*this update i wrote yesterday from the plane/airport..*

This is my second time writing this update, because since the first one so many miracles and blessings have happened it needed revision! I am writing from Long Island where I am comfortably in my cousin’s warm bed for my last night in the United States! I leave for Barbados at 8.30 am tomorrow morning! Before I leave, I wanted to share I few blessings that have happened while on my journey..
After arriving in LA, finding my gate and the nearest Starbucks, I heard over the loud speaker a final boarding call for JFK flight that was leaving in ten minutes. I called my dad and asked if I could skip out on the 3 hour layover and try to get on that flight instead, he told me it was a long shot. It just so happened that there was one seat left on the plane and because in Boise my bags had been booked all the way through by “accident” I was able to get on! This was an enormous gift from God. Instead of only spending a few late night hours with my cousins.. I spent the evening with them. It wasn’t just about skipping a layover; God blessed me with the gift of fellowship on the eve of my departure. He reminded me of His GOODNESS. The entire flight I was filled with his presence to the point where the flight attendant had to ask me why I was so excited. And today I simply walked in His love and He has gone above and beyond just taking care of me but has blessed me every step of the way.
Since now you know what’s been going on today.. I thought I’d fill you in on some pre leaving Boise events…

Tuesday was the first day of nerves for me. It was an emotional roller coaster ride between the good byes, last minute packing, and my last beautiful Idaho sunset. In between the ups and downs though, God gave me clear words of peace and comfort and filled me with excitement. Every time I would start to mentally get overwhelmed, someone would call and talking about my trip brought me back to a place of peace. It was an experience like none other seeing God take care of me before I left. I was so blessed with good times with friends, edifying conversations, and the peace knowing I don’t have to worry. Last night as I began to stress out God reminded me that I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to wear, eat, or where to go. (Luke 12) So I took comfort knowing I packed the right things, I shouldn’t be afraid of foreign food and God is going to be with my guiding me in the airports! Isn’t it nice knowing when we travel alone we’re going with Jesus?! As I sat at the gate in Boise for a mere second I got this panic of, “wow, I’m going to another country alone this is scary!” and then before I blinked I was sweetly covered in the presence of Jesus. It was a relief and an unexpected blessing!

Obviously, the hardest part is leaving my family. It took courage for all of us so early in the morning to get in the car and drive to the airport. I miss them so much already. But I realized as I walked away into security that our hearts are never far apart. God is Lord over our household, and just because I’m not there does not mean he is going to continue to keep us united in His Spirit. I was on the verge of balling as I went through security. Everyone around me though was sympathetic and did not mind waiting for me as I was shaking trying to get my fourty pound carryon bag on the belt. Of course, my ear rings kept setting the security off, but the lady asked, “is that your mom crying over there?” And I answered in tears and shaking, “yes”, and she just let me go through! It was an awesome moment I really just wanted to hug the lady, because I didn’t need the stress of being searched and she just gave me grace. God is taking care of me every single second of this trip.
I cannot thank everyone enough who is keeping me in their prayers or has blessed me over the past weeks. I am not going alone, but with a team of prayer warriors behind me. My aunt told me she is praying that I would come near to God and he would come near to me (James 4). I have never felt closer to God than I do right now. Complete trust. It is hard. Giving up everything and all selfishness and ways of the world to say “God, I’m seeking you, and trusting you.” But he gave me the strength to go, and He is with me and I am closer to Him than I have ever been. I am so excited to see what He has in store. His plans for the next season are great and His love for me is ever abounding. I am resting and walking in nothing but His love today, with my complete trust in Him, and my heavenly Father is holding my hand the entire way, never letting go. I am so comforted.
Today as I travel, pray for peace, more of his presence, and safety. God is protecting me today, from sickness, from being “misplaced” in the airports, and from any and all harm. (I am also counting on him guiding me to starbucks in JFK this morning..)
Thank you Thank you Thank you for your prayers! My next update will be from my dorm in Barbados! I am excited to share all the awesome things God does on the rest of my journey!
Love you all,

