Week-In-Reviews

Every Monday morning we turn in a "Week-In-Review". It is one of our assignments while we are up here. They serve as a sort of journal for us, and at the end of the year all of our own week-in-reviews will be compiled and given to us as a journal reminder of what God has done in our lives throughout the year. Mine vary from week to week, some being boring, others somewhat comical (at least to me), and others rather serious... So I thought that for my next couple posts I would share a few of my week-in-reviews with you all, bearing a little soul, hopefully giving you a little glimpse of me, however embarassing that could be in my part haha. Oh yea and a few of us decided to put at least one song lyric in each review, see if you end up seeing them :) We'll start with the most recent one written, the week before Christmas break, WIR 14...

"Final week before Christmas break, and I finally started to feel a bit more adjusted to being back, go figure. This week Rich was our speaker. The man who was supposed to come was actually one of the men who helped translate the NIV Bible, however I do believe that it was in God’s best timing and judgment that the speaker canceled, leaving Rich as our speaker. I really enjoy Rich in the setting of speaking, and if God ever does call him to be a pastor of a church, I believe he will do a fantastic job. Anyways, Rich went through the book of Romans (chapters 6-8 to be specific). The background of the book, the time period, the Roman empire, the trade and travel that “all roads lead to Rome”, Nero as king, the church that had started there, and everything in between, really making the book and the words of Paul come alive. Come to think of it I want to study that book in my quite time now. Through and through his message, Rich preached the simple gospel to us once again, and it was so refreshing to hear. We hear so much information on different theological points, and debatable issues such as “pre-destination vs. free will” and “are we living in the end times”, that we (well at least I) needed to be reminded of the gospel. That Christ HUMBLED Himself down to being man, walked in perfect communion with God, was crucified, dying arguably the worst death ever, and then conquered death by raising Himself from the dead. This is what the truth comes down to. Do I really believe this message or not; do I think that it is not possible for this to happen, or is God big enough to accomplish this task? I have to admit I have doubts, but when I am in God’s presence and letting my heart’s cares, worries, and concerns lay truthfully before Him, He never fails to comfort. Sometimes, well a lot of times, I find myself relating to “doubting Thomas”. I am such a concrete type person that I say I would believe only if I was there and I saw it, but I know that this is not possible, and I know that there is more than enough evidence for me to believe. Just looking at the world around me I know I have to believe, this creation is just too amazingly perfect to be of anything other than God Himself. But creation doesn’t speak alone, there was something that happened 2,000 years ago that has not died out, that changed so dramatically how people lived, that it has to make an impact on my life. As I was laying in bed last night (the week after this week in review) I was telling God that my worst fear is that I will die and when I get to heaven He will say to me, “depart from me, I never knew you”. However scary that fear is, it is such a good and humbling place to be in; that fear is what I would call the fear of the Lord. Only He has the power to say that to me, but I have to rest assured that His grace is sufficient for me, that nothing I could do or not do can make Him love me more or love me less. This is the gospel, that what we cannot do on our own, Jesus has done for us. I know the truth, I desire more and more everyday to be in communion with Him, even when I am tired and don’t “feel” like studying, Jesus loves me. When I am doing devotions in the morning, Jesus loves me. When I screw up, when I hurt someone or hurt myself, Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me this I know. This truth should speak wonders into how my life is played out day to day. Other than this, most of the trivial things of my week I would rather just leave out of this week-in-review.

Thing to remember from the week: I heard it said that 'we need to preach the gospel to ourselves daily'. What would my life look like if I did?"

A Midnight Drive

I realize it has been far too long since I have posted here!

This is now starting my second week of Christmas break, and I must say that the start of break was a little rough but today was amazing! Let me start at the beginning...

Yesterday I went to Anna Horn and Andrew Wilson's wedding (which was beautiful, I am so happy for them). I got home around 8:00pm and with the rest of the night being rather uneventful I texted my friend Emily to see if she had left Hawaii or not. With no response by about 10:00, I figured she was home in Vancouver and I dosed off early. At 1:30am I woke up suddenly, for no apparent reason, but being wide awake I checked my phone and loe and behold there was a text from Emily at 11:30 saying she had been re-routed through Oakland. I text her back my grievances for her delay, and again another surprise! She text me saying she was stuck in Oakland! This just started a whole chain of crazy events and by 2:38am I was on the road to Oakland!

