Svay Rieng

We have been in the province of Svay Rieng since Monday of this week, and it has been a breath of fresh air- literally. After being in the crowded city of Phnom Penh for a while, it's nice to be out in the countryside where people walk their water buffaloes on the side of the road and the air smells more like plants than pollution. Every day, we head out to different villages in the surrounding areas. We have been loving the journey in the back of a bouncy truck, where we are often ducking and dodging trees and bamboo- it feels like a video game. Each village we have gone to has been such a blessing. Usually we spend some time sharing testimonies and just speaking with the adults of the village, and then praying for them. We have lunch at the home of someone in the village- an always interesting experience. And then the hosts always insist we rest, also known as mandatory nap time! So after we have had lunch and laid down for a while, in the afternoons we usually spend time with the kids in the village teaching them songs, performing skits, and playing games. We welcome the ride in the back of the truck to return to our guest house at the end of the day, it gives our clothes a chance to dry out from all the sweating we've done during the day. In the evenings, we spend time with a group of wonderful high schoolers. The organization we are currently working with, Kone Kmeng, has a dorm house here in Svay Rieng for teenagers who desperately want to go to school and get an education, but live out in the villages too far to make a daily trek to school. We walk to the dorm and are welcomed by shouts of "Brother! Sister! Hello," laughter and excited faces. We spend time sharing our testimonies, speaking with them, worshiping the Lord with them (in Cambodian and English), and then we teach them English and practice speaking with them. At the end of the night, they hug us and tell us how much they love us. Every night we spend with them, I return to the hotel joyful and fulfilled- what amazing people. I wish I could capture their joy and excitement for the Lord and for us in a bottle.

We have an amazing translator with us whose name is Seyla. He is our biggest blessing. He has such an amazing heart and goes above and beyond the role of translator. We all love him so much, and it is clear that he loves us as well. Praise the Lord for Seyla.

Our time here has been different than our time in Phnom Penh, but we are so blessed by the opportunities we have had to serve in the villages. Next week we will return to the city for two weeks, and then we head back to New Zealand! WHAT? Already? Then, after a week in New Zealand- I'm coming home. On December 2nd I will be back in Kansas City. I more and more often think of home and miss it, but the thought of leaving Cambodia and then New Zealand makes me sad as well! This chapter in my life has been an exciting one and I am so changed by the things God has done.

I am so grateful for a day off today since it is a Saturday- we have the opportunity for Internet use and to update everyone back home. And REST! I think I may nap today. Praise the Lord for busy days, but also for days of rest.

Thank you all so much for staying updated on what I am doing! And thank you for all of your support. Hopefully I will be able to update everyone again a couple times before I leave Cambodia. Saturdays are my day off, so look for another blog post or Facebook update!

I love you and miss you all heaps! See you in a few weeks..... Bless You! 

Holly

The group resting during one of our "mandatory naptimes" in one of the villages.

When you gotta go, you gotta go.

Some kids from one of the villages!

Cambodian Countryside- some women walking their water buffaloes in the rice fields.

Our ride!

UPDATE FROM CAMBODIA!

Hi everyone! We have been here in Cambodia for a couple weeks now, and my body still hasn't completely adjusted to the heat. :P As soon as you step outside, you are hit by a wave of heat and humidity- but that has not changed the fact one bit that this place is amazing. As I write this, a monk in an orange robe is walking by with an umbrella. People are speaking Khmer (Cambodian language) all around me, and I am struck once again by the fact that I am in Asia, here. WHOA.

Our first few weeks we have been working with a ministry that is 20 minutes outside of the capital city Phnom Penh where we are staying, in a slum area where street kids roam freely and very few wear shoes or pants. The ministry we have been working with is called Children at Risk. Depending on the day, we play with the kids, teach them songs and dances, do arts and crafts, share stories and bible skits, teach basic hygiene and health (washing hair for lice, combing and braiding hair), etc. We also have been a part of the adult bible study that happens once a week- sharing our testimonies and giving sermons. The majority of our time at Children at Risk, we simply love the kids like Jesus would. It has been one of the greatest experiences ever, and I am so in love with the kids that regularly come to this ministry- I will be so sad when we leave them next week. Next week we will be moving on to another area for a couple weeks with a different ministry. The city is called Svay Rieng, and is very close to Vietnam. Supposedly, we will be working in a village and possibly working with some more kids and churches. We are all stoked, but sad to leave Phnom Penh for a while!

Time outside of working with Children at Risk has been spent getting to know the city, getting to know the culture, doing prayer walks, and visiting some important places. The culture here is one very different from Western culture, and has been a bit of an adjustment at times, but one that is new and welcomed!

Being in Cambodia has been such a blessing, but my team and I are also faced daily with difficult situations. Every day we walk by lots of young girls who are stuck in prostitution- working as bar girls and sitting outside bars on the streets. It breaks our hearts every time, morning, day and night, when we walk past. On the Waterfront here in Phnom Penh, I am horrified at how many older single white men are loitering and lounging around the city- the truth is, child sex slavery is real and it is happening here. All we can do as we walk past is pray that God speaks to them and stops them from their ill-intended plans. We are also regularly faced with the harsh reality of poverty in this city. So many children run freely on the streets, playing or begging for money. You see so many babies and small children who have no clothes and just walk around naked, playing in the filthy garbage and puddles. If only America could see what we are seeing... they would be stunned. This country so badly needs the love and healing of Jesus, and while we are here, I am doing my best to share it- even if it is one Cambodian person at a time.


Thank you to everyone who has supported me in my journey of getting here. I am so blessed by all your prayers and support! I am thinking regularly of you, and sending love your way.

Please continue to pray for me and my team as we move on from the main city of Phnom Penh and do some work out in the village area near Vietnam!

Bless you all heaps. 
Much Love, Holly

Today's the day!

