Moment of Impact.

It recently snowed here in Tacoma, which is unusual because it's February and well the snow should be behind us. Also recently I was in a car accident that put an abrupt halt to everything and well it's unusual for me to have everything turned upside down. Turns out what I think should be, is the last thing to what actually is.

So as it may, I became unable to do anything but look at snow that shouldn't be falling while forced to do nothing while I should be doing everything. Last night, I was riding passenger in a car looking at the snow on the road and how the headlights just showed enough to see a little bit ahead I couldn't help but think why are we only able to see just a little bit right now? It's frightening not being able to see everything, to see the full road ahead, not even the end of the road that you're going down. It was the same the night of the accident, just going down a road only able to see just enough in front. Until headlights are all of a sudden shimmering bright on your side and your struck with confusion and fear at the same time until, an abrupt halt paralyzes you in an instant. With you never being able to see it coming. It's terrifying for me to think that an abrupt halt can happen at any moment and there's nothing I can do about it. You can't fore see it, you can't prevent it, you can't stop it, you just experience the impact of it. 

Now don't get me wrong, I really like snow. How it feels on your face when it falls on your nose, how makes everyone instantly excited, and the child that's within us all comes out even for a moment, there's just something about snow that everybody loves. So while I've been stuck in a bed to rest, to heal, to recover, to do whatever it is my body needs to do to work again, I get look out the window and watch the snow fall and as I'm stuck my mind is left to wander and I'm left with all the feelings rushing back in remembrance of my moment of impact. 

As I'm stuck in my bed the headlights come to mind, the little bit of road that I can see but how I'm kept blinded from the end. The headlights that I beg to glow brighter just so I can see further, so I can catch a glimpse of the end. So that another impact won't surprise me, won't destroy me. Sometimes I think the headlights and the limited view in front of me is what God allows me to see, and the dark around, well that's where He calls me to trust. Calls us all to trust.

I won't lie to you I think trusting God is probably one of the biggest challenges I've ever been faced with. 

I think trusting God is one of the hardest things I've ever had to handle. 

I think trusting God is one of the most difficult things I've had to figure out. 

Because He gives you a headlight space to see and then calls you to trust in the dark. Where you're just left to hope and pray that everything that's in the dark He's gonna figure out, He's going to work out, that He's going to solve. You pray that everything that's He's doing in the dark will prevent unknown impact from hurting, from destroying you. You pray that what's in the dark won't catch you off guard, won't throw you for a whirlwind. You beg, plead and you pray that the headlight amount of space will grow just enough that you can see just a little bit more of what He's doing. 

I am the last person that would willingly choose to lay in the bed for days doing nothing, accomplishing nothing, resolving nothing. I'm the last person that would lay in a bed or spend hours in silence. Yet that's where I am and that's what I'm doing because after impact, I'm in the dark because right now I'm left to pray. 

I can't tell you that I know what I'm doing and I can't tell you that I'm totally okay but what I can tell you is that I've been here before and He gets less scary each time and He shows up quicker each time. I can't tell you that the dark isn't scary but what I can tell you is that He is always taking care of me. So right now although I can't see anything, I have to know, I have to hope that while I'm in the dark He's working, He's moving and He's providing. Because He has to and He wants to and He gets to because I'm stuck in a bed looking out the window watching snow fall on Tacoma while He is preparing me for my next moment of impact.

"Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still." Exodus 14:13-14

Grace is offensive.

Well ya'll I went running, which got me thinking, which got me writing.

I’ve found in my recent years of truly running after Jesus that I find myself offended, but not by what one would think. I find myself offended time and time again by grace. The gospel I believe is not only a story of love but of offensive grace. 

Friends, God’s power is beyond words. He created the world, He set everything into motion, He breathed everything into existence. Yet still, even though we sinned He set up a plan to make sure we could still be with Him in the end. God in His almighty power sent His only son, to come and live with us. To live a life of love and miracles, to be the only one who has ever walked this earth and lived an absolutely perfect life, completely sinless, completely surrendered to the Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ came down so that He could ultimately create a path for us to return the heaven one day with God. 