Arriving around 5:30am we headed out to the nearest Denny's and had a scrumptulous breakfast. With a laugh and a thought of are we really in an Oakland Denny's at 5:30 on January 21st, it was no doubt God had set up this wonderful adventure. We headed into Berkeley and toured the campus, taking some fun pictures, looking at the amazing architecture, and wondered what it would have been like to go to a school like this. Though when it started raining, we remembered how we wouldn't have wanted to train anywhere else but Hawaii!

After saying our goodbyes around 11:00 nearly ten hours after this ordeal had started, I headed out. As I passed through Pleasanton I stopped at my God-sister's house and my uncles house leaving surprise Christmas notes on each's door. The drive to and from went rather well, I wasn't sure with the "no music" rule if I would make it, but it was some much needed alone time with God and my thoughts...

I arrived home around 3:00pm and just laughed at the whole day... it was exactly what I needed and I am SO SO SO thankful to have seen Emily, I miss her a whole lot! God is so good to put little promptings in our hearts (like the one to drive to Oakland at 2 in the morning) and if we are willing to act on them it is amazing what a blessing they become!

Mexican Hospitals and Shots in the Butt

Hello All!!!

I haven't blogged in a while, and that's because I have been out of the country!  We went to Mexico (properly pronounced meh-he-ko :) to work at Rancho Sordo Mundo.  It is a ranch that was created as a school/orphanage for the deaf children of Mexico.  The whole experience was amazing!  The kids are in the process of getting a language, and their faces come alive when they learn new words.  Some of these kids are found on the streets, they don't know their name, or where they are from, or anything for that matter.  They have been neglected because no one know hows to communicate with them.  When they are brought to the ranch, for the first time in their lives they learn to express emotion, they are communicating with other children who are just like them, and the teachers are able to show them the love of Christ.  They have a documentary that was actually just finished and will be released in a month and we Joshua students have special permission to buy it and we can watch it with our friends and family.... so everybody get ready for "Hearing Everett" this Christmas break!!

So you might be wondering how I can blog all of this already, since we aren't scheduled to be back to Hume until later tomorrow? well here's the story...

So Thursday started out with an adventure.  Rich took Jenny, Bryan, and myself into Ensenada to run a few errands and take a couple pictures for a slide show to be shown to the rest of the students later that night; for on Friday we were all going into town to watch the Baja 1000 car races.  We went to a port in Ensenada where the Black Pearl (yes the actual one from Pirates) is docked.  As Bryan and I tried to climb a fence to get a better picture with it I felt like I had pulled one of my lower ab muscles.  I didn't think much of it except I was in a little pain the rest of the day.  It was later in the afternoon when we got a call to meet some of the group at the hospital in Ensenada because Chris, a fellow student, had fallen off the back of a truck and landed on his head.  While in the waiting room, I sneezed... That's when I felt the sharp pains.  After a while one of the doctors was friends with Luke, the director of the camp, and he took me in the back room to examine me.  Pushing on my stomach, I thought he was going to kill me!  He then proceeded to try and describe in broken English what was wrong with me, and wrote me a prescription for some drugs that I had never even heard of, AND he offered me a shot in the butt.  It was actually really humorous.  He then charged me $30 for the visit (putting it straight into his wallet) and never even signed me in.  Oh the glory of shady Mexican hospitals.

Soooo at this point I am in the waiting room and I have taken a vicodin and it was not doing a bit of good.  And I don't know what was so funny, but I couldn't stop laughing which hurt my stomach which in turn I would cry, which was funny so I would laugh... I swear I was a crazy person!  They decided to take Chris to the states and me with him.  We arrived in San Diego at the emergency room about 9:30pm.  They hooked me up to a morphine IV while Chris was transferred to another two hospitals.  Around 12:30pm they released me finding out I had actually torn my ab muscle.  Oh yea and rich took video of me while I was on the morphine IV so that should be fun to watch later...  Anywho, Chris was still in the hospital at this point and he had bleeding in between the skull and the brain.  They decided to keep him for watch over night and yesterday he actually had a small surgery to relieve the pressure.  As far as I know he is stable and doing well, and should be released Monday.  But it was a very scary thing with Chris.  So if any of you read this this weekend, keep him in your prayers.  There is other stuff with his story, but that is the gist of it all.  I was dropped off at Rachelle's parents house in San Diego and I am waiting for the rest of the group to come back over and pick me up before we head back up the hill.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving break and the rest that it brings.  I will be home Monday morning for you Clovis people, and the rest of you I will have cell reception until the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so feel free to call me!!! I miss you all dearly!!!

