Trying to pass level 10 on tetris every night before bed gets a wee old. Same goes for scrolling down my newsfeed on Facebook and looking at all of the new pins on Pinterest. So, instead, I'm here... writing something (though I'm not sure quite what), because I remembered that I have a blog.
That's my disclaimer/preface.
Remember when I wanted to live in a hut with a dirt floor? I'm sure it could still happen, but I'm not crazy determined to make that my destination anymore.
So long, missionary Kelsey. Hello, dental hygienist Kelsey. (Now you're chuckling, right? Because, if you know me, you know that I can't seem to ever make up my mind.)
Don't worry, I'm chuckling, too. Probably just a little louder than you are.
The funny thing is that I'm not kidding (though I would still like to be missionary Kelsey someday, if that's where God leads me).
Here's my new plan:
-Finish yearlong internship in Aberdeen, WA.
-Attend Moody Bible Institute in Chicago (if I get accepted -- I should find out by Spring 2014).
-Go to Moody for four years, getting my bachelors in counseling.
-Go to grad school to get a masters in social work.
-Work a lot, live a little, etc, etc.
-Go to GRCC to become a dental hygienist (or, if I'm really ambitious, become a dentist).
-Pay off my possible debt with a job as a dental hygienist (or dentist).
-And, somewhere in there, do some missions, keep up with some Spanish, and just love on people.
I actually feel pretty solid about this plan, and am glad that I can be moving toward something. Especially now that I'll be a freshman while the rest of my class are juniors. Womp womp.
But it's okay! Even though I never thought that I'd be the one who didn't go to college straight out of high school, I know that God is using this time for some kind of purpose.
Like, for example, learning how to be a music mixer in the sound booth during worship and becoming a "sound girl" at River of Life Fellowship. Also, enhancing my administrative skills, which I didn't think I had. I think you could call me the administrator's assistant, thanks to Lance (aka the man who does everything); I get to make the bulletins each week, update the church website, call people, answer the phone, take care of checks and bills, and make sure the church is in order eighty percent of the time. It's only been about a week, but I think I'm going to enjoy it! Then there's the internship stuff... learning Greek, reading a little book, and helping lead wherever I can around the church.
It's all some basic skills and things that I never thought to really try. In that way, it's pretty neat.
And, basically, I just love everyone here. It's like a giant family that hangs out all the time. If I don't see my intern "brothers" for a single day, it feels like it's been a week.
For background, my internship meets three times per week. I'm praying that I can find a job to fill in the other days, just to keep my sanity. Unless, of course, God wants me to be still during these moments of nothingness. Which would be pretty rough. If a job doesn't quite work out, I would like to volunteer at the local mission.
The internship includes three young men and one young woman; Kyle, Chris, Zach, and me. It is lead by my legit cousin, Jake, and an awesome 26-year-old, Chad.
I'll be adding more about my road trip, my incredible roommate, the weather, brown hair, how awesome my mom is, and whatever else I think of when I come back to this... Time for bed.
Thanks for reading! Much love and many blessings to you this Christmas season.
xxoo
Monday, December 16, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
My first week in Israel...
... and I hope it wasn't my last.
I'm in Greece now, though. Corinth, to be exact. I'm feeling like my "honey-moon" stage of this project is over. I've gotten to know all of the people pretty well, have learned a lot, gotten lots of traveling in, slept in at least eight different hotels, experienced culture food, all of that jazz.
I've been gone for only two weeks, and [shhhh] I'm kind of getting burnt out. It's mostly just because of the tight routine, I think. One week left!
And I'm excited to flush my toilet paper again.
And stop swelling.
And hang out with mom. and dad.
Because once I get home, I know that I only have ten days with my family before I leave for Washington state. (which is kind of sad to me, but it's okay).
Some honesty on missions...
I realized a couple of weeks ago that I wasn't sure if my motive for missions was pure. I was thinking that I might be in it for the wrong reason. For travel, or culture, or something else equally Hellenistic and self-serving. A couple of days into this trip, though, God showed me my heart (thanks, God!). Basically, I would have been happy going home two days into this trip. I was hurt that we were spending so much time learning about the great commission, without really doing it. Obviously, I know that our intent in this trip is to learn. But still, something just irks me. Especially when passing through the poor, desolate cities of Jordan. I'm all like, "just drop me off here, please!". (But really).
Essentially, while I'm spending three weeks in Israel, Greece, and Rome, staying in mostly 5-star hotels, I know that I would be more satisfied serving people for any amount of time in Haiti. Or Africa. Or Honduras. Or Holland, MI.
So while I've been irked, this realization is exciting.
Yes, I realize that this trip could be a missionary trip for me. I can bring peoples' luggage inside, give someone my last bit of water, or keep smiling as much as I can. That just doesn't cut it, though. I mean, it could, but it doesn't. And I guess, somehow, this is mission work. I'm just serving in a way that seems foreign to me.
Apart from being such a downer, I really am having a great time. I'm loving the people here, learning more about security in my faith walk, rooming with an incredible woman of God, getting a daily workout, and eating at a buffet for breakfast and dinner for three weeks straight (yup, hips and thighs are still in tact). And I'm eager to come back to Israel for a "real" RVL trip sometime, God-willing. But I'm beginning to empathize with celebrities who have paparazzi issues. That's all.
Anywho, I'm sure I'll post later about some neat things I have learned, but right now my head is getting filled with hookah smoke. We're at one of the not-5-star hotels tonight, and I guess hookah is their thing.
And alcohol.
And dirty plates.
[embracing the culture, gracefully].
[but really, I like it.]
Sincerely,
Kelsey Lynne
I'm in Greece now, though. Corinth, to be exact. I'm feeling like my "honey-moon" stage of this project is over. I've gotten to know all of the people pretty well, have learned a lot, gotten lots of traveling in, slept in at least eight different hotels, experienced culture food, all of that jazz.
I've been gone for only two weeks, and [shhhh] I'm kind of getting burnt out. It's mostly just because of the tight routine, I think. One week left!
And I'm excited to flush my toilet paper again.
And stop swelling.
And hang out with mom. and dad.
Because once I get home, I know that I only have ten days with my family before I leave for Washington state. (which is kind of sad to me, but it's okay).
Some honesty on missions...
I realized a couple of weeks ago that I wasn't sure if my motive for missions was pure. I was thinking that I might be in it for the wrong reason. For travel, or culture, or something else equally Hellenistic and self-serving. A couple of days into this trip, though, God showed me my heart (thanks, God!). Basically, I would have been happy going home two days into this trip. I was hurt that we were spending so much time learning about the great commission, without really doing it. Obviously, I know that our intent in this trip is to learn. But still, something just irks me. Especially when passing through the poor, desolate cities of Jordan. I'm all like, "just drop me off here, please!". (But really).
