an itty-bitty roller-coaster

So, this past week has been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster for me.
With all the excitement about getting into YWAM, there's also, a fairly natural, level of stress that comes with it. As you can see by the budget I posted earlier, there is a lot of money going into this. Which is fine. Money is meant to be put into things that will bring about amazing experiences and the like. So that isn't the issue. It is more realizing the attachment I have developed to my money and how much I don't want to spend all of it, because then the amount in my bank account will be a lot less than it is now. Completely logical, but still scary. Lets just be honest here.

So I have had a bit of an issue sleeping this past week-and-a-bit. I am a planner. I like to have things planned way in advance, even if the likelihood of it coming about is not entirely there.
So YWAM is a bit of a personal challenge because I'm not able to plan what I'm doing after.
I know that this is what God has been preparing me for over the last year. Since last October/November, He has been telling me that I'm not to have a plan, that I'm supposed to be utterly reliant on Him to pull through the things that He wants me to do, and to shut the doors on what I'm not supposed to do. And He has, thank... Him! I winded up finding the right Church for me to be in, getting a job, applying-to-getting-into-and-not-accepting-travelling-volunteering-opportunities, quitting my job, moving-in with my Mum at the exact time I should have, getting another job, and now applying-to and getting-into YWAM!  So Papa cares, and I know He's got this whole trip in His hands. Especially (and that isn't even the appropriate word) because this whole trip is about serving God. My daddy-God has handled everything from work, to home, to relationships and beyond, simply because He can and I asked Him too. Now with me doing what God has called me too, there is even more trust in me that He is going to pull through just like He's shown me, and that after-YWAM is already sorted out and raring to go!

So please be praying for me to have
1. PEACE!  (and sleep...)
2. How to be preparing for after YWAM (aka.. visa?)

Thanks so much!
Becca

budget support : )

Hi ya'll

So I've been debating over the past few days what the best way is to ask for support on this journey of mine. First and foremost, prayer is a definite! Knowing there are people praying for safety and blessing on this trip is so encouraging, and the best support I can ask for.

I generally don't do well with asking for help in the whole financial department, so this isn't something that comes lightly for me. So please, only give if you feel that what I am doing is something you wish to support. If I were giving to myself, I would want to know what I would be contributing too. So I've decided to give you guys all the cost information for this trip.

DTS: Costs

Flight (one-way to Hawaii):
CAD $491.62

Lecture Phase (Includes: food, board, tuition):
USD $3,995.00

Outreach (Includes: flight, insurance, food, board): 
USD $4,000 - $6,000

Insurance (for time in Hawaii): 
CAD $225.00 - $294.00

Highest Possible Total:
$10,780.62

If you would like to contribute financially please email me at: becca.jaye.h@gmail.com, or post a comment.
If there is a specific part of my journey that you feel you want to give to, just let me know in the email or subject heading.
If there is an interest from people than Ill sort out a way for people to make contributions directly through the blog! Also, I'll try and keep people posted on how much money I've raised for my trip.. if you have any suggestions for fundraising let me know!
My goal is to get my outreach phase covered, anything above that would be superb!

Thanks so much, and please keep following!
Becca

step-guiding

I've got some exciting news for ya'll!

As of today I've officially booked in my flight to Kona, Hawaii!

Booking in my flight! 

Scary thing is, that its only a one-way flight. Craziness, I know. Here's the "logic". This is going to be such a life changing experience, that I think its naive to expect that I'll have the exact same plan after school that I'll have heading into it. And I don't even know what that plan is yet! 

So I'm taking a leap of faith and booking a one way. I may end up flying home. I may stay in Hawaii. Or I may go somewhere else.

Some ideas are:

Working overseas for the following 6-months after school...

Or maybe staying in Hawaii and then doing something else with YWAM...

Maybe I'll even go back to one of the places I did outreach too...

I am positive God has something important for me to do after YWAM. Even if its doing what's expected of me, and coming home to go to university. But I also believe that He isn't going to reveal it until I'm there. So here's to taking a step and trusting God to lead me right where He wants me! 

an invitation to trust

Want to hear how crazy awesome my God is?

