memory lane.

many words come to mind when i think of las vegas. the first of those is 'home.'



this time last year i was nothing short of a mess. i was furious at God, i was burnt out and eshausted, stress was my middle name and i was hiding my battles. true community was not something i had ever truely known. going through the motions and pretending to be 'ok' had been my life for more years than i would care to admit.

i was hungry for something that i had no idea what it was. having a heart for the lost doesnt really work unless the person who can truely heal wounds is a part of your life. i craved seeing a dramaric change, i was ignorant to think i could do that. i wanted alot of things and none of them had Jesus at the center. i didnt care about gods timing i cared about mine.

this past year has been long, its been extremely diffucilt, but its also been amazing. God cared more about me than i did, God cared more about filling my heart & changing me than he did giving me what i wanted. only my maker and saviour truely knew my heart. he knew what i needed and after years of just praying to God screaming to him asking for something different... and it wasnt what i thought it would be. i look back now and realize that if God had answered every deperate prayer i'd repeatedly prayed during that season.... i would not enjoy my life today. i definately would not be where i am now.



where there is death/sin, grace abounds all he more.
never once had i been in a season that god began to reveal to me that all the time. i didnt think that he cared. here in kona im am realizing some of the things he had taught me in vegas all the more powerfully. God heals, God is a father and God is love.

although some minor things like my fears of flying have not gone away.... figuring out that when i lean and trust on him hasn't. grace is a gift, pain is temporary, but jesus is eternal. and i have never been more glad.






i could not have gone on those journey without 12 incredible people. [and some really special staff] i am proud of each of you. i love each of you and i am so excited for what god is doing in each of you.

Sadie, Arielle, Cherilyn, Meredith, Hope, Cathy, Abbey, Katie, Himmat, Sean, Joe, & Jake....
i love you all so much and im excited to see where God takes each of you. there are no words....



looking back on the best days of my life right now. all the crazy laughter fests, arguing, sleepless nights, times of praying with & for eachother and wondering what the heck we are going to do with our lives. i wouldnt take any of it away and if i had the chance to do this all again, i dont think i could pack all my bags fast enough.

xoxo.
munchkin

{week 2 in Kona!}

During Kids Camp, the Kids prayed for all of the islands of the world (including the marshall islands) on the giant map!

 

the famous 'flags' representing some of the many different nations that have come across this base.

hello friends and families!

i have been in Kona for  two weeks now! At first it was very hard to adjust to this place because of the hot weather and all of the people but i am very happy to be here. God has definately shown himself in amazing ways since getting here.


For those of you who do not know, Currently i am in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and full time staff the base here. I am taking a program called 'the leadership track' to help me grow as a leader before i staff. Next July I will began staffing the AWAKEN DTS. As part of this program we are in the prayer room 2 hours everyday, as well as serve the base wherever help is needed most during the mornings. We also have lots of scriputre to memorize during the whole of this course: the goal is to try and memorize the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7)

During theses past few weeks we have started to do our local outreaches! Each Wendsay we will be going to play games with the a group of kids and getting to know and disciple them. The Marshallese are a group of people who are currently spread all around the states and various parts of the world. (read more about the history of the marshallese here)


This week was different than our normal outreaches. The Marshallese came to OUR base for a field trip! :)   Part of this was so they culd interact with other kids and get off with their familiar areas. Also so that the younger kids on base could experience culture as many of their parents are missionaries as well. Many of the marshallese kids come from very broken families/no father figure due to the circumstances of what has happened. It is hard for many of them to asscociate with Americans/Westerners. One of the things that really touched me personally was how the kids were saying by the end of our first outreach 'it was really fun to play with the adults!' since they never get to interact with people that often. I am so incredibly excited to get to know these kids better!!

My current plans are... I will not be returning this october like i originally planed. God has really pressed on my heart to do this leadership program for the entire year that is required. As of right now... I will be coming home this winter because i need a visa (i came in with a b1 visa that only allows me to stay in America for 6 months). After completing this track (unless God tells me to do something different before then), i will begin staffing the AWAKEN DTS.

Seeing the AWAKEN DTS that is going on right now from afar makes me excited to be apart of it. My time in Kona right now is a time for me to go closer to God and find out what exactly he has for me! :)

PRAY FOR:

-open hearts for the marshallese children

-realization of Gods love for the marshallese

-gods financial provision

-an open heart to grow during this season

-grow in friendships while i am here

streams of living water {1 week in Kona!}

cul·ti·vat·ed, cul·ti·vat·ing, cul·ti·vates

a. To improve and prepare (land), as by plowing or fertilizing, for raising crops; till.

b. To loosen or dig soil around (growing plants).