Essentially, while I'm spending three weeks in Israel, Greece, and Rome, staying in mostly 5-star hotels, I know that I would be more satisfied serving people for any amount of time in Haiti. Or Africa. Or Honduras. Or Holland, MI.
So while I've been irked, this realization is exciting.
Yes, I realize that this trip could be a missionary trip for me. I can bring peoples' luggage inside, give someone my last bit of water, or keep smiling as much as I can. That just doesn't cut it, though. I mean, it could, but it doesn't. And I guess, somehow, this is mission work. I'm just serving in a way that seems foreign to me.
Apart from being such a downer, I really am having a great time. I'm loving the people here, learning more about security in my faith walk, rooming with an incredible woman of God, getting a daily workout, and eating at a buffet for breakfast and dinner for three weeks straight (yup, hips and thighs are still in tact). And I'm eager to come back to Israel for a "real" RVL trip sometime, God-willing. But I'm beginning to empathize with celebrities who have paparazzi issues. That's all.
Anywho, I'm sure I'll post later about some neat things I have learned, but right now my head is getting filled with hookah smoke. We're at one of the not-5-star hotels tonight, and I guess hookah is their thing.
And alcohol.
And dirty plates.
[embracing the culture, gracefully].
[but really, I like it.]
Sincerely,
Kelsey Lynne
Friday, October 25, 2013
Doing.
Four days.
That's how long ago it was that I wrote: "Stop Searching, Start Doing [and live in a mud hut]."
In that four days, I feel like a completely different person. So much has happened that it feels like weeks.
Maybe months.
(okay, maybe not THAT long)
Writing that post must have put me in my "mojo" mood, where I was just so encouraged that I didn't know what to besides make solid plans and get things done. And, honestly, I'm in a bit of a time-crunch for everything, so I'm sure that helped, too.
So I started to make things happen.
More realistically, God started to make things happen.
-I talked with Jake about internship details, and am officially going there from December 2013 through part of July 2014.
-I applied for a job at Safeway in Washington.
-I found someone to live with in Washington, who is okay with my budget for rent (and I LOVE her).
-I decided what I'd like to do with my life (missions).
-I decided that I wanted to go to school next fall.
-I am applying for school next fall (Kuyper College, and Moody Bible Institute in Chigaco).
-I went to Holland Christian to drop of a transcript request (well, I tried... they were closed).
-I bought the rest of the things I needed for my Israel trip (I had no other choice, but at least I didn't wait until Saturday).
-I finished up at Captain Sundae.
-I went out for coffee with people who I haven't seen in a long time.
-I became passionate about human trafficking.
-I wrote this blog.
And I'm sure I did some odd, minor important things here and there in between those four days. But, really, I'm proud of what I actually did accomplish. And I am SO incredibly excited for the journey ahead.
Knowing that God has His hand on my life makes all the difference in the world. I have peace that I might not be living in a mud-hut in the next year, or that I probably won't be eating body parts of animals that aren't the norm for the American culture. I'll have to keep myself calm with the idea of living "comfortably" until God reveals my next step.
I think I'll be okay with eating ribs and potatoes for a little longer.
But, really, I think I'm supposed to be a missionary.
MISSIONARY. (crazy, right?)
"Kelsey the Missionary."
"Missions with Kelsey."
"Missionary Kelsey on the Move."
It will be incredible to see how everything unfolds. But, really, I can't stop thinking about the possibility. And, honestly, I'm relieved that I no longer am making lists of possible bakery names (though I guess that could be retirement). Ultimately, I'm glad I traded "Kelsey's Kitchen" for "Kelsey the Missionary".
While I have no idea what I would be doing specifically if I were to do missions, I still have this longing to do it. Whatever it is.
And, actually, I got passionate about human trafficking last night. Is that possible?? To be passionate about something after watching a few videos? After researching something for maybe an hour?
See if you do, too...
First of all, fall in love with this missionary family, like I did...
Then, look at the website of the non-profit ministry they started...
Watch this video (at the bottom of the page)...
And finish up with this video, which focuses on "what's the point?".
Passionate yet??
If not, this story might hit a little closer to home...
Sex trafficking is a big deal in the U.S., too. Since sex trafficking and slavery it is suck a dark, scary topic, people don't like to "go there". Wouldn't it be worth "going there" to restore a life, much like the life of this young woman?
Read this young woman's story to see how God used her victimization to start a non-profit organization to save so many others.
Any-who, I'm so excited for what's ahead! I feel like this is the final calm before the "storm" of chaos that will be my next few months of life until I adjust. I'll be doing my best with blogging while I'm in Israel, Greece, and Rome.
That outta be fun!
That's how long ago it was that I wrote: "Stop Searching, Start Doing [and live in a mud hut]."
In that four days, I feel like a completely different person. So much has happened that it feels like weeks.
Maybe months.
(okay, maybe not THAT long)
Writing that post must have put me in my "mojo" mood, where I was just so encouraged that I didn't know what to besides make solid plans and get things done. And, honestly, I'm in a bit of a time-crunch for everything, so I'm sure that helped, too.
So I started to make things happen.
More realistically, God started to make things happen.
-I talked with Jake about internship details, and am officially going there from December 2013 through part of July 2014.
-I applied for a job at Safeway in Washington.
-I found someone to live with in Washington, who is okay with my budget for rent (and I LOVE her).
-I decided what I'd like to do with my life (missions).
-I decided that I wanted to go to school next fall.
-I am applying for school next fall (Kuyper College, and Moody Bible Institute in Chigaco).
-I went to Holland Christian to drop of a transcript request (well, I tried... they were closed).
-I bought the rest of the things I needed for my Israel trip (I had no other choice, but at least I didn't wait until Saturday).
-I finished up at Captain Sundae.
-I went out for coffee with people who I haven't seen in a long time.
-I became passionate about human trafficking.
-I wrote this blog.
And I'm sure I did some odd, minor important things here and there in between those four days. But, really, I'm proud of what I actually did accomplish. And I am SO incredibly excited for the journey ahead.
Knowing that God has His hand on my life makes all the difference in the world. I have peace that I might not be living in a mud-hut in the next year, or that I probably won't be eating body parts of animals that aren't the norm for the American culture. I'll have to keep myself calm with the idea of living "comfortably" until God reveals my next step.
I think I'll be okay with eating ribs and potatoes for a little longer.
But, really, I think I'm supposed to be a missionary.
MISSIONARY. (crazy, right?)
"Kelsey the Missionary."
"Missions with Kelsey."
"Missionary Kelsey on the Move."
It will be incredible to see how everything unfolds. But, really, I can't stop thinking about the possibility. And, honestly, I'm relieved that I no longer am making lists of possible bakery names (though I guess that could be retirement). Ultimately, I'm glad I traded "Kelsey's Kitchen" for "Kelsey the Missionary".
While I have no idea what I would be doing specifically if I were to do missions, I still have this longing to do it. Whatever it is.