Love,

Mal

what happens to rain when its below 32 degrees??

ITS SNOWING!!!
and not just the little tiny flakes that melt when they land on you, but the real kind that sticks on the ground you make snowballs out of!

(By the way 32 degrees is the same as zero, I didn't mean to leave out my Canadian friends in the title...)

Well it melted away this afternoon, but all morning it was coming down and the ground/cars/boats were white! We woke up at 5:00am to get ready to walk down the hill and when we walked out the front door at 5:30 we were pleasantly (well most of us) surprised... Though I figured out halfway down the hill, converse may have not been the best choice of shoe! It has become apparent that I need to buy snow boots and a snow jacket over Thanksgiving. Anywho, thats the exciting news for the day.
I love you all!

Moments

There is no occasion for writing today except that I have 20 minutes before class and there was actually a computer open! :). This week our speaker is John Alvarado and he lives down in San Diego and works in ministry in Mexico. I talked with him for a bit last night about what it looks like to get into ministry, specifically missions. It has become so clear to me that this is where God is wanting me in this life; though I have no idea when, where, how, or what it looks like. But the thing with that, is that is okay... God will never give me a clear picture of how my life is going to go, and I wouldn't want it, because where's the fun and adventure with that? However He is faithful in giving me just enough to act on. I look forward to where God is going to take my life, and am stoked to just live moment by moment, knowing that each minute is a gift from God.

Pictures...

Me, Brooke, and Britt during 80's Skate Night!








Me, Bryan, and Brooke... Whatchu want?! I want you!










Rachelle and I flyin' high!













All the girls at the lookout over the canyon










Me and Bryan jumping into the mattress pit!

Hannah and I!

Girls will be girls :).

Happy Philippians Day!

So this morning we had our first Philippians test and....

I PASSED!!!!

We had to say the entire first chapter and we were only allowed 3 mistakes. And yes I did it! We have until 5:00pm today to have the entire class pass, but if not then we get put on 5:00am chores until everybody passes.

I have Jen's class at 9 and I am also happy to say that this will be the first class that I do not get punished for not finishing my homework! woohoo! oh craziness of Joshua. I will write more on Monday's punishment later (and I will post pictures like I keep saying I will!).

Other fun news, I have started a new hobby called coloring! Its a great relaxer, and since I can't watch movies on rainy days like it is today, I have to find creative ways of entertaining myself. Maybe I'll post a drawing or two when I finish :).

I love you ALL!

My Madre

Some people know, some people don't... but last thursday my madre had to have surgery on a disc in her neck. Last week I was a little stressed out about getting all my work done, memorizing philippians, and then sitting around all day thursday waiting to hear if my mom was okay. Thankfully everything in surgery went well, and she is now at home recovering. I was able to ehad home for a couple nights on thursday night and be with her and my family. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who was praying for her. I am so blessed in this life to have my family and friends, I dont know what I would do without you all!

-LOVE

What number comes after 6?

One of our 5 classes here is called inductive bible study. In it we learn to dive deeper into text, looking up original greek and hebrew, asking questions to which we find answers throughout other parts of scripture and so on.... Right now we are studying the book of Philippians (which happens to also be the book we are in the process of memorizing). One of our assignments is to read the book each day at least once. Well being the procrastinator I am, on the trip to San Fran I did not read it even once. When we got to class we were to tell her how many times we did not read over the week (there was supposed to be 8 times) and I only had readi t once. After we told her and she wrote down each of us on the board she told us for everytime we did not read we had to walk the hill. It took me 2 hours to do the 7 hill walk/runs. Needless to say I am a little sore. Anywho I guess I will get off and go read philippians now.....

San Fran

Wow we are back at Joshua after a long week in San Fransisco/Bay Area. The past week has been a whirlwind... I worked crazy hours last weekend and as soon as we got off at 3:00 on Sunday we headed out to San Fran. Monday we got a free day in the city; we rode the cable cars, went to Union Square, Ghirardelli Square, Pier 39, and talked with a man on the streets problaiming judgements in the name of Christianity, but was far from it. On tuesday we started our 3 days with Habitat for Humanity. Unlike most of their projects, we didn't actually get to work on a house... We were in the warehouse for the first two days, and digging trenches and filling holes with dirt on the third. It was an awesome expierence, and it was actually pretty fun to get down and dirty for a few days!

