December 21-27
It has been different preparing for Christmas when there is no snow. The beginning of the week began with class. We watched a video series called “Pause” by Andy Stanley. In them I learned about temptation and when we make decisions/give into temptations there are things that are at stake. My future (or legacy), my family, and my faith. A couple questions that were brought to my attention during these sessions...What am I hungry for? (Good and Bad), Do I really trust God?, and Who’s am I really? Class concluded for the week on Tuesday.
On Tuesday evening, the girls had a sleepover at Lori’s house (our DTS director). We had a fun time playing dutch blitz and scattergories, painting our nails, having hot coco, and watching Runaway Bride. It was a lot of fun.
On Wednesday I spent the day reading by the pool and then we had a party in the evening. We had a gift exchange, ate dinner (bbq wings, spinach dip and chips, crab wantons, scotcharoos-I made them :D, and a few more goodies). We had a Wii tennis tournament, my team lost, but it was still fun. Then the girls slept by the Christmas tree.
Christmas Day a few of us opened our gifts from home, had awesome cinnamon rolls, watched Elf, and set up/decorated for our late afternoon dinner. The staff worked hard to make a nice Christmas dinner for us all; turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cream corn, cranberries, salad, rolls, and pumpkin and apple pie. It was all delicious, it made it feel like a real Christmas dinner. I played Ticket to Ride with a few others, I won with 145 pts :) It was a good game. Throughout the day I was able to talk to my family which was very nice. I missed home a little bit, but am so glad of where God has asked me to be.
Friday I slept in and in the evening the students all went out for dinner in Christiansted. It was good. Then I worked on some homework and watched Lord of the Rings 1.
Today, Saturday, was an interesting day. A group of us staff and students went to Carambola, a nice resort on the Island. Most of the group stayed back by the beach while four of us hiked to the tide pools. The waves were very large and the current strong. My classmates plus one of their brothers who was here for Christmas went out in the water and were soon pulled by the current. Everyone is safe, but they struggled to get back to shore. Bob and his brother were thrown towards rocks and Bob has some deep gashes. Please pray for them all as this was a very traumatic experience. I was at the tide pools where we had about 6 foot waves. There was a barrier between us and the waves, it was a lot of fun. Slightly dangerous, but I made it out with just one scratch from the coral. I am very thankful for God’s protection. He woke me up about 3 am to tell me, “You shouldn’t go to the beach” At the time I thought it was a silly statement but I thought okay. This morning I forgot about it, but still decided to go to the tide pools instead of the beach. I believe God was saving me from major harm. Isn’t God awesome! Things could have gone a lot worse today, but He showed us all here that He is in Control.
I want to thank you all for your prayers and the many cards I’ve received. I appreciate them all. God is doing so much in me here and it is great to know that I have so many people supporting me in prayer :)
A few prayer requests:
* For Bob, that his wounds from today would heal
* For my DTS, both students and staff, as we prepare to go to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. We leave on January 14.
* For me, my jaw was locked for about 2 weeks and then last week went back to normal with a small amount of pain. On Christmas it began to hurt again and this evening it seems to be exceptionally bad when I open my mouth, even a little bit. A thanksgiving prayer would be that my eyes are doing exceptionally better :) I can’t wear my contacts yet, but I don’t have any gritty feeling to them anymore.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and stayed safe on the roads :)
Love, Grace, and Peace to all,
Kathy
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2 comments:
I've already told you a few times, but I will say it again. I am SO glad that you and the rest of the group is ok (aside from the gashes). NO MORE INJURIES!!!
I'm still amazed that you won ticket to ride with 145 points.
Miss you much. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Love you always.
Jules
Hey you!
Thanks for the updates! You’re the best:) What a coincidence, on Tuesday I also painted my nails, had some hot cocoa, AND watched Runaway Bride (as you know, it is my favorite this time of year)… that’s so crazy! Though I only painted my toes because my position at the Red Cross unjustly frowns upon me fully expressing myself:( Someday, beyond my biggest dream of parking my car in a garage, I dream of working for a company that embraces the equality among the sexes that I feel painting my fingernails embodies…someday;)
OK, beyond that coincidence, that is crazy about Bob because I experienced a very similar situation in Tobago - over my Christmas break too! You know, that whole thrown up against rocks, stepped on a sea urchin, spent a couple of hours having someone pick out the brittle sea urchin spikes with a needle, got an infection from one of the gashes on my leg, etc…it was ridiculous (I think I’ve told you about this). It’s probably the closest I’ve ever come to dying (though there have been some other doosies). I’m so glad everyone is alright (God is so awesome!) and I pray none of Bob’s cuts get infected. That’s so cool that He spoke to you the night prior…and so like you to forget about it;) You’re hilarious:) No worries though, as always, He had your back. But, just so you know, that’s exactly what I’m talking about when most accidents occur outside of actual ministry for YWAMers. It’s silly, but a reality – so I’ll chime in with God here in His helpful reminder…be smart and careful…please:)
As you know, YWAMers are predisposed to/thrust into an adventurous lifestyle…some have it prior to YWAM, others gain a new boldness and adventurous spirit from their YWAM experiences. Whatever the case may be, when they’re let loose to relax or have fun (which happens often), sometimes that boldness and thrill for adventure can get them into trouble. You, Kathy-Ryn, are the best type of person to be around because you love to have fun and love to be a part of what others are doing…please take note of this as others foolishness can put you in danger. I trust you, you are brilliant and wise - and more than that, I trust God. But also, I don’t know the people around you and I do know that their decisions can have an influence on you…so don’t be afraid to take a step back and assess what they’re asking you to join in on in the name of “fun/adventure/having a good time” – this so sounds like a talk I’ll have with my kids someday about entirely different issues, but you know what I mean:) So far I know you’ve done a very, very good job at this, but there’s much more to come I’m sure…I only say this because I’ve been there myself/heard plenty of stories and quite frankly, if anything happened to you I would be very, very sad:( So in truth, this is all written for selfish reasons as I detest being sad:) With all of that said, here’s David – I will be praying this for you:
Psalm 18:1-2 I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I hope this new week goes down as one of the best ever! Smile lots, love much, and trust more (I'll do this too, as clearly, I worry:)…He NEVER lets go!
I love you much Kathy Beth!
Grace, Hope, Peace, Faith, Trust, God Time, Rest, Discipline, Focus, Service, Humility, Joy, Courage, Wisdom, Patience, Strength, Love, and Safety…lots and lots of safety!
Your Friend,
Matthew
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