2. To grow or tend (a plant or crop).

3. To promote the growth of (a biological culture).

4. To nurture; foster.

this week has been full, i am learning to be full. i have only been to the beach once since i have been here. love. {although this heat is hot and sticky and gross, God truely is awesome}. Right now im learning to be planted. this past week has been filled with lots of time in the prayer room {corporately as a school, interceding and worshipping}, serving and helping on base, and a community outreach full of amazing kids. the local outreach was the highlight of my entire week. the simplicity of just playing with kids and getting to know them is awesome.



everyday we are in the prayer room from 1-3pm (except local outreach day) interceding and worshipping together over several different areas as an entire school. this has been especially difficult for me, but God is still showing me things through it. Learning how to press deeper when you are really uncomfortable-great. I am starting to think that I have never learnt to appreciate worship. When you worship all the time, you begin to have a deeper appreciation of it. Praying outloud can be intimidating, but getting out of your bubble is worth it. Growing takes commitment. Commitment is scary.



Originally my plan was to come to Kona for 3 months, go home support raise, etc. Then come back at the beginning of next year and actually 'be committed.' I have come and started to realize that you will never grow unless you plant youtrself. That has been difficult. I am starting to see that the reason i wanted to go home sooner was because i wanted control. I didn't fully trust, so now after praying about it..... Kona is my new home.











WHAT'S NEXT....
I will be on fulltime staff at this base for the next 3.5 years. First to be grow and have a time of training. It is not just about 'staffing DTS's' but it is about getting that foundation i need for whatever i go into. Life is not just about your next step-but planning ahead.

The goal of the leadership school here is to spend time with God, gain that foundation in our own lives in a more profound way. Developping discipline, and making your relationship with God a lifestyle.Once I am finished, the plan is to staff the awaken DTS.



I am here for this next year to be 'planted;' i desire to learn these things and what they mean.. Personally, the idea and thought of being planted somewhere scares me..... I very much like to be fluid. HOWEVER. Im excited to be poured and turned into concrete. This season for me will be difficult, but i know i will be better at the end of it. It is hard to imagine what this year will hold-but i know that God is beyond and bigger than all my fears.





This is a verse that sticks out to me for this season....
Psalm 12:5-6 (amplified)

^"[5]Now will I arise, says the Lord, because the poor are oppressed, because of the groans of the needy; I will set him in safety and in the salvation for which he pants.  [6] The words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over."

Living in Kona and just like while I was in Vegas, requires finances. As a missionary i live completely by faith as well as the financial support that people give. During my time here, i am required to have $650 in monthly support each month while i am apart of this leadership track. This cost covers my rent, food, additional needs (toiletries, etc.) and books that I need each month for the leadership track. Currently i only have enough monthly support to cover my very basic needs. This does not include rent.



Because of my plans to stay longer this means I need additional health insurance while i am living in Kona. This next season for me will be about leaning on the word of God and learning to trust.







PRAISE REPORTS:
God's faithfulness.
Getting to Kona safely
San Francisco Airport found my luggage!


PRAISE REQUESTS:
That i would meet people during my season here.
Continued Financial Provision
Health (healing for migraines)







Thank you to each of you for your continued support thus far. You have no idea how much your prayers, finances to be able to do what i do is a huge encouragement and blessing to me.

Right now i am thankful for Gods comfort and the fact that he does not change. Not once not ever. Leaning into this-is what i need however difficult. My prayer is that God would show me how to begin this race, and he would show me how to run.

if you are interested in giving a financial donation or becoming a monthly supporter, please e-mail me here







love and grattitude.....
-Chelsea

im here! (kona)

Hello everyone!
sorry for the long and overdue update!


i arrived in Kona at about 8:30pm July 5! The time difference here is that we are 4 hours ahead. That has been a little interesting getting used to. Hawaii feels alot like Thailand, mostly because of the trees here.  They are called banyan trees, they are gorgeous and i want to climb all over them.

On Friday I had my first day of  'classes.' The leadership track here is for staff & is designed to make your relationship with God stronger. During the mornings we practice serving the base wherever it is most needed, and in the afternoons for two hours each day we have corporate worship and intercession. My 'work duty' for the summer will be hospitality, cleaning and getting rooms ready for all the speakers, etc. But for many of the other staff doing the leadership track/school it will be helping doing the summer surge.

Summer Surge is when people from all over the world will be coming to help build new buildings on the campus. The base here is fairly big-but the problem is we are needing room for MORE! This gives people an opportunity to use their giftings and talents to be apart of what God is doing internationally at this base in Kona. more about summer surge

Serving the base wherever it's needed allows us to practice and put into our lives 'servant leadership'. On top of both these things we have to memorize scripture and alot of it. The goal is to try and memorize the entire sermon on the mount as well as do alot of book reports during the school.

I will post a video update later this week once i have had a full week here!



PRAYER REQUESTS:
-one of my pieces of luggage was lost on my calgary/san francisco flight. Please pray the airline finds it and it gets here soon!
-dilligence in my studying
-that i would begin to meet people and grow in relationships.
-that i would grow in expectations
-that i would be open to what God is going to do during this time.


if i had a camera i would post some pictures of what my base looks like for you guys!
just picture palm trees, cool looking trees, flowers all over the place and you are pretty much set. this place remind me alot of thailand. :)