Year in Review

This year has been such a blessing and full of exciting memories.
I was able to put together a short video of some of these events. It is difficult to choose only a couple pictures since, well, I take A LOT of pictures and there was so much going on. This is only a brief review of my time at the bean, I will be putting together another one for the Harbor and other events.
These young men and women bring a smile to my face each day and I have loved getting to know each of them. I hope you can catch a glimpse of the joy each of them are to me as well as see that God is active in many ways here in Oki. Thank you for sharing with me in this journey.

I still have a ways to go on raising support, but God has moved in ways I never expected. If you would like to partner with me  as I continue following our Lord please click on the donate link to the right.

Beautiful Reminders

I am just finishing up my final week in one of my classes, which covered teaching the Bible and religion, and for the final week I was required to teach one of the lesson plans I wrote. Last night I was able to sit down with three people from the bean and go over this lesson. (Yes I finished it on time, but also waited until the last moment) It was so much fun to hear the different comments and interact with the questions. Yet that was not the best part… As we were discussing the different verses and topics, what they meant and how they affect us, it was such a joy to look at each one of them and remember that I have been able to hear their stories and develop such a friendship with them. It was great to know how some of the topics spoke directly to where they are in life and I was encouraged to hear how they reacted to those in relation to scripture.

Opening His word with dear friends is such a beautiful reminder of what I’m doing here and why. 

After Midnight

"Nothing good happens after midnight"

I've heard this phrase many times, and most of the time I can see how this could be true, when talking about accidents, alcohol, and other incidents. But since I've had the opportunity to help out at the bean I've had the chance to share in several conversations that would not have happened in the middle of the bean crowd. There is something about getting to the wee hours of the night that your mind forgets that you once had a filter trying to keep things in and having someone who is willing to chat provides a mix for good times. The military has people on some pretty crazy schedules and I am grateful for the flexibility to talk when others need an ear.
Of course I don't know how many times I have tried to figure out why I am so tired... and that's when I realized that I am trying to do both, keep late hours and wake up early to keep a dayshift schedule. Hhhmmm of course that won't work.
This brings me to one of my all time challenges, my boundaries.  :/
Over the last couple years that word has come up many times: we did a book study on them, I was reminded about how ineffective that was during candidacy, I reviewed the book again... and well now the singles group is going back through it again, so I will be reviewing my thoughts here as I go through this book again. I look forward to sharing what the Lord shows me over the next couple months.

Please continue to pray for the men and women in our military, they are faced with challenges others see each day as well, but with different reporting procedures and usually a lot of distance from family.
The holiday season usually brings on extra stress that is not recognized, and that is because it shows itself in many different ways: short temper, frustration, quick emotional changes.... etc.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

It has been such a joy getting to know each of these beautiful ladies and hearing their stories.

SECAF

The SECAF (Secretary of the Air Force) recently visited Kadena AB and while he was there, some of the Amn were able to give him a tour of the Wired Bean and explain what we do and why we do it.
So how do you condense the larger purpose of what we do into the quick 10 minute window we were given...? You run him around in circles showing him the building and most of all allowing him to shake the hands and talk to the men and women who have been impacted.
It was a great experience to meet and hear from him, and I continue to pray that he and others will be able to see even a glimpse of what these ministry centers provide to the young men and women of our military.

Typhoon Parties

This year has brought us several typhoons that aren't just going around us, but rather dancing right across the island. I've heard many comments about the storms not being very bad, or being a let down, but I know that I wouldn't want to be outside in them. It's really easy to forget how blessed we are to have the protection of a home.
During the last two typhoons I've had the privilege to have some house guests. The first time we had 5 ladies scattered around a partially unpacked house talking, reading, watching movies, or playing on the internet. I had a good time watching them interact and adjust to being stuck in a house with little personal space.
The second one (Sanba), I was joined by only one lady and we spent a lot of time talking and laughing about our pasts, and then watched several videos online that had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. We woke up the next day to watch a couple movies, build some wooden puzzles, and share pictures.

These storms have been one more reminder of how blessed I truly am to be here. The Lord has placed some amazing ladies in my life that I can grow with. Each of them has a different list of experiences that led them to where they are now, some of which make them smile and some that still make them cry. It's never an easy step to reach out and trust someone to share life with, and I thank God each day that I can be here to listen and support anyway I can, and for their willingness to do the same for me.

Prayer

As I was reading this weeks study in the book, Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow, I was struck by a prayer written by Betty Scott Stam and used also by Elisabeth Elliot. I am only starting to learn about these amazing ladies, and if you have time please take a moment and look up their stories.
As I pray this each day I ask that you would keep me in your prayers, that I would allow the Lord to continue showing me His plan, and that He would give me the strength to follow it. I would also ask that you set aside time to pray this for your life as well, how can the Lord use you if you would give it all to Him?
(I did change a few Thy's and Thous)  :)

Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Your will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all completely to You to be Yours forever. Fill me and seal me with Your Holy Spirit. Use me as You will, send me where You will, work out Your whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.

Amen!

Where are You??

I was at the commissary the other day and I was laughing at a little girl talking to herself while looking at the different candies and food. She was giggling and having a great time, but then she looked up and realized that her mom wasn't there anymore and it was amazing to hear how quickly her tone changed. "Mom, mommy, I can't see you, where are you?" She was just short enough to be hidden behind a row of boxes, and her mom was listening to her the whole time and knew where she was but wasn't alarmed until she also heard her daughters voice change.
This reminded me of going to the stores with my sister and her kids and what she always tells them, "If I can't see you, you are too far." She has kept her kids very aware of the dangers around them.

Then this got me thinking of my spiritual life and how easy it is to be distracted by the things of the world. When I'm not focusing on the Lord, I can go on for a while talking to myself and giggling before I look up and realize I have lost sight of my Father in heaven.
Scriptures tell us that we are continually in a spiritual battle, and it's during these times of misguided focus that we loose sight on Satan sliding in to try and pull us away from the Lord. He has given his word and kept us aware of the dangers that are around, but if we can't see Him then we have gone too far. But just like this little girl, if we look up and realize that we can't see Him, then all we have to do is call out to Him and look because He sees us and hears our voice.

Don't be afraid to call out to your Father if you have lost sight...."Dad, Daddy, I can't see you" and He will answer.