Well, everything is packed. My room is empty, my backpack is full. Now I wait. :)
This morning we said goodbye to the Medical team going to the Philippines. I won't lie, I cried. The amazing people I've spent the last three months with have become my family, and it's hard to see them go. The only two teams left here are mine and the team going to Bali. Team by team, our big group has become smaller; and the base quieter! Saying goodbye is hard, but at least we know that we will have a few days together again when we all return to New Zealand for debrief week. :) We knew this day was coming for a long time, but saying goodbye to people you've lived with, shared with, cried with, laughed with, (spent pretty much every waking moment with) for 3 months is much easier said than done.

Saying goodbye to the Medical Team this morning!

I am so grateful for the time I've had here in New Zealand. I wish I could explain how greatly this time has impacted me. I guess all I can say is that I'm changed forever. I have discovered who I am and who God has called me to be. I let go of past hurts. I've been healed from wounds in my heart. I have heard the Lord's voice. I've found TRUE joy and peace. Jesus invaded every aspect of my life and brought so much love with him, and I can honestly say it has been the best experience of my life. I will never go back- I can't do life without Jesus. God has done so many amazing things in the past three months and I can't wait to see what He has up His sleeve for the next two.

In less than 7 hours, after dinner, our team of thirteen will load up our vans and be on our way to Cambodia! From here we will drive to the airport in Auckland, where our flight takes off at 1:15am. (For those of you back in the Kansas timezone; that is Thursday, October 4 2012 at 7:15 a.m.) 

Our first flight is from Auckland, New Zealand to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The length of the flight is 11 hours 25 minutes. Once we are in Malaysia we will have a little less than two hours in the airport, and then we board our flight to Cambodia! The flight from Malaysia to Cambodia is less than two hours long.

Once in Cambodia, my two-month adventure begins. I won't be able to contact you all very often, but I will try my hardest to make it to an internet cafe and update my blog when I can!

I could definitely use prayers for safety and smooth traveling as I make this journey to Cambodia. Could you pray for safety for my team and I? 
Here are some times (in Central Time Zone) you could pray!

• Thursday, October 4rd at 7:15 a.m my eleven hour flight from New Zealand to Cambodia will depart!
• Thursday, October 4th at 6:40 p.m is when I will be landing in Malaysia!
• Thursday, October 4th at 8:30 p.m is when my flight leaves from Malaysia to Cambodia!
• Thursday, October 4th at 10:20 p.m I will be landing in CAMBODIA!

Thank you so much to everyone following me on my journey. I appreciate your prayers and thoughts sent my way! Well, I guess this is "See ya later." So... see ya later! Keep an eye open for updates while I'm in Cambodia :)

Much Love, Holly

P.S. Fund-raising update! 

The Lord has come through in such amazing ways these past couple weeks... I now only have 600 dollars left needed for outreach fees! It's been a crazy walk of faith getting to this point, and I am leaving tonight in faith that God will provide the last 600 dollars I need in the next two months in Cambodia. 

If you would like to help me reach this goal, you can go to mrmdts.org/online-payments/ and make a donation to my fund! 

Here are the steps: 

1. Go to www.mrmdts.org/online-payments

2. In the drop down box labeled I would like to, select "Donate to a Student/Staff"

3. Fill out the form with your name, my name, and how much you would like to donate.

4. Click Pay Now. (this will direct you to a page to enter your credit card info.)

So much love and thanks to you all. Bless you heaps! :)

Justice Waiting

Cathedral Cove (set of Narnia!)

Wow. I am so sorry! I can't believe a month has come and gone since my last update. The time has flown so quickly. There is so much to update on... I can't fit a whole month of life into one measly blog post- class, adventures, everything. Guess it's my own fault. The lecture phase of my DTS is now complete! In only 4 days I will move on to the outreach phase.... which means CAMBODIA.

The last month of classes was amazing. We had so many amazing speakers come to spend a week at a time with us- a New Zealander, a Samoan, an American, and a Brit. Each new speaker we had, I thought they couldn't possibly compete with the last, but each teacher was just so WONDERFUL! The last few weeks of lecture phase were so exciting- each one went by in the blink of an eye. And people say school is boring! Try coming to a discipleship training school.

Just the other day we had a short debriefing session to sum up and bring a close to this three month lecture phase. (I still can't believe it's been three months. What?!) We shared two things we were thankful for from our time here.
Two things I am most thankful for:

Family! This is everybody :)

1) The fantastic family I've gained in being here. I am so grateful for each individual person, staff and student. They are all so special to me. Over ten nations are represented among us, and each person was brought here by God for a specific purpose and reason. We are the greatest family- and it is one that has a special place in my heart. I will never forget these people.
2) The amazing way that God has encountered me here. God has been revealing Himself to me in a huge way daily, and He is more real to me now than ever. I wish I could adequately express my gratitude for this. We are children of such a loving Father- One who waits patiently on us to return to Him and then greets us with compassion. He's done just this with me. For a long time before coming here, I tried to do my own thing; relying on my own strength to get through every day. I ignored the most gracious being, who wanted all along to carry me instead. As soon as I came back to Him and sought to know Him, He enveloped me in love and kindness- it was something I can only explain as running into the arms of someone who has been waiting to hug you for a very, very long time.

As this phase of Discipleship Training School came to a close, there were a few tears, and I expect there to be many more as our teams head out on separate outreaches to Cambodia, the Philippines, Bali & Indonesia, and Vanuatu. The Compassion team heads to Vanuatu late tonight- they are the first to go and it's such a bittersweet goodbye, as I know each will be. We'll be praying for the five students and their leader Jared as they travel and spread the love and compassion of Jesus to this island nation.

Family. My fellow Justice DTS students and staff!
(From left to right: Mitch, Emma, Seth, Larissa, Austin
Brittany [staff], Andrew [staff], ME, Michael, Jada, Derek,
Melanie, and Dan!) 