Bekah

goodbyes and stocker bears

Five days!  That is an accumlivite total of 106 hours I have left in the United States before I leave for sunny Barbados.  This is also my last Saturday here for FIVE MONTHS!  So what does one do on such a day?  Well, my free time has consisted of cleaning my room, spending time with my family, and painting my nails!  Yes, that's right; no longer am I under the threat if I show up to work with nail polish I'll be written up.. today at 1:03 I clocked out of the Eagle and Florance Starbucks for the last time.. atleast for now :) 
It was bitter sweet to say goodbye to a place and the faces that have been apart of my life for nearly two years.  When I arrived for work at 5:30 this morning Nanci and Erin surprised me with cupcakes, the most amazing bean dip ever, and a fruit plate that everyone enjoyed!  It was so so so sweet! Between the food, the sign, the store card, the note left by Lauren and Kala, and the "stocker" build a bear that will be my escort on my journey, and the wonderful book and note kathleen gave me, I have never felt so loved.  Oh wait, that is wrong.  Right after we finally slowed down around 11 my parents showed up with balloons.  Then I felt super loved.  I have spent so much time at the store, seeing the same smiling faces every day.  Working at Starbucks has been a God send.  Most teens in high school have some job at a fast food place that basically earns them gas money.  Starbucks was never that to me.  It was a place of daily miracles and friendship, not to mention caffine and loads of fun!  My coworkers are some of my best friends.  And I will never forget the way they touched me this morning and how it felt when I realized how much they really cared.  I am going to miss them so much. 
But, on the flip side, today was also a day of rest as I got to not have to worry about washing my aprons, or when my next shift is.  I was able to spend care free time with my family and focus on the coming week.  Now, with my metalic colored nails I am writing my next update.  There are several mile stones I have crossed this week as I near my departure.  God has given me an abounding ammount of excitement and joy over DTS.  I couldn't help but share about DTS with every customer that asked why I was so happy.  Also this week, I've connected with another student going to school.  It has been so nice talking to her.  I think we could be good friends pretty easy :)  which just excites me even more to think of all the friendships I am going to make at DTS. 
As I make new friends in the next few weeks, I will also be saying good bye to the old.  Tomorrow I will see a lot of people for the last time before I leave.  I am going to miss everyone so much!  (Especially my Mom and Dad) Saying good bye is never easy.  But as Alyssa and Kona and I decided at the begining of summer, its never good bye, only to be continued. 

With all this said (and this is a way longer update than I intended) I have a few prayer requests.

• WISDOM!  
• Safe travels.. my total travel time is 30 hours. It's gonna be a long one. (However I do get to see my cousins in New York on my layover so it isn't all travel!)
• Protection from getting sick before I leave!  This seems to be my Mom's biggest concern right now, and some prayer would help put her at rest.
• Awesome prayer time!

 I know it sounds weird to pray for prayer time.. but last week I told Sarah Chaffin that I had no idea what to do before I left because I wasn't working.  And she said "Pray, and pray some more" and I thought DUH!  How silly am I?!  I have four days before I leave where all I have to do is pack and hang out with people.  I know its going to be busy.. but I am still gonna have a huge chunck of time everyday to myself.  I am really hoping God gives me some words during this time :) 

Well, I believe that is all for now.. I will try to make another post before I leave in a four days and two hours!

Peace and love,
Bekah 

FIRST UPDATE :)

Greetings all!  It is hard to believe September is already here.  It has been a fast, blessed summer filled with a time of growing spiritually and working fulltime and making memories with my family and friends.  All four of my grandparents as well my Aunt Sister and Uncle Joe came out for my graduation in May, and to end the summer our old neighbors from Memphis came to vacation in Idaho.  It has truly been an exciting and BUSY summer! 

For me specifically, my summer has been centered around the change of plans I had after graduation.  I’ve decided to wait to attend Boise State for a year and instead spend the next five months at a Justice and Mercy Discipleship Training School through Youth With A Mission.  Youth With A Missions (YWAM) is an international missions organizations which has reached out to 140 nations and has the goal of spreading the gospel to the corners of the world.  They do this through their discipleship training schools, intense five to six month schools where students study the Bible in depth and through the teachings grow to know God on a totally deep and real level, while also being prepared to take the gospel to the nations and back into life at home. 

Though they have schools in hundreds of nations all over the globe and each school has a unique focus on evangelism, for me God made the choice so simple.  I am going to a Justice and Mercy DTS in Barbados from September 28^th to February 23d where I will be learning of all the social injustices going on in the world, as well the 3 billion people who have not yet heard the gospel.  Along with the 20 other students I will be experiencing personal freedom and healing and also be given the tools and knowledge to reach the nations with the love of Christ who are discarded by the rest of the world as “unreachable”. 