Jesus Christ came and suffered for us.

Jesus Christ died on a cross for us, for our sins. 

Jesus Christ was buried in a grave.

Jesus Christ rose from that same grave three days later, beating death in that moment to be with us yet again. 

Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven so that all who repent and believe in Him will be saved.

Knowing me, knowing us, all of our sin and shame and failures. Knowing we would deny Him, knowing we would make mistakes, knowing that humanity is truly broken and lost, He poured out grace and love to make a path so we can be with Him. Not doing anything to deserve it, not doing anything to earn it, not having anything to give Him in return, but simply because God loves us so much He refuses to be separated from us.  

Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. There my friends is my honest offense. Why do I get grace, this “unconditional love” just thrown at me when I have absolutely nothing to give back. Grace is being loved by God when the world has deemed you unlovable, its a love that has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the lover(God). In a world that has taught my generation its all about me, its all about what you can bring to the table and you better have the best thing, its all about what you can do, the gospel is screaming the opposite. So I find myself both in constant tension and constant offense. Grace is irrational in the sense that it has nothing to do with weights and measures. It has nothing to do with my intrinsic qualities or so-called “gifts”. It reflects a decision on the part of the giver, the one who loves, in relation to the receiver, the one who is loved, that negates any qualifications the receiver may personally hold. Simply put, grace is a one way love from God and all we can do is receive it. 

Friends, I am far from getting everything right, from living exactly like Jesus did, and I miss the mark almost daily. Yet, I’m able to try again and again because of this out pouring of grace from God. Before I followed Jesus, I was constantly striving to be perfect and hated myself every single time I fell short. When I disappointed people, when they disappointed me, my world was sent into chaos because I relied on people, on humanity, who is flawed above all else. When I start following Jesus and I began to rely on Him, the grace that was poured out on me I could give to others, even if they could give me nothing back and my world was no longer shattered when people disappointed me. It became my new response because thats how I was being taught from Jesus.

I find myself offended by grace because I was so comfortable living in the worlds standards and there was a part of my being that trying to earn my keep, opposed to just receiving love for no reason, for nothing other than because God loves me that much and wants to. It sends my skin screaming, it blows my mind daily because I can not wrap my mind around it no matter how hard I try. It sends me for a loop because I’m left to just receive it, unable to give anything in return. 

So here I am, learning and running after Jesus. Being brought through constant refinement, being brought to my knees in repentance when I fall short, but being loved for exactly who I am because I choose to follow Jesus and I will continue to choose Him, time and time again. Even when our world is falling apart, people are hurting each other, and chaos surrounds the nations, I will choose Him. Because the reason the world is in so much hurt and pain is because there was a time where we didn't choose Him and we choose ourselves, and we’ve lived in that since. So even if its against the tide, even if its against what the world is telling me, I will choose Him because He is the only one who could love me with me being unable to give anything in return. He is the only one who can pour out grace to ones who don’t deserve it, but will continue to do it anyway.

Remember that one time I went to Egypt?

Friends words cannot express the gratitude within me for your support in sending me to Egypt. I wont lie to you, I was hesitant in trusting the Lord to provide for me to go. Yet He remains forever faithful and abundant in His love that regardless of my fear, He provided a way. The even crazier part was that all seven of the Ministry Apprenticeship students were able to completely raise their funds in full as well. God provided beyond our abilities and even our resources in order that we would all travel to the Middle East to share His kingdom. 

Missions have continually marked my life and I continue to see the Lord move in incredible ways every time. This trip was no different. As you may know I’ve been in Tacoma, WA for two years now with Catalyst Seminary, immersing myself within community to help connect with Gods heart. The program has showed me what a biblical lifestyle looks like in modern day, what surrender to God looks like in a culture thats telling a generation to do the opposite, and how the great commission is truly intended for us to go out and share the gospel to the unreached. Catalyst has surfaced this very part of my heart, a part that has always been designed to be full of The Fathers love, connected with His plan and surrounded with love from relationships within the church body. 