And, actually, I got passionate about human trafficking last night. Is that possible?? To be passionate about something after watching a few videos? After researching something for maybe an hour?
See if you do, too...
First of all, fall in love with this missionary family, like I did...
Then, look at the website of the non-profit ministry they started...
Watch this video (at the bottom of the page)...
And finish up with this video, which focuses on "what's the point?".
Passionate yet??
If not, this story might hit a little closer to home...
Sex trafficking is a big deal in the U.S., too. Since sex trafficking and slavery it is suck a dark, scary topic, people don't like to "go there". Wouldn't it be worth "going there" to restore a life, much like the life of this young woman?
Read this young woman's story to see how God used her victimization to start a non-profit organization to save so many others.
Any-who, I'm so excited for what's ahead! I feel like this is the final calm before the "storm" of chaos that will be my next few months of life until I adjust. I'll be doing my best with blogging while I'm in Israel, Greece, and Rome.
That outta be fun!
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
John 14:27
Monday, October 21, 2013
Stop Searching, Start Doing [and live in a mud hut].
Procrastination.
Whenever I have a list of things to do, I instinctively don't do them. If I get one item crossed off of my list of one-hundred things to do that day, I consider myself accomplished.
And then I procrastinate. Distract myself. Think. Get worried. Seek peace. Try to remember that I'm still young.
All that good stuff.
Since I've been home, I've been finding myself getting distracted by future possibilities. Things like school, future ministry options, non-profit organizations, travel, and what the heck I'm supposed to do with my life. Oh yeah, and I should probably get married someday, too.
And buy a house.
And get a dog.
And have children.
But mostly, I've been looking at what I can do right NOW. Do I REALLY want to go to school? Do I REALLY have to?
-Can I just sell everything, live in a mud-hut, and help people with the abilities that I already have?
-Can I just jump in an organization in Michigan and help people, start a career there, and become a "big-wig" of a non-profit?
-Can I just travel around, following an organization like Operation Blessing or Samaritan's Purse and volunteer for disaster relief? Maybe end up with a job at either organization?
-Can I search for job-openings at Christian counseling centers like Bethany Christian Services, and simply get hired, without a degree (or debt)?
I feel like I just talked myself into needing a degree to do something that I would love to do (having a background in counseling or ministries would be important I guess). But then I'll be far behind the rest of my class, and sinking in debt. But that's okay, and completely normal these days, right?? (Sorry, Mr. Dave Ramsey)
I guess the point is that I'm ready to move from stagnant "searching" for organizations to work with, schools to attend, and places to travel, and take action in finding an organization to work with, moving toward a degree, and going somewhere (apart from my random traveling excursions).
The only thing holding me back is the fear of not doing the "right" thing at the "right" time, and missing out on other possibilities.
[Lord, have mercy on my Dutch perfectionism.]
I'm just ready to make the most of this life, and stop wasting my days pondering the possibilities. That's all!
[Lord, help me now!]
P.S. The title "Stop Searching, Start Doing" refers to the searching of organizations and possibilities, and putting them into action. Realistically, the title could also be "Start Searching, Stop Doing" when it comes to searching/seeking God now, and taking "pause" in other areas of life. Just thought I'd throw that in there.
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4
Whenever I have a list of things to do, I instinctively don't do them. If I get one item crossed off of my list of one-hundred things to do that day, I consider myself accomplished.
And then I procrastinate. Distract myself. Think. Get worried. Seek peace. Try to remember that I'm still young.
All that good stuff.
Since I've been home, I've been finding myself getting distracted by future possibilities. Things like school, future ministry options, non-profit organizations, travel, and what the heck I'm supposed to do with my life. Oh yeah, and I should probably get married someday, too.
And buy a house.
And get a dog.
And have children.
But mostly, I've been looking at what I can do right NOW. Do I REALLY want to go to school? Do I REALLY have to?
-Can I just sell everything, live in a mud-hut, and help people with the abilities that I already have?
-Can I just jump in an organization in Michigan and help people, start a career there, and become a "big-wig" of a non-profit?
-Can I just travel around, following an organization like Operation Blessing or Samaritan's Purse and volunteer for disaster relief? Maybe end up with a job at either organization?
-Can I search for job-openings at Christian counseling centers like Bethany Christian Services, and simply get hired, without a degree (or debt)?
I feel like I just talked myself into needing a degree to do something that I would love to do (having a background in counseling or ministries would be important I guess). But then I'll be far behind the rest of my class, and sinking in debt. But that's okay, and completely normal these days, right?? (Sorry, Mr. Dave Ramsey)
I guess the point is that I'm ready to move from stagnant "searching" for organizations to work with, schools to attend, and places to travel, and take action in finding an organization to work with, moving toward a degree, and going somewhere (apart from my random traveling excursions).
The only thing holding me back is the fear of not doing the "right" thing at the "right" time, and missing out on other possibilities.
[Lord, have mercy on my Dutch perfectionism.]
I'm just ready to make the most of this life, and stop wasting my days pondering the possibilities. That's all!
[Lord, help me now!]
P.S. The title "Stop Searching, Start Doing" refers to the searching of organizations and possibilities, and putting them into action. Realistically, the title could also be "Start Searching, Stop Doing" when it comes to searching/seeking God now, and taking "pause" in other areas of life. Just thought I'd throw that in there.
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4
Monday, October 14, 2013
Moore, OK Volunteering [May/June 2013]
Thought I'd make this a blog post, so that I could delete it from my pages... enjoy the randomness below!
Sarah Franken and I were planning a hiking trip in Isle Royale. We had various maps that we had scoped out, googled everything necessary, and bought some supplies for our adventure.
When we heard of the F5 tornado that had ripped through Moore, Oklahoma on May 20th, we both knew that we ought to change our final destination.
We headed out, not knowing what we would eat, where we would stay, or what we would encounter. We just left, and God totally blessed us while we were there.
If you'd like to see a compilation of photos from our journey, click HERE. (It should work if we're Facebook friends).
Below is a TON of random information from the days that I had time and felt motivated to write during our time in Moore. Feel free to read, but take this as a warning!
May 25 & 26 : Road to Destruction
Once Sarah and I were fully packed and ready to go, we hugged our parents goodbye (many times) and peaced out. Sarah started out driving for two hours and got a little tingly in the leg, so I took the wheel for the next seven hours through the night until we napped at McDonald's parking lot for two hours (sorry to the customers who got to see our beautiful sleeping faces). I picked up the wheel again (I really do enjoy driving) for a few hours, and my partner in crime took the wheel for the last couple hours into Oklahoma. It actually went really well besides my extreme travelling "cankles"... like, seriously, they were horrific. And I totally forgot to paint my nails before we left, and the shoes I wore totally stank, so that didn't help the cause any.
Pointless details.
