 Years

DENVER with Emily 

MINNEAPOLIS

MAYL Friends: Rachel, Toria and Mandy

 My twin Amanda

 My out of state/country friends James and Priscilla 

  My sisters: Lauren, Emily, Simone and Amanda

And My Family

...We only say goodbye so we can meet again.

Decision

            I always wanted to be a professional dancer.  That was before I had the courage to tell the Lord that I am willing to go or do whatever He asks. God took me at my word.  Yikes.  His call to ministry became too strong to overlook or deny.

             My biggest question concerned how God would unfold His plan.  When I started college, I trained and worked in the ministry I knew best – Young Life.  It is in this work that I found I loved mentoring, teaching, and sharing the love of Jesus with adolescents.

            I studied modern dance with an emphasis in global dance forms. I studied under several choreographers from Africa.  My intrigue led me to spend two summers in Africa helping with Young Life and most recently spending several weeks with a performing arts ministry that uses dance and theater as tools to share the Gospel.  I first heard of the ministry, 13 Floor, when a skinny, petite preteen. 

            Is it not like God’s creativity and perfect design to lead me to a ministry that combines evangelism to youth in a multi-cultural setting using my love of dance?  He is too good.  As well, South Africa is one of Africa Young Life’s next frontiers.  I have already started making contacts and recruiting leaders for Young Life.

            I have made a commitment to serve an initial first year with 13^th Floor at which time I can then evaluate if I will serve longer.  I will help teach dance, produce shows, and mentor a team of 25-30 young adults who will then tour throughout South Africa performing at high schools, youth camps, and church youth groups.  The performances are only a tool to open the doors to share the Gospel and transform lives. 

Boise Bucket List

Beautiful Boise

I love Boise!!! I am home in Boise, Idaho for a little over 3 months, and I don't want to waste a day. 

Even though I lived in Boise for the majority of my life, 12 years, there are still so many things I have never done. So, I have created a BOISE BUCKET LIST!

Here is what is on the list so far:

• Bruneau Sand Dunes
• Shoshone Ice Caves
• Craters of the Moon
• Kirkham Hot Springs
• Skinny Dipper Hot Springs
• Shoshone Falls
• Soda Springs
• Hike Table Rock
• Silver City
• City of Rocks
• Old Idaho State Penitentiary
• Hull's Gulch Nature Trail
• Eat at Big Juds
• Basque Museum and Cultural Center 
• BSU Football Game on the Blue (I went in elementary school, but I'm not counting it)

I'm sure my list will continue to grow. Please feel free to suggest additions!
May the adventures begin!!!

Lessons from Africa: Afrikaans

Pieter and Paula, My Afrikaans Tutors

I learned many, many lessons in Africa. Some were very obvious; however I am just now beginning to understand and grasp others.

During my time in South Africa I attempted to learn some Afrikaans. “Attempted” would be the key word in that sentence.

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language. It is a daughter language to Dutch… I have NO experience with German or Dutch so the language sounded very foreign to me. I tried to learn at least one word each day. Paula and Pieter were great tutors, but I’m not sure I was the best student. I think everyone got a kick out of listening to me try though.

Here is one of my Afrikaans lessons: 

My Homes

The dust has settled, the bags unpacked, the last load of laundry folded and put away, and all the pictures uploaded. The last effects of jetlag are finally gone. It’s official. I am home.

However, what is ‘home’ really? One of the 13^th Floor students asked me an intriguing question that had me thinking for several hours…What is home to you?

I’m at the interesting transition period in every college graduates life. Essentially, I don’t have a permanent home right now. I don’t know where I will be this fall. I don’t know where I will be this next stage of my life. During my travels so many people asked me where is home, and I never knew what to say. “Well, I grew up in Boise, Idaho. I have been in Minnesota the last four years for school, and now…I have no idea.” But, the more I pondered what really defines home the more I realized a truth.

For me, home is defined by a sense of belonging and community, a place where I have people to love me and at the same time keep me accountable; equally, I invest back into people’s lives, take risks, and grow in relationships.

