First we want to thank everyone who helped get us to this point. Without you, we wouldn't be sitting where we are today!
Sooo, where are we today, and how we got here... We left Friday, arrived at SFO thanks to Fran Smith and Liz McKeown, along with the awesome luggage carrier Jacob Wise. All went smoothly until.... we realized that the wrong gate had been printed on our tickets. Hearing the LAST call for boarding we sprinted to our plane.
Fastforward a movie filled ten hour flight, we arrived in London deliriously tired and starving. Let's just say Converting 40 dollars to 20 pounds for one hungry but satisified team = Priceless..
We arrived by train into central Amsterdam, but not before Chelsea almost waived goodbye to the team as the doors closed on the rest of us. Luckily the train conductor kept hollering "Push the button!" in dutch (good thing a few of us are hand talkers and finally caught on to the non-verbals).
Once we arrived we waited paitently for our contact only to realize that we had been temporarily forgotten. A two dollar phone call (Thanks Liz! (and Elisa says sorry mom!) we were met at the station and walked just ten minutes and arrived at the YWAM base.
We spent the today getting to know the city and spending time with our contacts Jacob and Rachel Kollor. So much is still undecided as we head into the next few weeks, but we will continue to remain faithful and trusting that the Lord has a plan for our time here and we need to simply be flexible, open, and obey.
The team is fading fast tonight, it's 2:51p back home with you, but it's almost midnight here.
we will continue to keep you up todate on where we're at and how things are going.
Once again we can't express enough how blessed we feel for all your support and encouragement as we chase after whatever the Lord has planned.
love you all,
Elisa, Chelsea, Heather, Hannah, Natalie and Niki
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SHOUT OUTS from The Team:
Chelsea: Thank you mucho to Aunt Amy and Josh my lovely fiance, for your notes, my heart was aching but now it is comforted. Miss you, Love you K,T,A,A,D,A and J.
Elisa: Thank you mom and dad for paying the $2 phone call that saved our lives, I owe you!! Love you!! Thank you so much Aunt Amy and Megan McCarty,for your notes, they encouraged me so much! Jared, I love you so much! Miss you all!
Hannah: Hello everyone! I'm here and I'm alive. The city is beautiful and I wish you all were here. Mom, Dad, Jacob, Simpson friends and Stirring Peeps miss you all! Much love.
Heather: Dear Family, I'm still having sweet dreams about stuffed french toast... can we please incorporate it into my welcome home party as well? Love you guys!!! Dear Friends, I'm getting your texts but can't send them out. I will do my best to reply via internet. And dear Alia, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! YOU ARE AN OLD GRADUATE!!!!!!!!!
Natalie: TO EVERYONE I SAID I WOULD TEXT AND DIDN'T.... MY PHONE DOES NOT WORK. I wasn't being flakey I promise. Those days are over. I love you all,and miss you! See you in a month.
Niki: Emily and Mack CONGRATULATIONS you're officially Grads!! So sad I missed it. D&D I love you and thanks for all your pre-trip encouragement! She, thanks again for the hidden note BFF 4-EVA (yep just went Jr High.) Still looking into "what going dutch means" ;)
I miss and love you Chelsea!
ReplyDeleteNatal-Ia! I didn’t think u wouldn’t be able to text or anything no worries. Glad u all made it safely with minimal hick ups.
ReplyDeleteI see a volcano. A love explosion! Boom! The beauty He is giving for ashes is resting on everyone. Like the fire that burns with passion in His eyes for us, lava is pulled violently by the path of least resistance in eager expectation to burn away affliction, oppression, and the lies that keep a people blinded from a loving, living and Good Father.
You are walking epistles being read by a dying generation, waiting. Eyes are opened to a whole new world, they wouldn't dare close their eyes. With eyes locked, emptiness is made known and that once far-off blur of Love is suddenly gazing in face to face. His name: Jesus. Just His sweet name alone fills every echo inside. He wants in. The beauty surrounding, that has always been, is now in full vibrant color as they see The Creator manifested through His children. New mindsets soon follow "This world is beginning to make sense." "I know why I'm alive." "Do you hear what I hear?" With ease, these now simple pleasures of life are heard such as trickling water and distance chirps of passing birds or a Groom pursuing His Bride. No longer is filth the first and only sight. Rather this new beauty realized from mirror of His eyes becomes the very ingredient of a renewed mind needed to bring personal transformation. The Life that beats within. No longer will flies be buzzing around the stench of the dirt, which was once where they lay their head. For the cloud of smoke suffocates and the Glory is multiplying on itself. Flies and lies will die amidst this heavy cloud of Glory, yes all things will be made new for the old will have passed away and behold New creations will have been birthed. Fertile is the soil of a restored, freed, and humbled heart. Anything is possible.
A fresh canvas is in place for the Master Painter, to once again begin, to paint His Love.
Jerry Deitz