Truly I tell you all, my friends, Tacoma has changed my life.

This past trip to Egypt the Lord showed me what He has in store for me. However, before I get to that I’m excited to share about what happened while we were over in Cairo, Egypt. We didn't know much going in, the schedule kept changing and everything planned was constantly being shifted around. However the team had prayed before we even knew where we were going and knew wherever we stepped foot, the Lord wanted to raise up Josephs around us. He desired to pour out refreshment to the people we encountered, and He wanted to breathe hope into a broken people. When we landed in Cairo, the atmosphere immediately weighed on us and we knew this would not be an easy task. Yet, with zeal in our hearts and the Lords promises of all things being possible through Him, we walked confidently out of that airport.

The flat where we were going to be housed for the trip was in a outer suburb called Garbage City. It’s where most of the christian population live because its amongst the trash and the pigs, so in a predominately muslim nation, it made sense to put the christians with the trash. The poor also lived there, and because of the lack of a trash and recycling structure, it was also a means for people to work and sort the trash. As we walked down the streets, you couldn't help but be met by a pungent smell that overcame your senses. Our comforts started to be challenged and our flesh was screaming that this is too much. But we remained in Garbage City refusing to let discomfort stop Gods plan and went to what was next on the agenda.  We started with house visits and ministering to the local community. We went in groups to pray for families and share the gospel to the surrounding homes in the neighborhood. The Holy Spirit showed up during those visits and healed hearts and spoke to salvation to children. Those times we simply walked in faith of where we should go, listened to what should be said, and spoke in love and compassion about the love of Christ. It was in the simple obedience and sharing of the gospel I was reminded of how the Lords created my heart to come alive!

We also partnered with YWAM and a team from Norway to worship and pray original design over the students attending the school in Cairo. We spent a day teaching Freedom material and praying original design over every student and visitor on the base that day! Truly nothing is more heart stirring than seeing Gods children be told how God has created them and how much He knows them through and through. 

There were a couple days where the girls and guys split up and ministered in different places, the women went to a local foreign prison and the men spent a day teaching at a local church. When we went to the prison, we had a two hour drive to get there then about a four hour wait time to actually get inside the prison all the accumulate to a total of thirty minutes of visiting time. I’ll tell you what though, that thirty minutes was worth every second of driving and waiting. I met this women who was also from Russia, and her story was tragically beautiful. Without sharing too much I can tell you a little bit of her story. She’s from St. Petersburg, Russia (just like me) and she came to Egypt to visit and fell in love with an Egyptian man. They got married, had two boys and we’re living their lives to the best of their know how. Through unfortunate circumstances and shifty government policies she ended up in prison under false accusations but unable to prove her innocence she remains stuck in the foreign prison left to wait out her sentence. Her heart is hardened to the Egyptian people, believing they are all liars and cheats, her heart is angry at her husband for not fighting for her freedom, and her heart is broken for the missed time away from her sons as they are growing up. I saw a lot of who I used to be in her, in her independence and anger but I so thankful to just be with her and show her love and attempt to speak hope back into life’s circumstances. I got to pray with her, then as a group we all got to worship and sing praises to our Jesus and suddenly the entire room shifted for a moment and hope was rising around so strongly it was almost tangible to grasp. It was thirty minutes that marked my heart and she will never leave my memory.

Ending our time there we continued to visit churches and minister around the local neighborhood. We were seeing salvations, healing and people experiencing the love of God like they never felt before. People we were meeting were learning how to walk in freedom and begin to hear God on their own for the first times. 