My team, the Justice team, leaves for Cambodia on Thursday. I have 5 days left to get the rest of the needed items for outreach and pack my things! As far as money is concerned, the Lord has been SO good to me. He's provided so faithfully. I am still trusting Him for 700 dollars, but I have no doubt that it will come.

This last week will be spent in our individual teams preparing for outreach; getting ready for the amazing adventures that lay ahead. While in Cambodia, we'll be staying at the YWAM base in Phnom Penh and working with multiple different ministries in the city and surrounding areas. Among others, we will spend a little time with Agape International Missions- a ministry founded by Don Brewster that fights sex trafficking in Cambodia. (http://agapewebsite.org/) and Daughters of Cambodia- an organization that teaches girls and women skills for a better life after being rescued from sex trafficking and prostitution (daughtersofcambodia.org).

The two months that are ahead of me are exciting and unknown- but God is going to do amazing things. I know it. I am so excited to get to Cambodia. Praise the Lord for this amazing opportunity to share some of the love He gives me. :)

Thank you so much to any and everyone who reads my blog, keeps up with my Facebook, sends messages, or has supported me on this journey! I can't tell you how grateful I am for my family, friends, and loved ones who have been with me every step of this amazing adventure. This time has changed me and shaped me into who I will be the rest of my life. Thank you thank you thank you.

If you would like to support me in my outreach to Cambodia, please let me know! I am still in need of $700 for outreach fees. If you would like, you can make a donation here through Paypal on my blog. You can also go to www.mrmdts.org/online-payments/ and select Donate to a Student/Staff and then fill out the form with my name, yours, and how much you'd like to give! If you want to contact me personally, you can email or message me on Facebook up until October 4th. :)

Lots of Love from New Zealand,
Holly

Whanau Means Family

Every Monday morning, we have Whanau (pronounced fa-nau) time before we begin our classes for the week. During this time, staff and leaders of Marine Reach Ministries as well as all of the students gather in the dining room/common area for coffee, treats, and fellowship. For this reason, Mondays have become well-awaited for me. Mostly because there's good food and unlimited coffee. But also because we get to spend time together talking and laughing and telling stories. David and Linda Cowie, the power couple who started Marine Reach Ministries in 1990, are always in attendance and the past two weeks Linda has told her stories. (I love Linda. She is like a mother at the base. She is so kind, elegant, and loving. And David is a hoot. They are an inspiring story!)

Today, we heard about a big miracle Linda and David experienced aboard a missionary ship called the Anastasis in 1981. As it may be known missionaries do not always have the luxury of ample food supply, and this was true of the Anastasis as well. While in Greece, this specific ship's crew began a 40 day period of prayer and fasting while sharing the Gospel in the streets of Athens. One day after their fast had finished, a student was on the beach when fish started to jump out of the water onto the shore. This continued for 150 yards down the beach! All of the YWAM staff and students on the ship as well as Greek locals flocked to the beach and collected fish by any means they could- trash bags, aprons, buckets, and wheelbarrows. The Greek people had never seen anything like it before and said that surely 'God is with these people'. In the end, there were 8,311 fish collected that day. That's over two tons of fish! Missionaries aboard that ship ate fish for a year for free. :) God provided in a BIG WAY. Linda told us this story as a personal testimony of how the Lord shows up for those who trust in Him. She suggested we begin a 40 day fast and prayer period in anticipation of the new ship Marine Reach is hoping to acquire soon, provision for this (beautiful) base where I am blessed to live, and our upcoming outreach. We start praying and fasting tomorrow. :)

In the same way God provided the fish for these missionaries I am needing God to provide the money for my outreach to Cambodia in October and November. I currently have less than half of the needed funds for outreach. The good news is- the school has already purchased my ticket to Cambodia for October 5th, 2012! I just have to pay them for it, as well as the outreach fees of the school.
While in Cambodia, the Justice team and I will be staying at YWAM bases for a time, as well as other (unknown) locations- serving the people of Cambodia and working with local ministries. I cannot even express how excited I am for this trip. After reading Somaly Mam's book 'The Road of Lost Innocence' I have even more of a fire in my heart to love on the people there- especially the girls and women affected by the booming sex trade industry.

I know that the Lord will get me to Cambodia, I'm just not sure how yet. :) I am asking for support and prayer in any way possible! I need people to join this journey of obedience to God with me! If you feel led to give in any way to my outreach funds and/or ministry, it would be such a blessing. If you aren't able to give financially at this time, I would so appreciate prayer for the finances to come in! Thank you to everyone who has supported me in getting here, I cannot tell you what an impact God is making in my life here. I am learning so much. Continue to pray that I receive the remaining $2,000 needed for outreach!

Love Always, From New Zealand! Holly

P.S. As always,
If you would like to support me in my fundraising, let me know! You can contact me by way of Facebook, e-mail at holly.e.conrad@gmail.com, or transfer money directly to YWAM Marine Reach (I can direct you in how to do this). There is also a paypal option here on my blog.

Heart Stuff

Every time I attempt to write a somewhat cohesive blog entry, I end up failing. There is just too much going on here for me to successfully unify my thoughts into one small blog post. I can't even begin to explain all of the great things that have been happening. Once I begin writing about one thing, I remember another equally amazing thing I want to talk about. Maybe I'll just start with this week. Let's see...

Three weeks into lectures and my notebook is falling to pieces.