It was really interesting to see how the traffic flow changed as we got closer to Moore; the number of trailers and moving trucks coming out of the area increased tremendously. You could just tell that people were clearing out as much as they possibly could.
We drove through Shawnee (40 minutes from Moore) and saw some tornado damage. It was devastating; fields and trees were torn up, along with a few buildings. I had never seen anything like it... it was like the movie "Twister" in real life.
Knowing that the worst tornado damage was ahead, I knew that I would have to mentally prepare myself before we arrived.
Our first stop was the City Rescue Mission in Oklahoma City. To be honest, I wasn't really expecting to encounter that many homeless people (which I guess was kind of silly on my part). I was fully excited for the experience of being able to talk with them and live among them, as well as other volunteers that would be staying in the gymnasium with us that night.
Well, the rescue mission wasn't God's plan for us. After scoping it out, we headed to Moore (just 20 minutes south of OKC) to check it out and see what other accommodations we might find there.
When we arrived, we just drove around, aimlessly. It seemed like a perfectly functioning city; people were driving, stores were open... you know, all the usual stuff.
When we saw flashing lights of the patrol cars and piles of rubble beyond the stoplight ahead of us, we knew we had reached the path of the tornado.
It was surreal.
We took a left and drove around, following the path of destruction. I can't even put it in words, so I don't even want to bother trying, but we saw an entire development leveled. We pulled in to check it out, and came across a group of volunteers in red shirts. We asked if we could follow them around for the evening, and that's what we did.
I thought we had reached the worst part of the destruction, just in this development, but I was WAY wrong.
So completely, terribly, utterly wrong.
The red shirt crew brought us to another devastated developmental area, with the same horrific destruction as the last. We learned of a man who came home from Iraq at 9pm the night before we were there. His wife picked up their children (one with aspergers, the other with asthma) from school 20 minutes early, just in time. She got themselves to the storm shelter in their driveway, and they were saved. Their house, on the other hand, was completely destroyed. Their brand new hard-top Jeep Wrangler that the husband purchased for their anniversary with only 750 miles on it... it picked itself up, spun the other direction, and slammed into the back of their home. They have nothing left, but when the brother of the military man told us the story, he was sure to tell us that he was content. He lost his house and his new Jeep, but he has his wife and his children. His brother said that "his children are his world".
This family's story broke my heart. Especially knowing that this was just the first story we would hear in our two-week journey experiencing the devastation of Moore, Oklahoma.
We walked around the area, and I was (and still am) in complete shock. I couldn't believe the damage that a storm of wind could create. It just blows my mind. This was the second development that we saw, and I really had absolutely no idea how these people know where to start, how long this cleanup is going to take, nothing. I had never seen anything like it.
Then a lady from the Mississippi group, Shelby, told us there was even more, and a guy said that what we were currently seeing was nothing in comparison.
What? Seriously?
I couldn't believe anything could be worse until we took that drive over by the school where seven children were killed, where 37 horses of 140 horses were found alive in a pasture, and where hundreds of acres of development was demolished.
Literally, with a glance to the left, you could see across the entire area; not one house or object stood in the way, besides piles of rubble.
That's when I decided, quite boldly, that Moore was currently comparable to Haiti. Quite frankly, I think it's worse than Haiti. Obviously there's major differences, but for these people to go from having a home and a car to having nothing. Having to move out, or live on your front porch with nowhere to go. It's insane. They weren't at all prepared for this.
So we followed those people around, talked with a guy who started a travelling BBQ trailer to help disaster victims, and went to Suburban Baptist Church to stay the night.
Time to head to bed. Super tired. I'll write more for Day 1, Day 2, and the events of Day 3 tomorrow, Lord willing.
Day 2
It's day three now, but I'll do my best to cover day 2 and hopefully get to what happened today.
I woke up at Suburban Baptist church at about 7:15am to get ready to find a place to volunteer. After calling the volunteer hotline at 8am with no answer, we weren't sure what to do or where to go.
There was a young man who I talked with at the church, and he said that he was packaging and giving out food to victims. He told me how to get to the location, probably so that we could get there to help.
Well, that was a major blessing.
We drove, following the directions he gave, and never found it. Instead, we came across Highland Baptist, and noticed volunteers in the parking lot. We were expecting them to be gone soon after 8am after reading on Facebook that they split up and go into the field right at 8am, but they were still there. So we signed up, got a Tshirt, and helped where they needed us. We started out by bagging up toys, and organizing them to give away to infants. It wasn't anything too crazy exciting, but it definitely felt good once it was accomplished.
After that task, we did other random jobs around the church: sorted baby wipes, sorted diapers, all kinds of stuff.
We finally ran into Pastor Ken (the coolest guy ever), and he told us he would take us to the animal shelter. After an hour or two of waiting to leave, we finally did.
Side note: His truck is absolutely amazing. The running board comes down when you open the door, it has the fancy navigation, backing-up video thing, some turbo buttons, and all kinds of fun things. It's gorgeous. (And it's also not his, but that's okay)
We made it to the animal shelter, with some adorable dogs whose owners haven't come to get them yet.
We dropped of water and dog/cat food for them to use, so that was pretty nice.
Then we rode with pastor Ken to go find Lowes. Oh, and how could I forget Hugo/Alex/Muchacho?
It's this guy who has been working with Highland Baptist since Tuesday, the day after the tornado. He came up with a group from Texas, and stayed to help after his group left on Saturday. How awesome! He's such a great kid, and just so much fun. He's from Mexico and learned English so that he could make friends... it's working!
Side note: We got to a dead end road with dirt, so Pastor Ken decided to do a little burn-out. It was pretty sweet.
Then we found Lowes, bought a safe, and headed back to the church.
Then Sarah and I were in charge of donations that were going to be dropped off, and picked up by victims. We never had any customers...
Then we ate dinner.
Then Sarah and I had to go to the bathroom. So we went. My phone when off while I was in the stall (sorry if this is TMI, it was just hilarious), so I answered it because I knew it was Jenny from Operation Blessing- aka awesome woman. She asked if I had a pen and paper available to write an address for the church that we could stay at. I told her I didn't, and asked if I could call her back. She said, "aren't you at the church." And so I responded with , "Yeah, I'm in the bathroom". I love telling strangers that I'm talking to them while sitting on the toilet. What a lovely connection we have made in the first few hours of knowing each other.
Luckily, I think she still likes us.
We met up with her, she gave us the address of the church we'd be staying at, and told us to meet her at 7:30pm. We had about an hour, so we thought we'd find Toby Keith's house. That didn't work out, so we drove around the disaster zone for a while until it was time to head out. We got situated at the church.
Then we went to Sonic, right down the road. It was my first time ever. What a fun little place for a lovely root beer float.
It was at Sonic near Moore, OK where Sarah and I discovered that life is good.
What a beautiful thing!
