DTS [WEEK ONE]

Greetings from Canada! YES, I officially made it to YWAM VANCOUVER and I am so excited to share with you how this first week has been!

I started my adventure on Tuesday, Sept 25, by waving goodbye to some of my family and friends. It was a bittersweet moment as I was very much looking forward to this new journey ahead but I was also sad to leave some of my favorite people behind. It didn't really hit me until after I started walking through the security line... Then came the tears and with all my might I tried to hold it back so I would be able to see where I was going. That having been my first real experience at leaving family and friends behind it hit me hard after I was alone. However, I wasn't truly alone and knowing and feeling that God was with me, comforting me, and protecting me made me feel way better.

The flight to Vancouver BC from Portland was only an hour and ten minutes, which went by super fast. What took the longest was going through immigration, I think about an hour, with just how many people were in line. After making it through immigration, I found my luggage and then met up with a YWAM Staff member named Adam. He was holding a sign with my name and a few others, which I met moments later.
What I didn't know before coming here is that at the same time as my DTS, there is also a Hockey DTS going on. The Hockey Team consist of seven guys and one girl. They have lectures with us in the mornings and some afternoons, then they hit the ice for some hockey time or have dryland drill time.
The Hockey team is very fun to have with ours and all the guys make everything so much more interesting!

The moment I arrived here in Canada and had a chance to settle in and meet everyone, I felt right at home. Everyone was very welcoming and easy to get along with.
In my DTS, there are seven of us, five girls and two guys - plus Flavia our DTS leader.

We all live in a house just outside of Vancouver. Twenty of us in all and that is also including 4 people who are in the School of Biblical Studies program that YWAM Vancouver also offers.

You would think that for me, coming from a quiet home of only two to a full twenty person household, this would be quite the adjustment but actually, in reality, I LOVE IT SO MUCH. All the commotion and laughter. However, at times, it is hard to concentrate when I need to but that is when I need to just make myself go to a quiet spot or to my room.

Speaking of my room, I am in one of two downstairs bedrooms and I have one roommate, her name is Sooyeon and she is from Korea. God blessed me with such a kind and caring roommate and I am very grateful for her growing friendship.

7 DAYS! + A Word From My Heart

I just wanted to send out a quick update now that there are only 7 DAYS UNTIL DTS VANCOUVER STARTS!!!

AHHHHH!!!

God is so sooo great and He keeps reminding me of His steadfast love and magnificent power every day. Sometimes in the business of life and the never-ending or changing routine, we can, I can get so stuck or blind at the many blessings and opportunities right in front of us.

One of my favorite bonuses for being a Christian is getting to decide every day to take hold of the Joy God wants to give me. To always have an excuse to be happy and spread that joy to others. Granted...It's not always easy and I am definitely not the best at it all the time. It does take work to turn the focus toward God and off of self. To take time to value someone else's happiness over yourself or to just simply spread that smile across your face even when the day is not as you planned. And hear me out when I am not saying tuck all your emotions down so no one can see them, God certainly does not want that. At times it is good to let it out, let people around you see that we are all human no matter what walk we're on, but as a Christain, we don't have to let problems, gossip, fears, or hurt define us or how we treat others. God does care immensely for the problems you and I are facing and He hears us when we cry out. He walked this journey too and sacrificed greatly, so we could someday be with Him in paradise. It was "HIS JOY SET BEFORE HIM." Walking with Joy and perseverance becomes our real testimony and what really is believed and accepted before any talk.

I've seen how God's Joy has worked in and through my life unto others and I pray that you would look for opportunities to be that light too. You might not think you are doing much but just give it to the Lord and He will fulfill the rest.

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That was Isabella's word of the day haha... Thank for reading and please comment below if you have anything you would like to add or questions!

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UPDATE
I just finished my last day of work last Friday and officially said goodbye to my co-workers today. I will truly miss working at the vet clinic and everyone there....
This week I will be getting things ready to pack, getting some friend/family hangout time in and loving up on my furry family before I head out next Tuesday morning!!

***Also, don't know if you have checked out my support page recently, but God provided the funds for the first part of my DTS journey!! Thank You LORD! Please keep in your prayers that I will not worry about the rest. Don't forget to also go on over to my support page and see where I am exactly with raising funds and if God puts it on your heart to give, please know that I am beyond grateful no matter the donation size.