One of my favorite places we visited while we were there was called The Cave Church. Named so accurately because it was truly a cave in a mountain that was discovered and a church was made out of it. The story behind its start, well God moved a mountain in order for this church to exist and only came about through prayer from a few that so desperately craved a place to worship together. We met some of the local pastors in the church and were honored to pray for them as they needed, one was healed of a poorly healed broken knee injury and went from slowly limping to walking in strides with confidence in every step. The other was healed of stomach pains and invited us into the preparation room. (Fun fact: Women are not allowed in that room and all four of us girls were invited in.) It was an honor, and the presence of the Lord in that room was too much for words. Our only response that any of us could fathom was to pray, to thank God for His goodness, to pray for revival to come to Egypt, to pray for the church to bring in the multitudes, and to worship because its all we could do. 

Yes we toured, rode camels and saw the coolest ancient sites in our entire lives. Yes we got to hang out with some of the most fun people I’ve ever met. Yes we heard peoples stories and found revelation for our own lives in the lessons they’ve had with God. Yes we prayed for many, loved on more, and taught all that we knew. Yet more importantly, yes we followed God, in His steps that were planned from the beginning of time for our group to walk in. We said yes to Him when He called us to go and in every moment after. 

That was our teams trip to Egypt, and you helped me get there. So thank you from the bottom of my heart, with all my being for believing in me to go to the nations to see the love of Jesus be spread in the Middle East. I wouldn't have been able to go if it were not for your prayers, love and support!!! 

This summer was full of joy but this summer was also hard.

And just like that, in one simple blink of the eye, this summer has come and gone.

This summer I had the honor of being able to partner with Catalyst Training School's Summer Program and was able to help the staff and come along side 38 young adults who were hungry for more of God. I got to witness these beautiful souls God put in front of me lay their lives down for a summer and dive head first into all of who Jesus is. I saw passion get sparked within their hearts, I saw hope come back into their eyes and I saw Jesus pour his love out on every single one of them as they sought him out for more. How wonderful is our God that He never fails to meet us in our seeking, He hears our cries and meets us in ways we never thought possible.

This summer I was blessed to meet 38 world changers and get to now call them my friends. Every moment this summer was marked by Gods love, laughter and raw community. We went after the heart of God together and the Lord is bringing kingdom shakers back to their hometowns that are now more than equipped to fight for Him. I got to see 38 faces change by encountering the love of a Father every day for three months. I got to see single individuals walk into a moment where they had to actively choose Jesus and lay down the worlds promises in pure faith, not knowing what their yes was going to mean. I got to learn more about Jesus in these 38 incredible friends than I ever thought this summer was capable of. I was blessed to make some of the best memories that I get to hold onto forever because God loves each of us that much to give us those kind of gifts. This summer we had four outreach teams go out into the nations and radically love on those across the world, share the gospel, bring healing, and encounter people with Gods love. Those four teams came back with a fire that will never cease because they partnered with God in reaching the lost and broken and brought love back into their hearts!

This summer I had the honor of serving the staff through the little tasks, preparing snack, through organizing details, and through laying down my life in the background. I didn't have a job that I had deemed as 'important' but the Lord used me as a glue to help spur on the other staff who were being called to lead in greater measures. I threw myself against the rock of humility time and time again, and realized that as long as I was being seen by God then being seen by man doesn't really matter.

This summer was full of joy but this summer was also hard. I'm in a constant wrestle to know who God is to me, to match what I've been taught and know to what I actually believe about Him. I know God is good, faithful, loving and true, but I let my circumstances tell me the exact opposite and the Lord allowed me to choose what I was going to believe about Him through it all. Honestly, there were times that I chose wrong, and I chose to be disappointed and angry at God because that's what my circumstances were telling me to feel. There were also times where I got to choose to believe how faithful God is and carry a hope in Him rather than letting those circumstances make me disheartened towards God. This summer like the season before is continuing to mold me into a heart that's worthy of Jesus and what it means to follow him.