Then we went to Walgreens, showered, blogged, and went to bed. Kind of like I think I'm going to right about now.
Talked to woman about granddaughter who was in the school where 7 children died....
Day 3
Breakfast at Highland
Orientation
Sorted in Warehouse
Rolled up shirts
Cliff asked us what we think the streets of heaven are created from. (3 nails and 2 pieces of wood)
Cliff took us to give food to volunteers, and made us wait forever, doing nothing. We still love him.
Got to the church
Talked to Betty (Reverend person)
Gave chocolate to victims/volunteers/construction workers
Got to our sleeping place.
Now going to bed for real. 11:45pm, and so sleepy. I'll to my best to keep things updated!
I have been SUPER slacking in blog world. So sorry. I think I'm gonna start video blogging... it makes life so much easier.
But for now, I'll keep it old school.
Day 4, 5, 6, 7
Folded Tshirts, drove to take pictures, cleaned up a man's yard, helped with breakfast, all kinds of stuff.
Day 8 - Sunday, June 2
Definitely wanting to stay in OK after my trip to Washington. Maybe find a cheap-ish Christian college near Highland Baptist so I can do go there? Do an internship at the church? I'll be talking with PK (Pastor Ken) later on this week to figure that out.
Today we woke up, went for Starbucks with Morgan, Logan, and Shelby, went to church, drove around with OB leader Jen, went to a church picnic, stopped by Braum's for ice cream, came to the church and did a drink-a-gallon-of-water-in-30-minutes challenge, ate, and blogged. ish. Today flew!
Goals for the upcoming week:
-Work crazy hard at whatever job I end up getting each day
-Talk to Pastor Ken about interning
-Finish up and send application to cousin Jake for WA internship (T-13 days!)
-Make at least one new friend
I never finished! That makes me sad.
Sarah Franken and I were planning a hiking trip in Isle Royale. We had various maps that we had scoped out, googled everything necessary, and bought some supplies for our adventure.
When we heard of the F5 tornado that had ripped through Moore, Oklahoma on May 20th, we both knew that we ought to change our final destination.
We headed out, not knowing what we would eat, where we would stay, or what we would encounter. We just left, and God totally blessed us while we were there.
If you'd like to see a compilation of photos from our journey, click HERE. (It should work if we're Facebook friends).
Below is a TON of random information from the days that I had time and felt motivated to write during our time in Moore. Feel free to read, but take this as a warning!
May 25 & 26 : Road to Destruction
Once Sarah and I were fully packed and ready to go, we hugged our parents goodbye (many times) and peaced out. Sarah started out driving for two hours and got a little tingly in the leg, so I took the wheel for the next seven hours through the night until we napped at McDonald's parking lot for two hours (sorry to the customers who got to see our beautiful sleeping faces). I picked up the wheel again (I really do enjoy driving) for a few hours, and my partner in crime took the wheel for the last couple hours into Oklahoma. It actually went really well besides my extreme travelling "cankles"... like, seriously, they were horrific. And I totally forgot to paint my nails before we left, and the shoes I wore totally stank, so that didn't help the cause any.
Pointless details.
It was really interesting to see how the traffic flow changed as we got closer to Moore; the number of trailers and moving trucks coming out of the area increased tremendously. You could just tell that people were clearing out as much as they possibly could.
We drove through Shawnee (40 minutes from Moore) and saw some tornado damage. It was devastating; fields and trees were torn up, along with a few buildings. I had never seen anything like it... it was like the movie "Twister" in real life.
Knowing that the worst tornado damage was ahead, I knew that I would have to mentally prepare myself before we arrived.
Our first stop was the City Rescue Mission in Oklahoma City. To be honest, I wasn't really expecting to encounter that many homeless people (which I guess was kind of silly on my part). I was fully excited for the experience of being able to talk with them and live among them, as well as other volunteers that would be staying in the gymnasium with us that night.
Well, the rescue mission wasn't God's plan for us. After scoping it out, we headed to Moore (just 20 minutes south of OKC) to check it out and see what other accommodations we might find there.
When we arrived, we just drove around, aimlessly. It seemed like a perfectly functioning city; people were driving, stores were open... you know, all the usual stuff.
When we saw flashing lights of the patrol cars and piles of rubble beyond the stoplight ahead of us, we knew we had reached the path of the tornado.
It was surreal.
We took a left and drove around, following the path of destruction. I can't even put it in words, so I don't even want to bother trying, but we saw an entire development leveled. We pulled in to check it out, and came across a group of volunteers in red shirts. We asked if we could follow them around for the evening, and that's what we did.
I thought we had reached the worst part of the destruction, just in this development, but I was WAY wrong.
So completely, terribly, utterly wrong.
The red shirt crew brought us to another devastated developmental area, with the same horrific destruction as the last. We learned of a man who came home from Iraq at 9pm the night before we were there. His wife picked up their children (one with aspergers, the other with asthma) from school 20 minutes early, just in time. She got themselves to the storm shelter in their driveway, and they were saved. Their house, on the other hand, was completely destroyed. Their brand new hard-top Jeep Wrangler that the husband purchased for their anniversary with only 750 miles on it... it picked itself up, spun the other direction, and slammed into the back of their home. They have nothing left, but when the brother of the military man told us the story, he was sure to tell us that he was content. He lost his house and his new Jeep, but he has his wife and his children. His brother said that "his children are his world".
This family's story broke my heart. Especially knowing that this was just the first story we would hear in our two-week journey experiencing the devastation of Moore, Oklahoma.
We walked around the area, and I was (and still am) in complete shock. I couldn't believe the damage that a storm of wind could create. It just blows my mind. This was the second development that we saw, and I really had absolutely no idea how these people know where to start, how long this cleanup is going to take, nothing. I had never seen anything like it.
Then a lady from the Mississippi group, Shelby, told us there was even more, and a guy said that what we were currently seeing was nothing in comparison.
What? Seriously?
I couldn't believe anything could be worse until we took that drive over by the school where seven children were killed, where 37 horses of 140 horses were found alive in a pasture, and where hundreds of acres of development was demolished.
Literally, with a glance to the left, you could see across the entire area; not one house or object stood in the way, besides piles of rubble.
That's when I decided, quite boldly, that Moore was currently comparable to Haiti. Quite frankly, I think it's worse than Haiti. Obviously there's major differences, but for these people to go from having a home and a car to having nothing. Having to move out, or live on your front porch with nowhere to go. It's insane. They weren't at all prepared for this.
So we followed those people around, talked with a guy who started a travelling BBQ trailer to help disaster victims, and went to Suburban Baptist Church to stay the night.
Time to head to bed. Super tired. I'll write more for Day 1, Day 2, and the events of Day 3 tomorrow, Lord willing.
Day 2
It's day three now, but I'll do my best to cover day 2 and hopefully get to what happened today.
