Leavin' On A Jet Plane

This is my last blog post before I leave for South America! Our flight leaves on Saturday at 8pm. I’ve been dreaming about the warm sunny beach as I walk across the bitter cold Oval. We even had a light dusting of snow on Saturday morning. It didn’t last long, but it was beautiful. I wonder how my body is going to adjust to this extreme temperature change!

This week we had some teaching on Leadership from Lynn Green who lives on the base and serves as YWAM’s International Chairman. We also heard from Steve and Jo Bishop, our school leaders, who talked about Relationships. With Lynn we looked at the story of Nehemiah to learn from his leadership qualities and experiences. Some helpful and interesting things Lynn pointed out were:

--When God puts you in a position of leadership, don’t shy away saying, “who am I to do this?” but rather recognize God’s anointing on your life and have confidence that He has called you to do something. Being in that position is not about you, it’s about God’s anointing—He wants to accomplish great things through you.

--The definition of humility is being willing to be known for exactly who you are. I really liked this definition because it points out that if God has given you a gift and you are really good at something, it would be considered a form of pride to deny that gifting.

--God loves taking nobodies and using them to do work for His kingdom.

--A leadership team is not a class of people set apart. Whoever wants to lead needs to be the servant of all.

--Even if you have a small leadership role, act like you are well known. Act in a way that the media can’t get any dirt on you. Be accountable for who you are and what you’re doing. Ask others to keep you accountable.

--Have dreams and visions for what God can do through you. Take action and have a plan. Be committed. Be prepared to fail and to put your reputation on the line. Your vision should be something bigger than you think you can do on your own. If you don’t have a vision, ask God. Ask God to show you your passions and to nurture dreams within you. Abandon all of your plans to Him.

Lynn’s teaching got me thinking about my dreams and visions. I’ve never really been a big dreamer—I tend to just live my life playing it safe. All throughout my DTS I’ve been thinking more about teaching and whether it is something I want to pursue. I never considered wanting to teach as a dream or a vision. This week got me thinking, “Isn’t being a teacher something I can do on my own? Is it a big enough vision? Is it what God is calling me to?” I thought about what has stopped me from pursuing this career. I think I’ve given into lies saying, “I’m not cut out for teaching. I don’t have what it takes. Teaching is so much work and is such a big responsibility.”

I then began to expand my vision: Becoming a Christian teacher of young children in a public school. Becoming a teacher who influences the lives of young people through the love of Christ that is within me. Not being afraid to challenge what I’m expected to teach my students if it is against what I believe. Instilling within them Biblical values that are contrary to the values the world. Possibly being the first person to tell a child that they are special and uniquely created for a specific purpose. Influencing my co-workers through my actions and values. Sharing Christ with them.

Now I know that this vision cannot be accomplished on my own. I think before my DTS I was shying away from teaching because I was relying on my own strength and wasn’t dreaming big enough. Lately God has been stirring in me a renewed passion for children and for teaching and I’m excited to see what comes of it. I’m still not sure what to do after DTS, but I now have specific goals/dreams/visions to be praying about. I’m excited for outreach and am praying that God will continue to shape my dreams as I am experiencing new challenges.

God’s timing is perfect! I’m so thankful that He’s sent me here. If I do decide to continue my education and become a teacher, DTS has been the best teacher training I could have received.

This past week was full of firsts and lasts. I celebrated Thanksgiving away from home for the first time with over 100 people from all over the world. My small group celebrated our last meeting together at the “Lily Lounge” where I had traditional English tea and scones. I had my first authentic Korean meal with my Korean roommate, made by a Korean family that lives on the base. Our DTS had our last movie night together—we dressed as superheroes and watched “The Incredibles.”

We also had our “Crepe Dinner” this weekend. We had a great time and enjoyed working together to host this event. We raised 296 pounds. We are thankful for the donations we received and are expectant that God is going to continue to provide the money we need.

I can’t believe how fast the lecture phase has gone. I’m going to miss life on the Oval but I’m so excited for what’s to come! This next week will be busy finishing up lectures and packing for outreach. I have to pack my summer clothes in one bag and my winter clothes in another! I’ve never done that before! I’m not sure what kind of Internet access I’m going to have while traveling. Some of us are bringing laptops so I’m going to try to keep in touch. I’ll try to post updates on my blog as often as possible. I’m sure there will be plenty of stories to share and I’ll be excited to share them with you in person when I come home. Thanks for following me on this journey. I think the best is yet to come!

Tea and scones :)

Small group! We met every Friday to hang out and chat about the week.

Korean food! It was so delicious!

Superhero movie night!

Crepe Dinner

Beautiful snowy Oval