This summer I had to be kindly reminded of the anger that still remains within my heart, and purely by Gods grace is it finally being exposed so I can fight it and get rid of it so I no longer have to live succumbed by it. I experienced testing and tension and hardships all while uncovering the way I respond to circumstances, and honestly not liking the way I do at all. I felt out of control in my emotions, and I could see how my sharp words inflicted wounds on people that I care about most. Obviously that't neither my hearts intention or how God created me, but rather how the enemy was holding me back. I was able to be surrounded by key people in my life who spoke truth into who they know I am, and pursue the freedom that's before me. They saw my heart and fought to believe the best about me when I wasn't acting my best.

Whats up next you might ask....?

Well, through prayer and shut doors by God, I have decided to do Catalyst Training School's Second Year Program to further my training in leadership, ministry, and restoration. It is with some hesitation that I step into this next season but I will choose to believe that the Lord is in it and will be faithful to meet me in ways I don't yet know I need.

What I do need though, is prayer. (Don't we all!) I need prayer for a few things.
1. Pray for my family and that God would continue to bring healing and restoration in the midst of chaos and hurt.
2. Pray for my next season as the Lord would continue working and exposing this deep root of anger that's been burdening my heart for far too long.
3. Pray for my family here in Tacoma and that they would receive radical provision in the coming season!
4. Pray for Catalyst Training school, the staff (Adam, Jenny, Stephen, Shane, Elizabeth, Aimee) as they pour their lives and hearts out because they believe in the next generation being raised up. 
5. And pray for me. Please prayerfully consider joining with me in this next journey; I need to raise $3500 to cover Second Years tuition. More urgently, I need to pay the $300.00 deposit to secure my spot in the school by this Sunday! If you would like to join with me financially, please feel free to message me and I can let you know how.

My heart misses Arizona more than words can express but its also found a new home here in Tacoma. I deeply love you all, thanks for reading and caring so much about me.

I pray God blesses you so much and fills you with so much love and joy today!

Going, learning, praying.

Well friends, there's about a thousand things to catch you up on.
My bad team.

March-May
I went to El Salvador, God radically encountered my team and myself while we were there. I got to witness healing to both bodies and souls. I spent two week covered by the Lords presence in the darkest of places. He opened not only my eyes, but my heart to the nations. The cry of my heart is no longer, "Jesus wont you save Tanzania", but rather, "Lord flood the nations with revival." It was in the streets of San Salvador that God gave me His heart for His people. It was the children dancing during worship that my heart started singing His praises again. It was seeing my team lay their lives down whole heartedly for weeks to serve the one in front of them, over and over and over again that my perspective began to change. I was meeting my Heavenly Father in silent prayers that I began to see Him shifting His church, His people, His nation right in front of my eyes.

Going to El Salvador re-ignited my passion for people, to love them endlessly and to share what I know about the love of a Father desperate for relationship with His children.
Going to El Salvador opened my eyes to the generations before me and how hungry they are to know their identity, to fill that missing piece the world will never satisfy.
Going to El Salvador changed my heart all over again, it became awakened to the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit and how the Father feels for His children all around.
Going to El Salvador strengthened my self proclaimed little silent prayers to out shouts of revival and salvation to break forth.

All in all, it was an amazing trip with countless memories and some pretty terrific pupusas.

May-June
I graduated the Catalyst Seminary First Year program, whoop whoop! Your girl made it through 9 months of sharing a house with 30 people, intense study of the scriptures and teachings of Jesus, heart surgery part two, and the oh so infamous growing and maturing process. I've survived and I've learned.

I've learned that I am desperate for community in order to see radical healing in my own life, that I was never meant to ever do life on my own.
I've learned that there is such a beauty in taking the time to both meditate and study the scriptures, that in those very moments God feels closer than He ever has to me.
I've learned that correction and discipline done right will spring about more growth than seeking out trying to control someone or "fix them."
I've learned that asking for help is when I became the strongest version of myself.
I've learned that it is not without patience, training, and humbling myself to learn from those wiser than me that I will ever be able to step into my calling.
And I've learned that radical faith is paired with action and trusting that ultimately it is ALL in Gods capable hands.

