What the heck is LOVE??

This week seems to be a little more challenging for me for a variety of reasons. I think that so many of my weaknesses have been highlighted in the past few days but that's actually not a bad thing. When I realize my weaknesses, I can work on them, but at times when you're realizing your weaknesses, it's incredibly lonely and painful. Also I think also a contributing factor is that I really feel a bit homesick this week. I'm missing home. I miss my family and friends tremendously. However, I personally love change. I'm not scared or intimidated by change... but it IS hard to pack up and move on... to leave best friends behind and just start over. I'm growing so so much during this time though. I know I am. I can feel it.

Our topic this week is relationships. We have an awesome speaker. She's on staff with YWAM Muizenberg and she's originally from Washington state. It's cool to have an American speaker too. Anyway, her and her husband work with the School of Biblical Studies at the YWAM base in Muizenberg. So far this week, we've been talking a lot about grace and love. I've loved her lectures so far and I'm looking forward to what she has to share with us for the rest of this week. She gave us a little class time assignment today. She wanted us to define love... to be creative and write something. Here's what I wrote:

Love is patient with a tired, whiny two year old... even at 3 am. Love is kind to every person it comes in contact with... including the people who are the most undeserving. It's not envious of others' successes nor does it boast in its own. It is not arrogant about its cultures or convictions. It does not insist on its own way, even when its own way is right. It's not irrational towards other or resentful of the people who've taken advantage of it in the past. it does not rejoice in conflict, strife, gossip, or failures, but rejoices in peace, unity, humility and prosperity. It bears through homesickness, discouragement and loneliness. It believes in truth and always stands for the truth... no matter what consequences may come of it. It has hope in all people... even the ones who've let it down the most. Love endures through pain and hardships. Love is selfless and sacrificial at ALL times, to ALL people.

Well that's it for now. I love you guys. Please keep me in your prayers.

Drakensberg

Okay. First of all, apologies for my lack of blogging. The internet on the base wasn't been working, and then we went away for a week of teaching to a YWAM base that had no internet. Anyway, I'm back now with internet access.

Last week we went to Drakensberg, South Africa to the YWAM base there for a teaching on the Holy Spirit. The YWAM base there is on a farm and it was absolutely beautiful. I'm having an amazing time in Durban. God's teaching me so many lessons through my students and friends here. Leadership has been way more of a challenge than I imagined it would be. In the midst of my shortcomings God's proving to me that his grace is sufficient. Every day my prayer is that God will give me a humble heart and a teachable spirit. Sometimes being rebuked is painful and hard, but that's where we experience the most growth... when we make mistakes, it forces us to learn a lesson. This is all learning process. I never claimed to have it all together or be this super hero leader, but I'm honestly trying my best. God's teaching me to manage my time, control my anger, rely on him to meet my emotional needs, to exhibit self control with my words, to learn to communicate better and so so so much more. I find myself praying for patience all the time, then it seems like that same day I get put into a situation where I have to opportunity to put into practice what it means to be patient, but I then get angry and frustrated. Then I go to God and complain about the situation. Finally one day God spoke to me so clearly. This is what he said, "Kristen, you're asking me for patience. Learn it! I'm giving you opportunities. I'm doing my part. Do yours." Duh... okay God now I get it. But wouldn't it be so much easier if I could just snap my fingers and get a huge dose of patience?? That's not real life though.

Yeah, life is good. Challenging, but good. I hope everyone's doing fantastic. I love and miss you.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Yesterday was a really special birthday. The beach didn't work out, but we went to "Pavillion" which is a mall. I got to walk around a really nice mall and look around. We went to lunch at Mugg and Bean and watched a game of rugby. We saw a movie, which turned out to be slightly retarded, but it was a relaxing day. Away from the base, away from cooking...just away...

I love weekends. I love being able to sleep in, and by sleep in I mean sleep until 7:30. Mia doesn't understand the concept of sleeping in. During the week my days start at around 6, but on the weekends, that extra hour and a half feels fantastic. I still have obligations and cooking and one on ones...but on the weekends, life slows down just a bit and it's nice.

Today I had a great chat with my students (well with my girls). I feel so blessed to be a part of their lives. They're a really good group of girls. It was good to relax and have some girl talk. A couple hours with no boys, just the 5 of us girls was awesome.

Anyway, I hope everyone's having a fantastic weekend. I love you and miss you all.

home sweet home

We made it back from the staff conference on Saturday night. We were supposed to come back Thursday night but a couple of us from Durban got extremely sick and couldn't make the 17 hour trip until Saturday. There were approximately 300 people at the YWAM Kruger base last week for the conference. (70 were children.) More than half of us got a stomach bug. It was horrible. Mia and I both had the stomach bug.

Other than being sick, the conference was amazing. It was a lot of fun to be around so many other people who are passionate about Southern Africa and working hard to see God's Kingdom come here. It was an awesome time of fellowship and hearing God. It was good to get away from Durban for a week and have bonding time with the staff from the other bases.

The bus ride was about 17 hours, including a 5 hour layover in Johannesburg. Even though the bus ride was incredibly long, it was beautiful. The mountains in north east South Africa are so different from the mountains in Cape Town and even Durban. Every place I've been to in South Africa looks so different, however it's all different kinds of beautiful. I love the scenery.

This week is busy. YWAM Durban is hosting a conference: God's Heart for the Nations. Last night was our largest crowd so far. We're celebrating our nations and cultures and worshiping God. At the conference, there were about 15 nations represented. Also, as we all come together to worship God we're crying out for the nations who haven't heard the gospel and for the nations where Christians are most persecuted. This week has been an amazing time of celebrating and worshiping together.

My birthday is on Saturday! I'm really excited to be turning 22 in South Africa. My students and my friend (who's the school leader) are taking me out to dinner and to the beach for my birthday. I've only been to the beach twice since I've been in Durban, so I'm really looking forward to spending the day there.

Anyway, I have to get back to work. I love and miss you guys!