This week we had a native New Zealander named David Cole speak during lectures. He spoke about repentance, the Life and Ministry of Jesus, and the Nature and Character of God; things I knew in my mind but had never really thought about or had laid out in front of me. David defined 'God's Nature' as who God is- His natural attributes, and 'God's character' as what He does with who He is. Some of the things listed under nature are: Omnipresent- He's everywhere, all the time; Omniscient- He's all knowing; Omnipotent- all powerful; and He's eternal. Some words that are listed under character are: Humble; LOVE; Just; Righteous; Faithful; Merciful; Kind; Truthful; Patient; and Wise. Stepping back and looking again at the notes I took in my red notebook (that is already falling apart after only three weeks of being here) I'm overwhelmed by the truth that even though God's nature is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present- He CHOOSES to be humble, righteous, and kind. A God that could be anything he wants in the world and get away with it, chooses to be the kindest being that exists. Something David said that had never registered in my mind before was that God has a personality. God consciously makes decisions and feels emotions like grief, joy, sadness and jealousy. And like, He's REAL. Whoa, people.

Anyways, David's week with us was filled with so many of these crazy revelations for me. I could write a novel on all the things I learned and all the things God changed in my heart because of David's messages.

Though most afternoons are free or spent doing things with the group, Wednesday afternoons are ones I specifically look forward to- JUSTICE CLASS. From 1:30-4:00ish I am in class with the rest of the students on the Justice team and our staff. Justice class is even more exciting now that our groups know where we're going on outreach... I think every last one of us is already dying to go to Cambodia. This Wednesday our topic in class was Genocide.Unbeknownst to me, less than 40 years ago Cambodia endured a massive genocide that ended in the country losing over 20% of their population. The Cambodian Genocide began because Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge (a communist leader and group) seized control of Cambodia and desired to turn it into a farming nation- Pol Pot wanted to make everyone into peasants. In order to do this, the Khmer Rouge removed any undesirable people that would not positively contribute to this peasant society. To Pol Pot this meant anyone who had talent, knowledge, or intelligence. This group of communist killers began persecuting, torturing, and killing. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, professionals, religious enthusiasts, and really anyone educated were subject to huge killing sprees. Men, women, elderly, and children were forced to work in slave labor camps everyday for 16+ hours without rest, food and water, or even pay. Many died from exhaustion, starvation, and disease. For three years the Cambodian people endured horrible torture and deaths. In class on Wednesday, we heard stories of the Killing Fields- sites where massive amounts of people were killed by the Khmer Rouge- stories of babies being beaten against trees until they died, of people falling into pre-dug pits to die their certain death. Countless heart-breaking stories have been told. And that's just what it was to me- heart-breaking. Not only does the people-loving person I am cringe and crumble at the thought of these lost lives, but God revealed to me how broken HIS heart was for them as well.

Wednesday was just the tip of the iceberg in learning about Cambodia, but already my heart longs to be there and spread some love and healing. This is such a hurting and lost country. In the next weeks we will continue to learn about injustice in Cambodia, as well as other injustices around the world. Soon we will begin preparing a budget for our 8 weeks in Cambodia and hopefully learning more about what exactly we'll be doing there- I'll keep you all updated on that process.

It's always horrifying to hear these things, and I assure you that I (along with the rest of the world) wish it would just go away and never have happened. But it did. These things happened. And now all we can do is go to the people who are so deeply hurt and broken and share with them the only hope there is for real healing- Jesus. There is only one hope for love, comfort, and redemption. God is dying to make their hearts whole again. I have to let them know!


Do you want to let them know as well?! Please contact me if you would like to support me in my trip to Cambodia! I still need 2,000 dollars for Outreach fees. Bless you guys heaps :)



Love Always, Holly 

Update!

Things have been going amazingly well here in New Zealand. Every day is filled with so much happiness and adventure! I am learning more than I could have ever imagined.

My schedule during the day looks a little like this:
5:30am/5:45am - Wake Up
6:00am - Shower and Get Ready for the day!
6:45am-7:30am - Breakfast & Chill Out time
7:30/8:00am - Start Morning Work Duties (cleaning!)
8:30am-12:30pm - Worship and then Lectures
12:30pm - Lunch
Free time
1:30pm - (Wednesdays: Justice classes) (M, T, TH, F: free)
3:15pm - (Tuesdays and Thursdays: BSS [aka workout])
5:30pm - Dinner
7:30pm - (Thursday Small Groups) (M, T, W, F free)

Add some amazing speakers, fun people, games, random activities & this is what a day in the life looks like. 

AND FOR THE BIG NEWS! 

Today our leaders released the locations for outreach.

The Justice DTS- made up of 11 students and 3 leaders- is going to CAMBODIA. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am! God has definitely had Cambodia on my heart for a while and it seems to be the same case with the other students as well. The Lord has given my heart complete peace about this decision and I honestly can't wait for my time there! The Justice crew (Melanie, Michael, Jada, Larissa, Madelyn, Emma, Austin, Derek, Seth, Dan, and myself) is already like a family and I am so excited about spending outreach with them.

All of this excitement is almost more than I can handle! AH I wish we were already there. Yet I know that the time I have here in New Zealand is so essential. During these next three months I will learn so much about myself, God, and what justice really means so that I will be able to partake in delivering God's justice for the hurting in Cambodia. The Lord has already done so much in my heart in the two weeks I've been here, and I know that He will continue to do amazing things in the next five months. I am so blessed with all I've been given and I still have a hard time believing I'm here. Thank you so much to the people who have supported me in this journey. Coming here was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

All of this being said, I have less than three months to raise the remaining money needed for my outreach. All of the different teams will be leaving for outreach in the beginning of October. Yikes. I have faith that it is all in God's hands. Nothing is too big for the Big Guy. I'm here, aren't I? Today I was told that usually outreach costs around $3,900 NZD which is close to $3,000 US dollars. At this moment, I only have a little over $1,000 towards outreach costs. That means I still need $2,000. 