It was a hard year up in Tacoma, Washington. But it was a year that will mark my heart for the rest of my life. It was a year that brought about change in who I am and brought my into the happiness and pure joy The Lord had always wanted for me.

Thank you friends for your prayers, phone calls, and moments I've gotten to share with you! As I move forward into a new season I am staying in Tacoma for another year. I had sure faith that God has some more things for me and my heart up here and much more learning to do!

This summer I will be staffing the Catalyst Summer Program for the new 38 students that are hungry and chasing after more of God whole heartedly. Being able to serve the very program that sparked so much freedom and change in my own heart is amazing and I cant wait for what the summer holds and how the Lord will meet students. Between you and me, I think they are so much cooler than my class ever was. 

I ask you keep praying for me! I need finical provision desperately since I'm volunteering and working part-time praying that God will provide the means to get by and not over work myself as I save up for a car. (Thanks again mom for letting me borrow yours!)

Also pray for our students that they be softened to The Lord voice this summer and the workings He is doing in their hearts. Pray for courage to explore the harden parts of their hearts and for vulnerability to be released within their friendships, small groups, and families. Pray for protection over them because the enemy will attack them hard since they are laying down what the world has deemed as important and are focusing whole heartedly on God for 7 weeks.

Love you all!

But God I love 'IT'...

'It', the infamous, all consuming, cant bare to part with, please you cant take this one, 'it'. 'It' can look different to all of us, 'it' can be a place, a thing, a person, a memory, an emotion, a dream, a plan, anything! But what does look the same is the fact that 'it' being taken away, no matter what 'it' is can destroy you and leave you on your knees.

I had this revelation a week ago when I was forced to finally take my car, named Bruce, to the auto body shop because he was more than broken. (I refer to my car as a person all to often, so just accept it and lets move on.) I knew it would be costly, as most repairs are, but I cried out and prayed to Jesus that it would be a $300 dollar price tag so I would be able to pay for it as well as my airfare deposit for El Salvador. Sure enough a week and a heart wrenching conversation later, I was told that my car would in fact cost $2,500 to fix at minimum. Tears flooded my eyes.

Now before you write me off as an entitled brat who didn't plan well, like I had even felt for myself, let me tell you the back ground and reasons for my tears. Its basically the straw that broke my back scenario. I'm going to bring you into my heart in this moment, before this I had already felt like the Lord was stripping me of everything I was holding onto prior. Things that I thought were good and right and frankly what I thought I deserved. Yet still after putting up a fight to not let go, I ended up releasing and giving it all to God anyway because He always told me it would be worth it.

What had I let go of you might wonder? Well, in complete transparency because that's what I'm all about, broadly I thought I had let go of my life. Specifically I let go of, my schooling in Flagstaff and what I had thought was my solid and good plan to become a teacher. I let go of my dearly treasured Wyldlife girls in Flagstaff that I was starting to live life with so closely. I also let go of my Wyldlife teammates, more like family, which was more than heart breaking. I let go of my old relationship, I let go of my best and closest friends. I let go of being close to my family and loved ones. I let go of Arizona to embark on a brand new adventure in the Pacific North freaking West. Then I came up here, and then I began to let go of my plans, ALL of them. My money because it was getting put into First Year. I let go of my expectations of what I thought I was going to have in coming up here. I let go of people that I really liked having in my life, I let go of my heart and who I wanted to have it. Then what felt like I had nothing more to give, Jesus took my wheels. (see what I did there!)

This wouldn't have mattered so much normally but the reason I think it did hit me so hard was because I didnt know what I was holding onto while holding onto my car. Guess what it was? Ready for it....independence. A car meant I could go where I want, when I want, and not have to depend on anyone. Talk about a blow to both my ego and my heart. In being faced with the GIANT auto bill I also had to make a decision, was I going to El Salvador anymore or was I going to choose my independence. I couldnt afford either so it then felt like I was going to lose my car and my dream to go to El Salvador. So yeah it really did break me.