I woke up at Suburban Baptist church at about 7:15am to get ready to find a place to volunteer. After calling the volunteer hotline at 8am with no answer, we weren't sure what to do or where to go.
There was a young man who I talked with at the church, and he said that he was packaging and giving out food to victims. He told me how to get to the location, probably so that we could get there to help.
Well, that was a major blessing.
We drove, following the directions he gave, and never found it. Instead, we came across Highland Baptist, and noticed volunteers in the parking lot. We were expecting them to be gone soon after 8am after reading on Facebook that they split up and go into the field right at 8am, but they were still there. So we signed up, got a Tshirt, and helped where they needed us. We started out by bagging up toys, and organizing them to give away to infants. It wasn't anything too crazy exciting, but it definitely felt good once it was accomplished.
After that task, we did other random jobs around the church: sorted baby wipes, sorted diapers, all kinds of stuff.
We finally ran into Pastor Ken (the coolest guy ever), and he told us he would take us to the animal shelter. After an hour or two of waiting to leave, we finally did.
Side note: His truck is absolutely amazing. The running board comes down when you open the door, it has the fancy navigation, backing-up video thing, some turbo buttons, and all kinds of fun things. It's gorgeous. (And it's also not his, but that's okay)
We made it to the animal shelter, with some adorable dogs whose owners haven't come to get them yet.
And there was a chicken.
Then we rode with pastor Ken to go find Lowes. Oh, and how could I forget Hugo/Alex/Muchacho?
It's this guy who has been working with Highland Baptist since Tuesday, the day after the tornado. He came up with a group from Texas, and stayed to help after his group left on Saturday. How awesome! He's such a great kid, and just so much fun. He's from Mexico and learned English so that he could make friends... it's working!
Side note: We got to a dead end road with dirt, so Pastor Ken decided to do a little burn-out. It was pretty sweet.
Then we found Lowes, bought a safe, and headed back to the church.
Then Sarah and I were in charge of donations that were going to be dropped off, and picked up by victims. We never had any customers...
Then we ate dinner.
Then Sarah and I had to go to the bathroom. So we went. My phone when off while I was in the stall (sorry if this is TMI, it was just hilarious), so I answered it because I knew it was Jenny from Operation Blessing- aka awesome woman. She asked if I had a pen and paper available to write an address for the church that we could stay at. I told her I didn't, and asked if I could call her back. She said, "aren't you at the church." And so I responded with , "Yeah, I'm in the bathroom". I love telling strangers that I'm talking to them while sitting on the toilet. What a lovely connection we have made in the first few hours of knowing each other.
Luckily, I think she still likes us.
We met up with her, she gave us the address of the church we'd be staying at, and told us to meet her at 7:30pm. We had about an hour, so we thought we'd find Toby Keith's house. That didn't work out, so we drove around the disaster zone for a while until it was time to head out. We got situated at the church.
Then we went to Sonic, right down the road. It was my first time ever. What a fun little place for a lovely root beer float.
It was at Sonic near Moore, OK where Sarah and I discovered that life is good.
What a beautiful thing!
Then we went to Walgreens, showered, blogged, and went to bed. Kind of like I think I'm going to right about now.
Talked to woman about granddaughter who was in the school where 7 children died....
Day 3
Breakfast at Highland
Orientation
Sorted in Warehouse
Rolled up shirts
Cliff asked us what we think the streets of heaven are created from. (3 nails and 2 pieces of wood)
Cliff took us to give food to volunteers, and made us wait forever, doing nothing. We still love him.
Got to the church
Talked to Betty (Reverend person)
Gave chocolate to victims/volunteers/construction workers
Got to our sleeping place.
Now going to bed for real. 11:45pm, and so sleepy. I'll to my best to keep things updated!
I have been SUPER slacking in blog world. So sorry. I think I'm gonna start video blogging... it makes life so much easier.
But for now, I'll keep it old school.
Day 4, 5, 6, 7
Folded Tshirts, drove to take pictures, cleaned up a man's yard, helped with breakfast, all kinds of stuff.
Day 8 - Sunday, June 2
Definitely wanting to stay in OK after my trip to Washington. Maybe find a cheap-ish Christian college near Highland Baptist so I can do go there? Do an internship at the church? I'll be talking with PK (Pastor Ken) later on this week to figure that out.
Today we woke up, went for Starbucks with Morgan, Logan, and Shelby, went to church, drove around with OB leader Jen, went to a church picnic, stopped by Braum's for ice cream, came to the church and did a drink-a-gallon-of-water-in-30-minutes challenge, ate, and blogged. ish. Today flew!
Goals for the upcoming week:
-Work crazy hard at whatever job I end up getting each day
-Talk to Pastor Ken about interning
-Finish up and send application to cousin Jake for WA internship (T-13 days!)
-Make at least one new friend
I never finished! That makes me sad.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Home Sweet Home?
Yes. I am home, and it is sweet.
I appreciate Michigan, and I am - indeed - "smitten with the mitten". I must say, though, that my three months in Aberdeen, WA were glorious. I have met the most amazing people, was able to experience God in a beautiful way, got to spend some quality time with my family, sort through some hurt from the past, and experience freedom and boldness in the person God has made me.
I'd say that's a pretty successful summer, wouldn't you?
That's why I'll be returning to Aberdeen immediately after we eat our turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. The light is green until it turns red, so for me, a green light means to literally GO. Even if it is across the country for an extended period of time. If it's not God's desire for me at this point of my life, I have faith that he'll throw that red light in front of my face. Then I'll put on the brakes to see what else he might have for me.
But as of right now, the light is still green, so I'm still going. :)
I have this gut feeling that God is going to use the next year (or two) of my life in Aberdeen to fully develop into the woman He's created me to be. I feel like He is going to use these prime months and years in my life to mold me into everything He needs me to be for our ministries at Faith CRC in Holland, MI, and wherever else He may lead me. I've been challenging myself to look at the next year as a short time in my life. Which is true - it's not too long. So that's a comfort. It's comforting, too, to know that the time that I'll be spending on the West Coast is going to be a continued time of study and development as I become a woman/lady/female of strength, boldness, and freedom in Christ Jesus/our Lord and Savior/God/whatever-you'd-like-to-call-the-almighty-God-who-is-the-creator-and-ultimate-forgiver-of-our-sins.
Yay for excitement!
So, what is my next year going to look like in Aberdeen?
Well... It's basically going to be the same as my three month period there. River of Life's associate pastor, Jake Broady (doubling as my awesome cousin), is kicking off a new year-long internship program. We'll be meeting roughly three days per week. But this time (drum-roll, please), there will be college classes included. Yay for me, I get to move forward in education, be in Aberdeen, AND learn more about Jesus! What more could I ask for?
So, WHY am I going?