God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

JUST 25 DAYS

UPDATE!!

Just 25 days to go and I will be on a plane headed straight for Canada! WOW, how time has flown by! It still has an unreal feeling in my mind...just thinking about being in another country, away from home, meeting new people, learning so much more about God, and then traveling to another country, just completely blows my mind and I AM BEYOND EXCITED. So much so that I can't sometimes express how much.

I have been collecting items for my trip here and there and with each item, it becomes more of a realization. Yesterday I just received my backpacking backpack and that was the last major item on my list. Now I need to do a trial run and learn how to pack it. While I am in Canada I can bring luggage and things from home but during the outreach phase, that backpack will carry everything I'll bring. I don't think I've ever packed that light, haha. It's all part of the adventure!

....IT'S HAPPENING!

What could be a better day than to announce some special news but on National Canada Day! Why? You ask... well keep reading!

About a week ago, on Monday afternoon, I received an email from YWAM Vancouver Canada that I GOT ACCEPTED for their fall DTS!!

I am beyond excited (and maybe a little nervous) about all that is in store and stepping out physically on my own onto unknown territory, however, I know that God is stepping out with me every step of the way. That is so comforting to me. He has always been my steady rock and I would not be able to continue if it wasn't for His providence and strength.

Being able to go and have that dedicated 5 months to dig into God and His Word is such an incredible opportunity and I can't wait to see what other avenues come from it!

I Applied!

I wanted to write a quick little update to let you all know that last Thursday I applied to DTS! I am so incredibly excited about the possibilities that will follow!

The journey so far has been extremely faith growing. Coming from a low-income single parent household, my faith has had its moments of stretching. Believing God for what seems like an incredibly impossible amount of money. Sometimes the more I think about the funds part of DTS the more I can get discouraged. I know it is the devil using those little thoughts of doubt to spark the fire of unbelief. However, I will not let them last! God is MY PROVIDER and HE CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE!!

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
                    - Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Along with my application to DTS, they also require a couple references which will need to be submitted before my admittance to the program can be fully considered. After they have been reviewed and I hear more, I will share that update. Until then, please keep my mind/heart in your prayers. That it will be guarded against the enemy's lies and that the fire of determination will not die.

Thank you so much for reading and coming along with me on this journey!!

Only ONE FEAR Fundraiser

I am so excited to announce that I am fundraising with Fund the Nations! They have designed some awesome clothing styles for me with the logo “ONLY ONE FEAR.”

I heard this phrase first at Fired Up a couple years ago and it has been so powerful in my life. It acts as a reminder that I don’t have to fret about what lies ahead, for God is so much bigger than anything else in my life. Whatever I may come to, it will always be so small compared to our GOD.
There are so many verses in the Bible about how our fear needs to be in God, no one else and not only for the rule of it but there are also blessings that come with fearing God (a few of my personal favorites are Psalm 33:18-19, 34:9, 115:11, Proverbs 9:10).
When I took an Old Testament class my teacher explained how in some verse contexts the original meaning of the word FEAR is AWE-STRUCK WONDER. A term for being filled with amazement, which I believe sums up how we should feel about God. Only One Fear also is a focus setting phrase. It is determining ahead of time that God is for you and He is the ONE you're looking to. A great focus setting verse is found in Hebrews 12 verse 2 which says - "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." 'FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS' is that focus setting phrase and when Jesus is our main focus we will not waiver.

Back to the details on the fundraiser!

A Heart Longing to Go

I am really excited to share with you all in today's post about the upcoming plans for my life!

I have always had a strong desire for missions; to travel and explore God's creation with also the passion to incorporate sharing the LOVE I've found in God with others. It is so amazing to go over to another country and witness God do the miraculous. To see people with very little but SO MUCH!
God uses everyone's gifts and passions for His Kingdom and it is so amazing to see that worked out, whether here at home or overseas.

While I was on the path of looking into various programs and ways to incorporate missions into my life, I heard about a very AWESOME program from someone who shared their experiences with it in Fired Up. It is called Discipleship Training Program (DTS) through Youth With A Mission (YWAM). You might have heard about it before but if you haven't, I would encourage you to check it out, if you are interested in missions! It is such a vast program that has so many opportunities for people based on desired location or passions. There are over 200 school locations with varying focuses but all designed to bring a person into a more intimate relationship with God and to equip them with the needed tools to share His gospel with others.