So naturally I got very, very mad at God. Yelling and screaming saying that "He couldn't do this anymore, that I had nothing else for Him to take away." I cried out asking "why He would do this if in laying my life down He wasn't going to show up in any ways!" It was in that desperation He asked me, if I trusted Him at all.

I wanted to quit, I wanted to yell and cry more than I wanted to fight, I wanted to throw up my hands and just stop in my tracks, I didn't trust God as much as I thought I did. I wanted to let Him handle certain things on His own and I would handle the rest. You don't do anything half way with God, like I was doing, therefore He kept stripping me of what I wouldn't let go. So I was faced with a decision, to choose if I trusted that God wanted me to go to El Salvador and would provide or I didn't, wouldn't go anymore and keep trying to do life on my own. Since we're playing the guessing game, any ideas as to what I chose?

If you guessed letting go of another 'it' and surrendering even more to Jesus and HIS WILL for my life, you'd be right. I let go of Bruce and all the independence that went along with him. I chose to instead hold onto with ALL of my might to the promise that God has amazing things in store for me in El Salvador. I chose to trust Him with every spec of my being that He will provide for me like He always has and always will, that somehow come March 28th (my birthday, coincidentally!) I will be on a plane going to share the gospel, pray for the sick, and contend for hi
s kingdom in El Salvador.

Our team will be serving alongside a local church, La Ruta(The Route) in San Salvador. From La Ruta we will conduct healing services in rural churches as well as gospel outreaches in local high schools. Previous teams have seen incredible miracles in the healing services and many student have come to faith in Christ in the schools. We are trusting God for mighty miracles in Jesus' name and for many to come into the kingdom with all our initiatives.

My financial deadlines are approaching and I am left praying and working my butt off to come up with the money! I have $410 of support raised so far and I am left to raise $1,000 dollars by February 15th, and then the $700 by March 10th. So I'm reaching out far and wide for help!

I pray that you consider supporting me financially. A gift of $50, $100 or $150, or any amount is more than appreciated and welcome as well as tremendously needed. If you cant support me financially then I pray you come along side me in praying for the trip as well as God providing for me and my team to go! 

Just so you know, gifts are tax deductible and can either be mailed to:

Anastasia Plumb
c/o City Central Church
425 N. Tacoma Ave
Tacoma, Washington 98403

or can be donated online by clicking the link below;

http://www.catalystschool.com/give

Click the 'First Year' student and then when you put my name in type 'El Sal' next to it.

Thank you for considering supporting me through prayer and/or giving. This trip would literally be impossible without the generosity of so many. Grateful for you heart, your belief in me and my dreams and taking the time to read this and love on me!

The Rock Winter Retreat 2015

This past weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to serve along side some incredible leaders and take our little family of middle and high schoolers to Buttercreek Lodge for the Youth Winter Retreat. This jammed packed weekend led to breakthrough in so many of the kids lives, as well as my own. We had the honor of having this godly couple Chad and Heather speak about the identity we carry as sons and daughters in Jesus Christ. 

As I was praying for the weekend I asked the Lord what He was going to do, and how I could help? He told me, "I will shift hearts back to me! I will win them over and bestow gifts upon them. I will mark them with my truth and my glory." I put this in bold because not only is it what the Lord spoke over the weekend, but I bold it so you and scroll back up to it and find it easily after I describe what took place this weekend. You're welcome for the bookmark.