I'm basically doing this year-long internship for those three reasons (education, travel, and Jesus), and because it's exciting to be a part of something new and exciting. I also feel like there's real opportunity for my leadership abilities to grow - I think I'll be starting a small group and begin mentoring girls from the church (which would be great experience to eventually use at Faith CRC, right?). Also, I really would like to continue in my education, and I honestly wasn't the biggest fan of GRCC. I mean, I'd go there if I had to, but now I don't have to without breaking the bank. It's a win-win.
Truth be told, I am saddened that I'll be missing ETM, youth group, sports camp, SERVE, Beth Moore Bible studies, Tuesday morning breakfasts [and RVL's teachings] with the guys, the church camping trip, being a part of the transition at Faith CRC, as well as friend time and family time.
But that's okay, right?
God is going to do some exciting things during the next season of my life. Stay posted, and I'll do my best to keep you updated on all of the awesome happenings (as well as random, deep thoughts that are going through my head).
Also, check out my page entitled "What's Next: Israel, Greece, and Rome" for another piece of what's ahead!
Thanks for reading!
Kels
I appreciate Michigan, and I am - indeed - "smitten with the mitten". I must say, though, that my three months in Aberdeen, WA were glorious. I have met the most amazing people, was able to experience God in a beautiful way, got to spend some quality time with my family, sort through some hurt from the past, and experience freedom and boldness in the person God has made me.
I'd say that's a pretty successful summer, wouldn't you?
That's why I'll be returning to Aberdeen immediately after we eat our turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. The light is green until it turns red, so for me, a green light means to literally GO. Even if it is across the country for an extended period of time. If it's not God's desire for me at this point of my life, I have faith that he'll throw that red light in front of my face. Then I'll put on the brakes to see what else he might have for me.
But as of right now, the light is still green, so I'm still going. :)
I have this gut feeling that God is going to use the next year (or two) of my life in Aberdeen to fully develop into the woman He's created me to be. I feel like He is going to use these prime months and years in my life to mold me into everything He needs me to be for our ministries at Faith CRC in Holland, MI, and wherever else He may lead me. I've been challenging myself to look at the next year as a short time in my life. Which is true - it's not too long. So that's a comfort. It's comforting, too, to know that the time that I'll be spending on the West Coast is going to be a continued time of study and development as I become a woman/lady/female of strength, boldness, and freedom in Christ Jesus/our Lord and Savior/God/whatever-you'd-like-to-call-the-almighty-God-who-is-the-creator-and-ultimate-forgiver-of-our-sins.
Yay for excitement!
So, what is my next year going to look like in Aberdeen?
Well... It's basically going to be the same as my three month period there. River of Life's associate pastor, Jake Broady (doubling as my awesome cousin), is kicking off a new year-long internship program. We'll be meeting roughly three days per week. But this time (drum-roll, please), there will be college classes included. Yay for me, I get to move forward in education, be in Aberdeen, AND learn more about Jesus! What more could I ask for?
So, WHY am I going?
I'm basically doing this year-long internship for those three reasons (education, travel, and Jesus), and because it's exciting to be a part of something new and exciting. I also feel like there's real opportunity for my leadership abilities to grow - I think I'll be starting a small group and begin mentoring girls from the church (which would be great experience to eventually use at Faith CRC, right?). Also, I really would like to continue in my education, and I honestly wasn't the biggest fan of GRCC. I mean, I'd go there if I had to, but now I don't have to without breaking the bank. It's a win-win.
Truth be told, I am saddened that I'll be missing ETM, youth group, sports camp, SERVE, Beth Moore Bible studies, Tuesday morning breakfasts [and RVL's teachings] with the guys, the church camping trip, being a part of the transition at Faith CRC, as well as friend time and family time.
But that's okay, right?
God is going to do some exciting things during the next season of my life. Stay posted, and I'll do my best to keep you updated on all of the awesome happenings (as well as random, deep thoughts that are going through my head).
Also, check out my page entitled "What's Next: Israel, Greece, and Rome" for another piece of what's ahead!
Thanks for reading!
Kels
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
One Lord. One Church.
I've reached that point in my blogging where I feel so guilty for not blogging, and still don't feel like blogging, but I know that I'll regret it if I haven't blogged once September rolls around. (blogging, blogging, blogging...)
So here we go...
Side-note: I had a lovely Skype date with my mom tonight. I love that woman. You know it's true love when she can make you do a belly laugh over technology, from 2,500 miles away.
The title of this post is "One Lord. One Church." because of what I saw happen before I left for Washington.
This burlap cover covered the signs of over 30 different churches in the Holland area. I thought it was really quite neat.
So anyways, it's comforting to know what my home church believed before I came here, because of what I'm about to tell you.
I have discovered, after my first month in Washington, that West Michigan needs a serious spiritual makeover. Not just a facelift, or some eye shadow, but a whole makeover. As a matter of fact, it might help if we just decided to wipe the foundation off our faces, the mascara from our eyes, the gloss from our lips, and see each other and accept each other in all of our flaws. So I guess not much of a makeover, but more of a "wipe clean", "fresh" start.
After some discussions with my cousin, I've really began to see the difference between the Christians in West Michigan, and the Christians in the Aberdeen area. First of all, Michigan has a higher percentage of Christians, while Washington has the lowest percentage of Christians among the states. While Michigan may have more Christians than Washington, my cousin and I have noticed that, generally, Christians in the Aberdeen area are serious about their faith and pursue a real relationship with Christ. In West Michigan, SO many people say their Christians, but it's generally at face-value. They usually may have accepted Christ in their heart, but are not living a godly life-style (pre-disciples).
*Please don't take offense to any of this... this is just what I have noticed with experiencing both environments.*
Something else I have noticed, especially at River of Life Fellowship, is how real everyone is, and how genuine they are in wanting you to grow in Christ without the judgment that is so easy to feel in other churches. If you struggle with a sin, congratulations! You are a REAL person... So let's help you dig this sin out of your life so that God can come in and consume your inmost being. As a matter of fact, let me pray for you right now!
I feel like in West Michigan, if you have a struggle, something is wrong with you. People might say "I'm sorry", or might be kind enough to give you a word of advice, but that's usually about it. I can't say I've ever really felt a genuine Christ-like relationship with people in West Michigan before... not even with people in my own family! If I have experienced this before, then I guess it's somewhat rare. Especially in the reformed churches (which consumes the Holland area). I find this interesting.
This probably sounds rude, but I feel like it's really true. It's been really difficult to adjust to this new way of seeking God. I guess I'm somewhere stuck between being passive and being proactive (off-topic).
Another thing I have noticed is the difference in the spiritual aspect of the churches (Christian Reformed (Faith CRC) vs. Non-denominational (River of Life)). On the first day, Jake talked about how our internship is a Word and Spirit internship, because you can't have one of these things without the other. If you have the Word without the Spirit, then the Word isn't going to be able to be active and living. On the flipside, if you have the Spirit without the Word, then the Spirit will not be led or activated by the Word.