This trip however was the first time when I actually felt the biggest "down" on this rollercoaster called Joshua so far. It was for no particular reason, which was probably why it was so frustrating. A big part of it I think was the fact that I wasn't getting the usual amount of quite time with God in the mornings. It is truly important to connect with God in the mornings before I start my day. It is always better to ask for His strength and not my own.

Needless to say I am super stoked to be back at Joshua and getting some rest for the upcoming week. I will hopefully post a couple pictures tonight frmo the trip... Tomorrow Chad is coming to visit and hopefully bringing Becky with him! My first visitors YAY!

Love Song For My Savior

Today I went for a run/hike up into the mountains, past wildwood, onto the ridge... There is nothing like being alone in the wilderness. Being still and knowing He is God. I felt like that Jars of Clay song Love Song for a Savior.

In open fields of wild flowers,
she breathes the air and flies away
She thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses
in no simple language...

...Someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call her and she will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

The fact that when I was sitting on the rock I was thinking to myself... God placed the rock i was sitting on in its exact place, the tree in front of me has been growing for hundreds, even thousands of years, and the birds would be flying over head at that exact moment, and He purposed it all there knowing that I would be there on October 8th, 2008 and He wanted me to know He loved me. Crazy beautiful and crazy wonderful!

God's hand in fire...

Wednesday morning of our Wildwood trip started out normal. Just like the previous morning we had breakfast and then were sent out to do our devotional time. Shortly after devo’s had started Rich and Paul came running down the hill, walky-talkies in hand, into the forest trail we had first hiked into camp on. I knew that something was up, but I thought it was just a bear or something. Little did I know a forest fire had started close to camp. What had happened was that during our 5 hours solo time the night before, one of the guys (Dan) had hiked a little bit away from his spot and started a little fire to keep warm and read by. He put it out when the conch blew and it was time to come back in. However he didn’t realize he hadn’t put it out all the way. The Lord protected us throughout the night, and the fire did not ignite, but when morning came and the breeze picked up a bit the embers spread.

So we all gathered at the kitchen tent. After the head count we realized we were missing four of the guys still. A few minutes later two of them showed up but we were still missing Dan and Joshua. Some of the people knew where Josh usually did his devo’s so they went to go get him, but Dan was MIA. Then Dan showed up with the most solemn look on his face and fell to the ground and started to bawl. He knew he had started the fire and he was helpless in putting it out. We sat around and prayed for the firefighters and him, sang worship songs, and hoped that the fire wouldn’t spread to main camp or surround us. There were two helicopters dropping water and half a dozen fire trucks. They were able to contain the fire quickly within about 2 or 3 hours everything was out. It burned about an acre.

Dan has had meetings and questionings for the past several days because the fire was started on federal ground. The minimum fine starts at $30,000 with helicopter fees being about $10,000 an hour. Through everything God has been faithful and answered prayers. The government has decided not to fine Hume Lake and drop all charges except a $375 against Dan. I am so thankful that God is solely in control and that He provided grace abundantly to all involved; that He protected everyone fighting the fire that day. One of the most encouraging and comforting things is knowing that God knew before the beginning of time the outcome of that situation, yet he allows things to happen to teach and test us, and to grow us into people of stronger faith in Him. Sometimes he allows us to reach those helpless moments so we have to rely on Him.

On a "cooler" note... it snowed about 1000 feet higher elevation than us yesterday, so it should be snowing here in no time... haha

Sit Down!

So today we are having our first rain! Its actually kind of fun, the air is finally clearing all the smoke from the fires and hopefully this can help contain them. But that is not the nature for me writing this blog....

We just finished one of the more intense weeks of my life and between the extended solo time at wildwood, writing my week-in-review, and class with Bob Phillips this morning I have done a lot of thinking. The past few years I have really come to a better knowledge of who Jesus is and what it means to be a follower. But knowledge is not what makes a change in someones life. Its trust and faith. To put it simple, its like putting a chair in the middle of the room and looking at it and studying it, then saying you believe it will hold you up... but until you actually sit in it you don't really believe. You haven't had faith and trust that it will hold you up. And I guess God has been pressing on my heart this week that it is time that I sit down. I don't know what it will look like to let Jesus take the reigns on my entire life, but with me holding them its just steering me in a million different directions. Its hard to write this because my pride wants to let everyone think that I was already sitting in the chair. But the truth is I wasn't. However God has been sooo patient with me, and His grace and love abounds more and more every minute. I am stoked to let the God of the universe take control... I mean he did create everything, and I suppose He knows a little more than me ;).