This weekend, we started off with a road trip full of excited kids heading up to the woods to escape. When we finally landed in Buttercreek they were all too  eager to unload and start the weekend of fun in store for them. Unpacked both literally and to me what seemed to feel like an under layer of unpacking too place, everyone in that cabin became lighter, in simpler words, Jesus came into the room and man did the atmosphere change. We began worship and started club and the kids became wrapped up in the present with the ones around them. Chad and Heather shared their testimonies with such vulnerability, hearts softened and the Holy Spirits presence feel upon the room. They began the weekend dropping the hammer on the enemy and declaring over the kids that their identity in Christ sends Satan running for the hills. AMEN! 

Now if you're reading this thinking how could it get any better, well take a deep breath and get ready, because it did. Then next morning as the groggy kids were waking up from staying up until 3am the night prior because they're kids and that's just the things they do, the Lord moved on my heart and just whispered, "Watch how I show up today. Watch my love overflow in these little ones, in these hearts around you." And so I did. 

As laughs followed our hilarious program team, and songs of praise followed worship once again the Holy Spirit fell upon the room with even greater force. As we worshiping, the atmosphere was taken over by love, and soon to follow was an even greater revelation of the Lords love for us. Chad once again came up to speak and shared about Gods immense love for all His children, that's right adults are metaphorical children too. Then we broke up into girls and guys groups and Heather spoke to the girls room and Chad the guys. Heather spoke love into the girls hearts, the love of their Heavenly Father. She brought awareness to what society is calling love to look like, how its portrayed as immediate, its conditional, its tormenting, it involves triangles, and it had an end if things aren't "perfect". She brought awareness how our lenses are shifted to view love as fleeting and hard to find, how it remembers mostly bad and seldom good. Then she paused, feeling the prompting of the Holy Spirit she had us declare who we were because the scariest thing to the enemy is a Christian who knows who they are. Let me repeat myself, the scariest thing to Satan is you knowing EXACTLY who you are and how you were created.

[[ We declared at the top of our lungs, "We are daughters of the Most High King! We are beautiful! We are loved! We are seen as treasures to God. We are wonderfully made. We reflect the image of God. We are daughters of the Most High King, Satan you cannot touch me!" ]]

Now because I'm a girl, I don't know exactly what the guys did, but what I've heard was that Chad had them close their eyes and ask the Lord to give them a present. He asked them to shut their eyes and ask, "Lord what do you want to give me?" ALL of the guys were saw amazing pictures of the Lords promises and gifts and smiles spread across each of their faces in the presence of Jesus. 

Moving into the afternoon the kids were able to explore outdoors and walk down to the river we were by! They played and hung out with each other for hours and played ridiculous games. Laughter erupted from the living room during Battle of the Bands (Taylor Swift Edition) and all I could help but pray was, "Lord let these memories, these moments be with them the rest of their lives." Finally after a meal that we all could have sworn was from heaven, thank you Amy Buskirk, we transitioned into our evening club. Chad brought the house down again as he highlight the Temptation of Jesus in Luke 4 in a completely new way. Coming off of a 40 day fast God allowed Satan to tempt Jesus, saying "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." Obviously Jesus was hungry, 40 DAYS without food! Come one I get hungry from 40 minutes without food, anyway the part that Chad highlighted was the specific wording, "IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD..." The devils schemes are never new, the devil was having Jesus question his identity. JESUS! And guess what, because Jesus lives within you, Satan will come at full force to attack your identity. To get you to question everything about who you truly are. It was after that we had the kids stand up and we were able to pray and minister to them with the Lord. 

Needless to say tears were spewing out of my own eyes, let alone others as kids received revelations of who they are! Thank you Lord for how wonderfully you made every single little one in that lodge, that was a room full of powerful prayers, worshipers, servants, speakers and kingdom shakers! 

This is the time you scroll back up to the bold to remember what the Lord told me He was going to do this weekend because He more than came through. Kids lives were changed this weekend and I got to witness the Lords power in such a beautiful way. Looking back at this weekend I pray its more than the typical camp high that follows this retreat, I pray this weekend was a steak in the ground claiming victory of their identity of who they are! I pray this weekend impacted every single one of the littles ones hearts as much as it impacted my own.