Please be praying for my finances! The Lord is faithful and I know that in one way or another, I will make it to Cambodia and be able spread the love of Jesus to deeply hurting people there- in whatever way the Lord allows me to do that. Maybe it will be ministry with children, trafficked women, or those suffering from crippling poverty. I don't know yet! But I'm ready for whatever is in store. I just have to get there. :)

Lots of Love, Holly

P.S. If you would like to help me reach my needed goal of $2,000 for outreach to Cambodia, please let me know! You can always send me a message, contact me on Facebook, or I also have a Paypal that is linked on this page for whoever feels led to donate!

Thank you so much everyone for your support. Your prayers, thoughts, kind words, and donations have gotten me here- and I don't know how to thank you enough. I am so blessed.

A Time of Learning, Growing, Forgiving and Loving

Welcome to the base! This is where I live.

Hello friends, loved ones and family. :)

I thought I would post an update and share a little bit about what God has been doing in my heart and the hearts of my fellow students, as well as what has been going on all the way out here in New Zealand.

The past few days have been spent bonding and growing with the 30 or so students. We have gathered under the leadership of an amazing Australian man of God named Cheyne (pronounced like Shane) in the lecture room, where next week we will begin classes based on whatever stream we are in (I am in the Justice group. There is also a medical, compassion and evangelism). This week though, the lecture room has been a place for sharing testimonies; struggles, breaking chains and bondage, praying for one another and ultimately receiving forgiveness. I can't even begin to explain the healing that has been going on here in the past couple days. We have grown not only individually but also as a group- any ice there was has been broken and we are all becoming close and comfortable with each other after less than a week here! Our time of sharing was set up in a circle where the floor was open for anyone to share what was on their heart- be it their past, testimony, sin, past struggles, current struggles, past hurts, current hurts, etc. The ultimate goal of this sharing time was to get our hearts right with God and wipe the slate clean before we embark on this journey. Students who have become my friends confessed of and/or broke free from deceit, lust and impurity, drug and alcohol addictions, self-harm, pride, depression and suicidal thinking, insecurities, prejudice, anger, and almost anything else you can think of that all of us as humans struggle with. So many tears have been shed as we received nothing but love and forgiveness from the open arms of our Father and our friends. 


We've been broken. We've been forgiven. We're still working on it every day. We acknowledge that many of these struggles HAVE to be surrendered daily. It all starts here with us speaking it out and confessing it to God in front of one another. This has been one of the best experiences I've had; especially in the area of community and friendship. We look at each other with nothing but the loving eyes of the Lord and have rallied behind each person who has shared their broken hearts. There is no shame, because there does not need to be. The Lord tells us this in Isaiah 54:4- "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood." Ah, to realize this is so good. It has set so many of these students free. I praise the Lord for that.

Today we had a woman named Patty who is the founder of Justice Reach come and speak to us. She shared her ministry, one that I have such a heart for and can't wait to work more with. It is actually one of the main goals of my time here- to do Justice. It is directed towards women and children who have been trafficked and sold into sex slavery. Oh, to hear her speak this morning just ignited the flame in my heart once again. This injustice stirs something up inside of me. These kids, these little girls. It breaks my heart to think of all of the PRECIOUS lives being stolen and broken- innocence being stolen and broken. I can't wait to start learning about how to do justice and bring hope to these women and children whose lives are entrapped by modern day slavery. Classes begin next week! And then, three months from now, hopefully I will be able to live out these things I will learn!

Maori warrior during the Powhiri.

Also today, we were officially welcomed as a group to the land. The Maori (indigenous people of New Zealand) have a ceremony called Powhiri (in their language 'wh' is pronounced like an 'f'') in which they assess whether or not our intentions for being here are good, and from there welcome us to the land and bless our time. The ceremony began with a Maori warrior in traditional clothing dancing around making noises and grunting, trying to intimidate the male representative from our group with the goal of seeing if we were fit and wouldn't back down. And trust me, it was intimidating. Once he was convinced we were okay, he laid down a stick and began to back away. The man representing our group then picked up the stick as a sign of receiving the welcome, and the ceremony began. Speeches acknowledging God's creation of this beautiful place were made. Songs of worship and welcome were sang. It was beautiful. It was such an experience to see and be a part of a culture so different from my own. Our common ground was God.

I am loving this place.

I am making so many new friends. I already feel as though these people are family.

Thank you for getting me here, everyone. Thank you so much.
God is so good to me.

Love (and lots of it), Holly


P.S. 

Words, Phrases, and Things I am becoming very familiar with here

• Milo- A drink from New Zealand which I think is a lot like hot chocolate. I've had a lot of it. I'm drinking it right now.
• "heaps" - A lot of something (ie. in my time here I've already learned heaps)
• Kia Ora- Maori word for welcome, greeting
• Tim Tams - cookie like dessert that has a gooey center. 
• Tim Tam Slam - An activity in which you bite off one corner on each side of the Tim Tam, and then use the cookie as a sort of straw. I have not yet participated in this activity but it seems to be very enjoyable to natives and foreigners alike.
• "good on, mate" - Nice, congratulations, great, an affirmation
• "sweet as" - awesome, cool
• biscuits - cookies!
• jersey - sweater
• L & P - New Zealand drink, kind of like Ginger Ale
• trolley - shopping cart

Pictures!

The student handbook!

This is my room! I am the top bunk on the right. My three roommates names are Alexia, Madelyn, and Deborah.  (Alexia is from Georgia, Madelyn is from California, and Deborah is from Germany)

My bed! It is winter here, and chilly out- so I was worried about being cold, but with sheets, a sleeping bag, duvet cover, and blanket, I was quite alright last night! :)

After losing my luggage, the airline made sure to deliver my things this morning so I got to unpack a bit and get my room somewhat set up! So nice.

This is the view from the back porch of the base . 

The students and some staff (and Molly the dog) went on a walk to Gideon's Valley (the waterfall that is just a walk down the hill in the backyard)

On the way to Gideon's Valley, it was raining and we all got wet and had to seriously avoid slipping a few times, but it was magical! 