This summer I experienced many homes: Young Life’s property Creekside at Washington Family Ranch, the touring team of 13^th Floor in Pretoria, South Africa, Morning Star Ranch in Matopo, and of course, my family home in Boise.  Although travel weary, I never felt displaced.  Each temporary home provided me a place of connectedness and placement.  I feel blessed in getting to experience a summer of “new” families and homes. 

My Creekside Home

 My 13th Floor Home

 My Zim Home

My Boise Home

End of Week Two in South Africa

A quick update from South Africa! I toured with one of the 13 Floor touring teams this past week in a small town called Carolina (pronouned quite differently than in the states).  I had a wonderful time getting to know the team and see the ministry firsthand.  Think of 40 work crew/summer staff putting on a show every night. The kids are great...super fun....and work very hard.  There were big crowds at each show because there is really not much to do in Carolina. Our schedule went as such: one show during the school day for the entire high school, 3 evening shows, 1 rock/worship show, taught Life Orientation classes in the school two days, "teachers blessing" in which we brought coffee and cake to the teachers, a promotion in a neighboring town, art project with some of the classes, exercise class one day, and an outreach in the township. Local churches provided housing and meals for the team.  Casseroles became the preferred meal.  Not sure what I was eating!!!

Yesterday was their "sabbath" so we got the day off. I went to a farm where the team leaders are staying and got to ride horses and help the birth of a lamb. There was the most beautiful sunset!!! I had a "Why me?" moment while riding the horse. Why me Lord? Why do I get this amazing experience?  I don't deserve this at all. God has been so good to me!!! Beautiful people inside and out and nature that speaks of God's glory.

Today we are leaving to head to Pretoria North for another tour.  I'm excited to continue to serve the team and experience a tour in a larger urban area. Also, another tour provides me one more week to walk along side of the young adult performers and tech crew as well as team/tour leaders. God has given me favor and I have been able to enter their stories and provide encouragement and support on a significant level.

My time with 13 Floor ends next weekend with a 3-day conference designed for teen girls.  The conference deals with many of the issues pervasive for girls growing up in Africa.  Then I will transition and travel to Zimbabwe to assist and serve the national highschool YL camps.  Can't wait to see old friends from last summer and see how much the ministry has grown.

My Month at Creekside

 

I spent the last month at Young Life's newest property, Washington Family Ranch Creekside in Oregon. 

The month was ground breaking... It was the first month of the first summer of camping at Creekside ever!!! I felt so honored to be on the program team serving and considered the month God's college graduation gift to me. I felt each and every program decision came with a sense of purpose and legacy because I program activities tend to live on for many years.  I hope the program team made God proud.

Young Life camping is hard to explain to people that have never experienced it. Rather than camping, the experience should be called "resorting" for Kingdom purposes. Young Life's properties are more like 5 star resorts built for teenagers in every detail. The camp experience is intended to reflect God's unconditional love and beauty.  They are truly in a league of their own. AND Creekside took everything to a new level! 

There were too many highlights to mention them all but one that I will not soon forget is the week designed specifically for teen moms.  130 teen moms, 140+ infants/toddlers, 115 care-givers, and 59 leaders.  Unbelievable! So much love, healing, redemption, and resolute intent to show purpose and meaning.  I saw before my eyes, shame, guilt, and anger fade away and replaced by God's peace, unconditional love, and forgiveness.

I wish each of you could experience a week at a Young Life camp. To give you just a little glimpse of what a week at camp looks like (and a summary of my month) I created a slide show. ENJOY! 

London Whirlwind

 

My weekend in London was quite a whirlwind! This 'wordle' is the best way to share my trip with all of you.

Going to See London

“By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show”

 ~ Samuel Johnson

        I am off to see London!  I only get 2 1/2 days in the city and I shall try to see as much as my new eyes can possibly take. I can't tell you how excited I am and how extremely blessed I feel. 

        My mom has some meetings across the big blue and I get to tag along.  I will be hitting up the town with Jesse and Jack, two of my friends from my Zimbabwe trip last summer. I hope London is ready for the whirl wind that is about to hit it!