Having heard this, I realized that at Faith CRC, we tend to focus mostly on the Word, and don't really pursue the Spirit. I tended to get good "nuggets" from the Word on Sunday, and thought about how they might change my life, but rarely did I use this information to activate a living relationship with Christ.
Some other differences are the way we worship and the way we pray.
Worship in Aberdeen: Imagine it's just you and Christ, hands are raised to accept what He has to offer (even if you don't feel like it), and you are soaking in His presence.
Praying in Aberdeen: "Dear God, I just pray that your Spirit would fill this place, Lord, thank you for protecting us, Jesus, and I pray, God, that you would silence any schemes of the enemy in the name of Jesus, and that you would protect us today, and that we would completely focus on you today, God. Amen."
As you can probably imagine, it has been pretty difficult for me to jump right into teachings and worship when the way we do things is so different... it's been hard to find that intimacy with God, when I'm still trying to figure out how to pray more effectively, and how to get more out of my worship without worrying about what people are thinking of me (God's working on my insecurity). I have to say that I'm doing better with my freedom to worship as if it's just me and God. My mind still wanders every now and then, and I have to make sure that I'm not doing empty deeds for self-pride, but it's definitely getting better and becoming more meaningful.
These differences, in general, are still so hard to overcome, though. I didn't grow up in a church where speaking in tongues was a commonality between church members, or where people were so open to share their sin issues, so it has been hard to not see this church as "weird". This, finally, is where the "One Lord. One Church." role plays... after seeing the differences at this church, it was SO good to remember that my home church in West Michigan confirmed that we are ALL one church, serving one God. Knowing this allows me to feel okay with worshiping God in a way that I had never worshipped him before. It provides me with a sense of comfort in leaving my home town to experience a new way of seeing our King.
I realize that this is a big hodge-podge of rambling, so thank you for spending time to read my thoughts! This doesn't include things that I've actually learned, so I'll be sure to get to those things later.
Love y'all (yup... still Oklahoma proud),
Kels
p.s. Shout-out to my Faith CRC family. Love and miss you guys!
So here we go...
Side-note: I had a lovely Skype date with my mom tonight. I love that woman. You know it's true love when she can make you do a belly laugh over technology, from 2,500 miles away.
The title of this post is "One Lord. One Church." because of what I saw happen before I left for Washington.
This burlap cover covered the signs of over 30 different churches in the Holland area. I thought it was really quite neat.
So anyways, it's comforting to know what my home church believed before I came here, because of what I'm about to tell you.
I have discovered, after my first month in Washington, that West Michigan needs a serious spiritual makeover. Not just a facelift, or some eye shadow, but a whole makeover. As a matter of fact, it might help if we just decided to wipe the foundation off our faces, the mascara from our eyes, the gloss from our lips, and see each other and accept each other in all of our flaws. So I guess not much of a makeover, but more of a "wipe clean", "fresh" start.
After some discussions with my cousin, I've really began to see the difference between the Christians in West Michigan, and the Christians in the Aberdeen area. First of all, Michigan has a higher percentage of Christians, while Washington has the lowest percentage of Christians among the states. While Michigan may have more Christians than Washington, my cousin and I have noticed that, generally, Christians in the Aberdeen area are serious about their faith and pursue a real relationship with Christ. In West Michigan, SO many people say their Christians, but it's generally at face-value. They usually may have accepted Christ in their heart, but are not living a godly life-style (pre-disciples).
*Please don't take offense to any of this... this is just what I have noticed with experiencing both environments.*
Something else I have noticed, especially at River of Life Fellowship, is how real everyone is, and how genuine they are in wanting you to grow in Christ without the judgment that is so easy to feel in other churches. If you struggle with a sin, congratulations! You are a REAL person... So let's help you dig this sin out of your life so that God can come in and consume your inmost being. As a matter of fact, let me pray for you right now!
I feel like in West Michigan, if you have a struggle, something is wrong with you. People might say "I'm sorry", or might be kind enough to give you a word of advice, but that's usually about it. I can't say I've ever really felt a genuine Christ-like relationship with people in West Michigan before... not even with people in my own family! If I have experienced this before, then I guess it's somewhat rare. Especially in the reformed churches (which consumes the Holland area). I find this interesting.
This probably sounds rude, but I feel like it's really true. It's been really difficult to adjust to this new way of seeking God. I guess I'm somewhere stuck between being passive and being proactive (off-topic).
Another thing I have noticed is the difference in the spiritual aspect of the churches (Christian Reformed (Faith CRC) vs. Non-denominational (River of Life)). On the first day, Jake talked about how our internship is a Word and Spirit internship, because you can't have one of these things without the other. If you have the Word without the Spirit, then the Word isn't going to be able to be active and living. On the flipside, if you have the Spirit without the Word, then the Spirit will not be led or activated by the Word.
Having heard this, I realized that at Faith CRC, we tend to focus mostly on the Word, and don't really pursue the Spirit. I tended to get good "nuggets" from the Word on Sunday, and thought about how they might change my life, but rarely did I use this information to activate a living relationship with Christ.
Some other differences are the way we worship and the way we pray.
Worship in Aberdeen: Imagine it's just you and Christ, hands are raised to accept what He has to offer (even if you don't feel like it), and you are soaking in His presence.
Praying in Aberdeen: "Dear God, I just pray that your Spirit would fill this place, Lord, thank you for protecting us, Jesus, and I pray, God, that you would silence any schemes of the enemy in the name of Jesus, and that you would protect us today, and that we would completely focus on you today, God. Amen."
As you can probably imagine, it has been pretty difficult for me to jump right into teachings and worship when the way we do things is so different... it's been hard to find that intimacy with God, when I'm still trying to figure out how to pray more effectively, and how to get more out of my worship without worrying about what people are thinking of me (God's working on my insecurity). I have to say that I'm doing better with my freedom to worship as if it's just me and God. My mind still wanders every now and then, and I have to make sure that I'm not doing empty deeds for self-pride, but it's definitely getting better and becoming more meaningful.
These differences, in general, are still so hard to overcome, though. I didn't grow up in a church where speaking in tongues was a commonality between church members, or where people were so open to share their sin issues, so it has been hard to not see this church as "weird". This, finally, is where the "One Lord. One Church." role plays... after seeing the differences at this church, it was SO good to remember that my home church in West Michigan confirmed that we are ALL one church, serving one God. Knowing this allows me to feel okay with worshiping God in a way that I had never worshipped him before. It provides me with a sense of comfort in leaving my home town to experience a new way of seeing our King.
I realize that this is a big hodge-podge of rambling, so thank you for spending time to read my thoughts! This doesn't include things that I've actually learned, so I'll be sure to get to those things later.
Love y'all (yup... still Oklahoma proud),
Kels
p.s. Shout-out to my Faith CRC family. Love and miss you guys!
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