Walking down to the Valley.

Welcome to the most beautiful place ever.

It doesn't seem like it could be real!

Wowza.

I'm here!!!!!

Molly the dog making the return walk to the base house after seeing Gideon's valley.

Tonight everyone has been playing Mafia. I'd never played before but it was FUN. This area is kind of the common area/dining hall/kitchen. 

I'm here!!!!

Hello there everyone! I am finally in Tauranga, New Zealand at the Training Centre. Currently it is 1:30 in the afternoon, Sunday the 15th here. I am sitting on a bean bag by the fireplace surrounded by people from all over the world. It's cold and it's raining but what I've seen has been magnificently beautiful. Wow. What a journey. Where do I even begin?! 

Last night I arrived at about 8:00, and was greeted by nothing but friendly faces and warm welcomes. Getting here instantly took away (at least some of) my previous anxiety. I got the tour of the base, found my room and unpacked what little I had to unpack, and met my roommates. I am staying in something like a trailer outside the base, with three other girls- one of which has not yet arrived. The two I have met are Alexia and Madelyn- I can already tell that we are going to be friends. I finally got to sleep at about 10:00 New Zealand time, and oh how wonderful it was to sleep in a bed. To sleep at all!

My journey began two days ago. I think. Who can even keep track of all the time changes anymore? I flew from Kansas City to Denver, then Denver to Los Angeles. Both flights and transitions went perfectly smooth and started my trip off on a very positive note. Leaving Kansas City was much more emotional than I had been expecting. Until that point, I had been handling leaving quite well- it hadn't really sunk in. The Lord was so kind to Braxton and I on Thursday the 12th. We both were leaving KCI, him on his way to South Africa and it just so happened that we were flying the same airline, out of the same terminal, our flights only an hour apart. We got to go through security together, and sit inside the terminal to wait for my flight to board. Sitting there, knowing that this would be the last time I would see the man I want to marry for five months, the last time I would see my mom for five months, that was when the tears began. When it was time for me to board, leaving Braxton was one of the hardest things I have had to do. It sounds cheesy, but walking away from the love of my life with the knowledge that 5 months would pass before I could be with him again made my heart hurt. The only thing that got me through it was the grace God gave me in knowing that this was HIS plan and if we put our relationship in His hands, He will protect and nurture it even in this time apart!

Things went well for my first few flights. But in Los Angeles, I had a 6 hour layover in preparation for my long flight from LAX to Sydney, Australia. Everything seemed to be going perfectly, and aside from a few tears I was doing well. 3 hours before my flight was to leave, I got into a line at the customer service desk to print off my boarding pass for my 15 hour flight. I did not anticipate that this would be the longest line in the history of the world, but regardless I thought I had enough time. Yet, after waiting nearly two hours in line I reached the desk and the attendant informed me that I could not print off my boarding pass here. With a little over an hour until my flight to Sydney departed, I immediately panicked (big time) when she told me that I would have to leave the main airport, take a shuttle to an international building to get my boarding pass, and then come all the way back through security and get to my gate in time for my flight. In fact, I kind of freaked out. I called my mom in a panic, tears pouring down my face knowing I would miss my flight and surely never get to New Zealand. By the grace of God (and also probably a little bit because I was a mess running around LAX barefoot sobbing) people were able to direct me to where I needed to be. Once I was at the international airline terminal, the woman at the desk delivered the news that I had already missed my flight. She told me that she would put me on the standby list for the next flight to Sydney which happened to be only two hours later. Panicked and alone I waited for 45 minutes to see if I would have a seat on the new flight. I did!!!! I had to rush through security again, but I made it and got onto the 11:50pm flight to Sydney. The whole experience was extremely flustering and every bone in my body wanted to just give up and go home.
And yet, the Lord is faithful, even when I doubt Him. I am learning more and more to trust that He knows what He's doing! About an hour into the flight, the Australian guy that was sitting next to me leaned over and asked if I was alright. I told him what had been going on. His name was Shane. He was from Sydney, and had been in the USA for his 21st birthday. It had been obvious to him that something was wrong, and praise the Lord- he reached out to me. We spent the next 4 or 5 hours talking and laughing. The more we spoke, the more we both agreed that God had put us on that plane together for a reason. Shane had been suffering with depression for a couple months, and I was able to share my story with him. I shared with him about my two-year struggle with severe depression, the hopelessness that had entangled me. He shared with me his personal struggle, and that he had in fact planned to commit suicide two days earlier, when he was in Las Vegas. We connected in a way that only the Lord could have planned and initiated, and I shared with him the true hope there is in recovery even when it doesn't seem possible. I told him that God loved him and wanted him to be alive- that his life was worth living. By 10 or so hours into the flight, he was thanking me for reminding him there are reasons to live, thanking me for his life. Wow, Jesus. Thank you for Shane's life. Thank you that he didn't kill himself two days ago, and we were able to meet on this flight and encourage one another. I am so amazed at how the Lord had this plan all along, and while I was so upset to miss my flight, if I hadn't I wouldn't have met this man. By the end of our flight, Shane pulled out his wallet and gave me two hundred dollars towards my funds for New Zealand. He had won $700 at a casino in Las Vegas, and insisted that God was telling him to give me $200 of it. Um, wow. I was (and still am) without words. Trust the Lord- HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING. 

Before I left! My backpack weighed almost as much as  my suitcase. Ouch.

Sydney was an easy transit and I got onto my next flight to Auckland, New Zealand just fine. I arrived in New Zealand and went through customs successfully (HALLELUJAH). I then discovered that my bag had been left behind and wouldn't arrive until a few hours later. The baggage service promised me they would try their hardest to get my bag on my flight to Tauranga but that there was no guarantee. I fought against anxiety and instead gave it to God and just prayed that He would work it all out. I got through security once again (which was a surprise and a blessing each time it happened- due to the excessive size of my carryon) and I was on to Tauranga. I waited a couple hours in Auckland, and then boarded my final flight, which was only 25 minutes long!