After the nine weeks of lecture phase in Barbados where we will be studying topics from the “heart of God the Father” to “missional living”, my school will be traveling by boat throughout South America on outreach.  The first two weeks we will be continuing our studies and the following two and a half months we will apply what we’ve learned on the missions field as we travel from country to country ministering and encountering those God has planned in advance for us to meet.  We will not know the specifics until we arrive at school but we have been informed we’re traveling through five countries by boat starting in Venezuela and working our way down to Argentina!

As I’ve prayed over this trip, God keeps reminding me of the freedom I am going to find in Him as I literally put aside all of my fears and worries of the world to chase after Him and discover what he has for me.  The word I have heard several times is encounter.  The definition of this word God has yet to define for me, but I do know this:  I am going to be encountering Jesus on a whole new level which will make my wildest dreams come true.  What those dreams are specifically that will be fulfilled, I don’t know.  But I am so thankful God is giving me this chance to find out.  Since I was very little God has placed on my heart the desire and I’ve seen the importance of taking the gospel to the nations.  This past year I had the opportunity to take a Perspectives college class which taught on world missions.  My heart is burdened with fire to see God’s glory spread around the world and into places unknown.  I want every lost and broken soul to find him and have the same relationship I’ve been blessed with.  This school, will not only give me the training I need to do this, but I will be given a whole new set of eyes for His people on this earth and I will be totally changed by the miracles I witness and seeing His kingdom come to the lost and broken.

Obviously, this decision to do a DTS was not only last minute but unexpected for me too.  There were several huge factors that kept me from wanting to say yes to this right off the bat.  The main one was my health.  Though I have been healthy because of the medicine I receive from St. Jude’s, I still have Neutropenia and it would be a huge ordeal for me to get sick away from home.  However, St. Jude’s is able to provide my medicine for the five months I will be gone and I am taking the necessary precautions to stay healthy while I am there.  I am completely trusting in God to be my health care provider while away.  He is sending me there, so I am walking in complete confidence he will keep me healthy and safe.

The finances of my trip are a miracle.  All my life I have been super cautious about spending money, and I have saved most of my earnings.  Now I know the reason why I’ve saved:  for this school.  Between that, and my graduation money, and working full time this summer at Starbucks, I am going to have EXACALLY the amount I need with every penny stretched. Because of this blessing, I am not writing to ask for your financial support, but I am begging for your prayers as I embark into the unknown with Jesus as my light.  To know that there are friends and family praying for me daily back home when I’m away is my comfort.  And for this big of a leap of faith I need as much prayer as I can get.  Here are a few specific prayer requests that I would love for you to partner with me in interceding over these daily. 

     That God would be faithful in keeping me and my team healthy and safe from the time we leave home traveling through the airports, during our time in South America, and as we return to Barbados for graduation and come home.

     My family would be at peace letting go of their worry for me and remain healthy and safe while I’m gone.

  Pray for me as I grow into the young adult God has for me that I would let go of all fear and reservation and make my life a living sacrifice to Him.  That He would be the center of everything in my life and that I would absorb everything He has for me to learn on DTS and let them make me into the person God desires me to be.

   Pray for the other students and the life long friendships I will make.  (I don’t know any of the other students or anyone in Barbados)

     Pray for the lecture phase and outreach.  During lecture phase pray for our teachers and minds as we learn and grow and during outreach that we would be effective ministers for Christ and that any stumbling blocks would be cast aside and that we would see God’s Kingdom come on earth and His glory work and shine through the nations.

I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and taking the time to read my first update.  I truly could not do it with out you.  I have created a blog for my DTS and I will also be posting email updates and keeping in touch through skype and facebook.  My blog url is http://bekahdtsupdate.blogspot.com/.  If you would like to be put on my email list email me at suprgirl759@cableone.net.  I am planning on posting updates as much as I can with prayer requests, testimonies, pictures, and informing you on what I’m learning and the changes going on in me.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for praying.  I hope God blesses you and your family while I am away and I hope to hear from you all soon!

Lots of love,

Bekah

wanna check out my school???

Wow, in only three weeks I will be starting my journey to Barbados!  (SCARY!)  But the excitement to see what God is going to do in my heart overcomes all my fears.  I thought this would be a great place for all my family and friends to keep in touch while I'm away.  Please let me know if instead of checking my blog you would like to be on my email list.  I don't have much time today to write what all God is teaching me before I leave, but I would like to post a link to the school so you can see the place where I am going to be learning and growing for the next five months.  http://www.ywambarbados.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=29  Thank you for all your support! :)