Celebrate On Canada, Celebrate On

Last week I was in Vancouver for my Lasik surgey. We stayed at a hotel in downtown Vancouver. The first screams and mayhem erupted at 9:00 pm. "What the heck is going on?!"

 I put a few things together... We were in Canada, Canada loves hockey, it is the end of the NHL season... Screams = A Canucks Victory! 

I was partly right. The Canucks were playing in the last game of the semifinals. However, they had not yet won. The screams were for their goal in the last 13.2 seconds of the game. They did eventually win in double overtime.

The view of the party from our hotel room.

When the clock wound down and the timer sounded, the Canucks proved themselves after double overtime as victors. Crowds rushed to the streets,  people were screaming and shouting from their balconies, drivers honked their horns over and over and over and over again. It was fun to watch for the first, oh, 20 minutes. When it was 2am and the horns were still going, the festivities weren't quite as amusing. I didn't sleep well that night. Our hotel room was on the 24th floor; I can't image what the poor 2nd floor guests were experiencing.

I appreciate the way our Canadian neighbors celebrated their team's victory. I can't even imagine what the party will be like if the Canucks win the Stanley Cup. I know fans are already planning their victory party.

I have to admit, I can celebrate athletic victories with the best of them.  Just watch me at a Boise State football game.  What I can't help to think about is what the party is like in heaven when a single person makes the decision to step away from a destructive lifestyle focused on self to falling in love with a redeeming God.  I want to break out in celebration every time a young person leaves their week at Young Life camp a changed person, full of life and hope.

And just so you know, the surgery went great!!!

Ode to My Glasses

Tomorrow, I will be observing a moment of silence for my glasses.







They may be scratched, cracked, and stretched....

They may only make an appearance early in the morning...

(such as when we got up to watch the Royal Wedding)

Or for late night study sessions...

They have been good to me. However, after Wednesday they will no longer be needed. Tomorrow I am hopping on a flight with my beloved mother heading to Vancouver, Canada. Wednesday morning, my eyes will be pried open, all the moisture will be sucked out, and a laser will cut my eyes. I'm not sure how this Lasik Surgery thing works, but the hope is I will no longer have a need for my glasses or contacts. 

So 'here, here' to my glasses. You have been good to me. 

Graduation Weekend

Last weekend I walked across the stage and received my fake diploma (the real one will be sent in the mail...but who knows when that will be).

I was soooooo blessed to spend the weekend surrounded by so many people I love! I imagine the next time I get to see that many loved ones in one weekend will be my wedding (but once again, who knows that will be). 

Here is a quick glimpse of my great weekend!

My Final Bow

Four years have passed since I arrived on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The decision to attend of U of M was among the first major decisions in my life when I felt God clearly leading me “to go.” At the time, I did not clearly understand why God would send me to one of the most secular dance environments in the nation. I would have preferred the “comfort” of a safe Christian school environment. God pushed, I went, and I am stronger in the Lord because of it. God reworked so many of my challenges in the last 4 years to be in prime ministry opportunities. Gaining victory of my own eating disorder allowed me to reach out with hope to many other dance majors and high school students struggling with their own disordered eating patterns and self-esteem issues. I understand on new levels what God has created me to be and how I can bring him glory with my talents.
In my senior year I found out that I have been suffering from an undiagnosed disease of the spinal column structure that will be progressive. An MRI revealed that my back already resembles that of a 65 year old, sedentary, overweight person. Not easy news when I have spent the last four years training to be a professional dancer, though God has given me such peace. Even in this circumstance, God is sovereign and has His purposes. I do believe He will use this medical circumstance to guide my future or prove his healing power.
I have learned the discipline of thanking and praising God in all circumstances. My greatest lessons in college have been learned outside of the classroom. God is the BEST teacher! He is gracious and patient.
With every challenge came a blessing! I am blessed many times over: incredible, beautiful, Christian housemates; amazing Young Life leaders and staff to serve along with; supportive MN family, and amazing growth as a dance artist. I was humbled to receive a scholarship this past year given to a senior dance student who shows the most potential to be a professional dance artist. I was shocked! We indeed serve a good God, and I’m so thankful for all the lessons of the past four years!