I arrived at the Tauranga airport and was warmly greeted by Brittany and Ashley- two of the staff here at YWAM. As soon as they hugged me my anxiety decreased exponentially. :)

This morning, my bag was delivered from the airport and I was able to unpack in my room and get things set up. I had breakfast, skyped with my mom, and was able to take a SHOWER!!! Yay. Since then, I have felt so much of the Lord's peace. By the minute I am meeting more and more incredible people and feeling more and more at peace here. I think I'm going to like it here.



As I end this post, it is 3:47pm- I took a couple detours in my blogging as I went on an adventure with the other students and some staff.

Pictures to come. :)

The Final Countdown.

The title is referencing the three days there are left until I leave for New Zealand, not the cheesy epic song by the '80s rock band 'Europe'. 

The final countdown is beginning and the reality of  my trip is finally hitting me! In the face. Hard. In the last couple days I have experienced more emotions than I could have imagined would come with a 5 month trip to pursue a relationship with God. I have been feeling stress, utter excitement, anxiety, fear, happiness, sadness, trustful and doubtful. But because of all of these feelings I am learning so much about God's character. 

Every time I am sad about leaving my family and loved ones, when I am stressed about packing, when I am scared about moving to a country where I know no one, or that old anxiety I have struggled with starts to creep in- the Lord moves in some way, reminding me that this is HIS PLAN!!!! He has called me there! He has provided to get me this far already! I have no reason to be feeling these things. I find comfort in the little (and big) ways He reminds me that He is ultimately in control.

The other day I was driving to my boyfriend's house to spend some time with him and his family before he and I both leave for our trips (Braxton is going to South Africa for a month on missions the same day I leave for my DTS!) feeling very anxious and stressed, when I noticed the only other car on the road with me was a little black Volkswagen with the license plate 'JUSTIC3'. If you didn't know before, I am attending the Justice DTS program during my time in New Zealand. The main theme of this school is to be God's hands and voice to free the oppressed- those suffering from INjustice. I immediately knew the Lord sent me this little message to remind me that this is where HE is sending me. This is where I am called to be for this time in my life! If I am going to pursue God's will, why in the world should I be afraid?

From this sweet reminder, to words of encouragement family and friends have sent me, to little moments where I am reminded what this is all about; I am seeing God's kind, faithful, and patient character more everyday.

With only a few days left to prepare, I suppose it is inevitable that I will at some point become flustered by all of the commotion. But I am asking for your prayers that I will ultimately keep my eyes on the big purpose here! Pray that I will remember the reason I am doing all this- to serve God, to serve the hurting and oppressed people of the world!

All of this being said, I am so so so so so very excited about the journey I have ahead of me. Maybe not so much the er, physical journey of traveling for forty-eight hours across the world all by my lonesome; but definitely the spiritual journey and the adventure that I am about to embark on! I want to thank anyone who takes the time to read my blog, I cannot tell you how much it means to me to be able to share all of this with you. I want to take you with me every step of the way! Thank you so much to those who have helped get me here, and to those who are praying for me.


Money raised so far: about $4,500 (wow)
Money still needed: about $3,000 


To anyone who would like to support me- If you would like to donate to my outreach fund, please let me know! Paypal is available right here on my blog, or you can send me a message through Facebook to get my contact info. Thank you so much for your donations, whether it be 5 dollars or 50, anything helps and is such a HUGE blessing to my ministry! :)


Much Love, Holly

15 Days & Counting.

HEY Y'ALL. Sorry I haven't updated my blog in so long. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of vacation and preparation. Today in Kansas it was 100+ degrees, and I spent the day with my mom trying to find a couple things on my To-Get list. I was able to mark a few things off my list when I purchased my windbreaker, space saver bags and a few long skirts that I will want/need for outreach (long skirts are very likely to be culturally acceptable, wherever I spend outreach). At one store I bought a windbreaker and the cashier asked me where I was going, knowing there was no way I was wearing that thing outside right now. At another, I searched for hiking boots and the girl working there wanted to know where I would be hiking. So many random opportunities to share about where God is taking me. :)

A few random things I still need include:
-thin (but insulated) sleeping bag
-backpack (hiking backpack)
-hiking boots
-insect repellent lotion with deet 
It's one thing to make lists but quite another to go out and buy the items I am going to need for my time in New Zealand. I realized this in the past few days as I saw my bank account dwindling.

This being said, I am requesting prayer from all my willing friends and family! Because I know I have them. :) Right now I only have about 300 dollars that I had planned on using towards outreach fees, as well as random costs needed to prepare for New Zealand. I had previously been factoring in money coming in from a supporter, but circumstances arise and that money may or may not be coming in after all. I have NO hard feelings whatsoever, I know that the Lord will work it all out. But that also means that if this happens, I am set back about $1,000.

In total, I still need about $3,000 for outreach fees as well as money I plan to use towards any random living expenses while I am abroad. Outreach fees are to be paid by the beginning of September. If you would like to donate to my fund shoot me an e-mail, leave a comment, message me on Facebook, call me, etc. There is also the option to donate through paypal available right here on the right hand side of my blog! This money will be used for the fees involved in the eight-week outreach to implement what I will have learned during my DTS- delivering compassion, justice and love to those who are suffering. (Outreach locations may include Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, or Africa)

To my supporters- I cannot thank you enough for donating to this spiritual (and physical) adventure in my life! The Lord is doing a great thing through you! I am so grateful to everyone who has gotten me this far. What an amazing journey it has already been.