I guess the other part of this blog, would be to challenge you to examine yourself and see if you have "sat down"... OR if you, like me, need to know Jesus in your heart rather than just in your mind....

Some Pictures

First off I just wanted to put a couple pics from Etiquette and Kindergarten dinners...

Some of us girls

My Date :)

The Room

Din Din

Tonight we have our first "themed" dinner! It is kindergarten night! We all have to dress up like the first day of kindergarten and I am sure we are going to have super good mac and cheese and hotdogs or something :). And tomorow is our etiquette dinner, where we get to be a pretty and learn to be proper! I will post pictures hopefully this weekend from it....

La Familia Nueva

Tonight we met our "Pause" families. Pause families are full-time staff members up here who take on or adopt 5-7 of us Joshua students for the year. It is a place to just get away for a little while frmo the craziness of the program. They will be making us dinner and hanging out with us this whole year. We have the Butlers (Ryan and Carrie). They have three amazing daughters Megan (8), Abby (4), and Chloe (18months). And when I say amazing I mean amazing. They are so smart and friendly and energetic. I am stoked to get to know them throughout the year. I'll leave you with my favorite quote ever, said to me tonight by Abby :)

Abby: Are you married?

Me: No, not yet...

Abby: Do you want to get married?

Me: Yea, someday for sure....

Abby: Well you know you have to be saved before you are married...


HAHAHA! Glad I have the saved thing down, now I just gotta get the married part!

Goodnight Love you all!

It Begins

So I am now about 24hours into this whole Joshua experience. Yesterday was move in day, a little parent meeting, some get-to-know-you name games, and a lot more hanging out. Today we had orientation for 4hours (which surprisingly went a lot faster than expected). That took us until lunch....

We then took our first of MANY treks down "the hill". We are required to WALK the hill (which is about a mile to camp). We are not allowed to ask for rides, but we are however allowed to accept rides if offered. However many find it humorus to watch the new Joshua students walk. We toured various places we will be working over the year and then enjoyed a couple hours of free time in which we cruised around the lake on beach cruisers.

Tonight we were blessed to have Sam Meier as our speaker. He is here for two weeks and his insight is already astonishing.

The past couple of days has actually been really tough because I was feeling that I was just at another social camp expierence, but tonight God really showed me that He has so muxh in store for me up here. I am stoked to dive into the teachings, readings, interactions, etc. So anywho I'll let you all go, but there is at least a little bit of the last 2 days of my life. And I will post pictures of my room and stuff soon... I love you all!

Going Home

I'm here in San Diego packing up my stuff to head back home for a couple days before the big move up to Hume, and feeling highly inadequate to be going to this program. I think that today is the first day that it has really hit me that I am actually doing it. Knowing that God has allowed me this opportunity, I just want to fully allow God to change my heart. With that being said I am going to finish packing... See ya back in C-town.

Week Before

So its a week and half before I move my life up to Hume Lake for 9 months. Right now I am enjoying my last few days at the beach in Hawaii, actually about to go to North Shore and to my favorite sushi place ever!!! I started this blog so that I can keep everyone updated on life while I am up there since cell phones and communication is a bit limited :).

I am super stoked for what God has in store for the next year. I'm really trying to just go into it with an open mind and no expectations and let the Lord show me whatever he desires, easier said than done when our human efforts and plans start taking over, but Lord willing I will become less and he will become greater!  For many of you who have never heard of Hume Lake Christian Camps, it is a small community with a huge heart and ministry.  It is in the Kings Canyon National Park in California.  They hold High School, Jr. High, Elementary throughout the summer, and Mens, Womens, Father/Daughter, Fishermans, Couples, Sports Teams, etc... retreats throughout the year.  I am moving up there to do a program called the Joshua Wilderness Institute which runs from Sept-May.  I will be in classes, do service trips, work weekends, and much much more throughout the year... you should check out joshuawilderness.org if you want to know more, but I will be updating ya'll on my life with this bad boy all year :).  

Anywho I am off to the north shore one more time! I am going to miss Hawaii!!