Lots of Love, Holly

P.S. I will be updating again soon! With only two weeks left until I leave there is MUCH to do, but it is extremely important to me to keep everyone in the loop with what is going on! :)

PSALM 18:28- You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning!

This is really happening. I am really going. This realization is starting to sink in. Yesterday I wire transferred $4,900 New Zealand Dollars (about $3,900 USD) to YWAM for my three month lecture phase. This morning I received the confirmation email from my bank, telling me that the money successfully went through. As I looked at the email, I was so amazed at how the Lord has provided the finances for this trip. Where did that $3,900 come from? A few months ago I thought there was no way I could make it to this school, having no way to pay for it. But God has taught me that if I am willing to obey He will provide. In the past few months, He has taught me (in a big way) about His faithfulness and provision. And though my first reaction is to be stressed, I know that the Lord will bring in the rest of the needed money for my outreach (about $2,000).

Every day it is becoming more real. I have begun making lists of things I need to buy before I leave, as well as what I will be packing.

I can't believe that there are only 27 days left until I leave my family, friends and loved ones for five months to make my way to beautiful New Zealand! I am sad to leave the people I love here, but I know that the Lord will be with me, and I find reassurance in Matthew 19:29- And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 


Lots of Love, Holly
p.s. You may notice that there is a paypal button on my blog. I've made this available for anyone who would like to support me in my travels to New Zealand for my Discipleship Training School! As I mentioned before, I still need about $2,000. This money will be used for the fees involved in the eight-week outreach to implement what I will have learned during my DTS- delivering compassion, justice and love to those who are suffering. (Outreach locations may include Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, or Africa) 
To my supporters- I cannot thank you enough for donating to this spiritual (and physical) adventure in my life! The Lord is doing a great thing through you! 

A Great Adventure (The Beginning)

Well, I've finally started the blog I've been promising friends and family for a while now. This is a place for me to share my life and my journey to YWAM New Zealand with you. Life has been a hectic cloud of preparations for New Zealand, seeing friends before I leave, raising support, and doing my best to listen and obey the Lord daily- but I want to commit to keeping this blog as up-to-date as possible.

Some of you may not know, but in just four short weeks I will be beginning my journey to Tauranga New Zealand for a five month Discipleship Training School with YWAM (Youth With a Mission). If you do not know what YWAM is, it is an international organization devoted to making Jesus known throughout the nations through missions. YWAM has locations in 180 countries in every continent but Antarctica. Teens and young adults gather from everywhere to come together and serve the Lord and people around the world during their DTS. The program I have chosen to attend is called the Justice DTS. A verse that greatly influenced this decision is Isaiah 1:17. (Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.) As Christians, we are called to actively seek justice for those who are oppressed and enslaved. The Lord has broken my heart for those who are victims of social injustice- women caught in sex trafficking, people in modern day slavery and victims of extreme poverty. During my DTS I will learn what the meaning of true justice is, and learn about the issues that are at the center of social injustice today. For three months, I will be living in Tauranga New Zealand, going to classes and living in community with other people my age with the same passion to bring freedom to the enslaved! After those first three months, the other students and myself will put into action what we have learned, working firsthand with those who are suffering from social injustice in places like Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand and Brazil. As of now, I do not know where I will be spending those last two months.

WOW. How did this all happen so quickly?! Just a few months ago I had no idea I would be traveling across the world by myself to attend a school I'd only recently heard of. God just kind of dropped this one in my lap, and I am so thankful that He did. In November of this year, I was first introduced to the idea of YWAM New Zealand by a close friend and my sister-in-law who had been searching for YWAM schools for me to look at. My sister-in-law e-mailed a leader at the school expressing my interest. The next thing I knew, I was starting the application process. After gathering all the necessary information, gaining my pastoral references, and sending in my application, I left it to the Lord and asked Him for His Will to be done with me. The day after emailing my application in to YWAM, I received an e-mail from a leader I had been corresponding with telling me that I was accepted. WHOA. I was not expecting an answer so quickly. It was made clear to me through prayer and obvious signs that God wanted me to go! So I said, "I'll go, Lord!"

Now, the difficult part began. The school itself costs around $7,000 total, not including my flights and travel arrangements to get to New Zealand. A lot of money I did NOT have. So in March I sent out a support letter explaining what I was doing and asking for financial and spiritual support in my journey. I knew and still know now that without the help of my friends and family there is no way I would be able to make it to Tauranga. In only 3 short months, I have raised around $5,000. God showed up in a HUGE way, bringing in the finances quickly and from many places and people. I have purchased a round trip ticket to New Zealand with the funds sent in by supporters, and this week I will wire transfer the money for the 3 month training phase in Tauranga into YWAM's account. All that is left, expense wise, is the rest of money for the 2 month outreach phase (a little over $1,600) as well as money I will use for living expenses during the 5 months I am away. I am having faith that the Lord is going to bring in this money as well- the outreach is the portion of the school that will hopefully effect many lives and bring healing and good news to broken people around the world!

I am so blessed to be called to such a beautiful place to serve the Lord and share the Gospel. I am so excited to see what New Zealand has in store! Praise the Lord for always providing and being so good to me.

I want to thank everyone who has donated to my YWAM fund or offered prayer and spiritual support. I truly could not do this without you. The Lord is using you in a great way! 

Now, I am in the midst of finishing preparations for my travels, as well as continuing to fund-raise for the outreach phase of my schooling. I am so genuinely grateful for any support offered, whether it be through a donation or a prayer. Thank you so much! 

I am going to keep this blog updated with information about my preparations and travels, so stay tuned!

Isaiah 1:17- Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

With Love, Holly


P.S. If you would like to learn more about YWAM, New Zealand, or the Justice DTS I will be attending, below are some links for you!
http://mrmdts.org/schools/justice-dts/
http://mrmdts.org/discipleship-training-school/
http://mrmdts.org/marine-reach-training/