I'm going to give you a bit of a timeline just so you understand the awesome-ness :)


September 10, 2011: 
Journal quote: "I've put in my application for YWAM, Kona. I truly believe it is what you've called me to do for this season. I'm truly putting my faith and trust in you to line-up the rest. Not that there is much else I can do."
"... I ask for your blessing with my finances in preparation to go. I believe you are wanting me to be supported in going so make it clear to me how your wanting me to walk in that expectation."September 12, 2011:
Journal quote: "It cannot have been long ago (as in, the past 3 days sometime) that I prayed you would give me financial blessing, and to let me know if I'm to seek help & support for Kona. Weel, today I got an email from *name* saying that the price for DTS Engage has been reduced by $215.00!"
September 15, 2011:
6pm
Discussion with my Father:
He was asking me more about YWAM and I told him about the cost reduction and how it would help me because in can go towards my flight into Hawaii. 
Then he said that he would like to pay for my flight if he has the Airmiles for it... that's a good $1500.00 that he's going to be helping me with (God willing he has the points.. plus a bit)!
7:30pm
Email quote: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Engage DTS for the 1st Quarter starting January 5^th, 2012."


And that's that. Within the space of 5 days, I've applied, been given financial blessing twice! and I have BEEN ACCEPTED!
Its official y'all. I am going to  YWAM Kona, Hawaii's Engage:Discipleship Training School in just four short months! 
I'm not sure anyone could understand just how excited I am, but you may be able to imagine :)

I will most definitely be keeping you up to date on the whole process. Prayers are most definitely appreciated, and I'm hoping to set up a way that people can help to support me if they wish!

Nice chatting with you,
Becca

opportunity unlocked

So, no big deal, but...

My application to YWAM Kona, Hawaii is OFFICIALLY submitted.

:0 AHH!

Chances are you have no idea how exciting this is for me, but it is crazy. This means in just 4 months, I could be ... "leaving, on a jet plane" ... to Hawaii for 3 months and then on to the mysterious locations in Asia and sub-continental India for another 3 months. All of which, I've never had the pleasure of traveling too before.

would you not be excited too? ... lets actually get a bit interactive here... What's the most exciting place you've ever been/traveled too? I'm sure this question will only result in my being slightly envious of you, but all the same.... do tell!

Well, back to business. So here's a, hopefully little, write-up of whats led me to apply to the University of the Nations (the legit name for YWAM Kona.... can you tell I'm excited enough that I just want to repeat "YWAM Kona" as often as possible? I'll try to resist).

I first heard about YWAM nearly 2-years ago now at my old Church youth group. At the time I was vaguely interested, but thought it was a drama group more than anything, so I soon forgot about it.

Then in early August when my mum's friend came to visit, I told her that I really wanted to go to Hawaii for a vacation and learn how to surf. It turned out that "S" had been to both Holland and Hawaii with YWAM and she encouraged me to apply.

At first, I wasn't extremely interested, but promised to check it out. That night, as I prayed about it I asked God to make sure that I only apply if its on my heart because He's put it there, and not out of any sense of obligation to "S". The next morning I looked at the website again and found that there were trips going out to Nepal that worked in orphanages, the exact thing I felt I had been called to do since reading the book The Little Princes. So confirmation, I felt had been given. Still aware that I wanted to only grow excited about this opportunity if it was from God, I went into the rest of the day asking for even more confirmation.

I believe everyone will view 'confirmation' from God differently, but He is obviously very aware of that, and therefore will confirm in the way that we are familiar, which is exactly what has been happening for me.

Throughout that same day, time and time again, the concept of running an orphanage and being lined up with travel occurred. By that evening I felt thoroughly excited, and its only been growing since then.

Things that I expected to take forever to happen, have been moving at lightning speed, and my excitement has continually been increasing. As well, my heart for the areas I will be travelling to has been growing so much so, that I would want to look into them more seriously, even if YWAM is not something that is destined for this year.

I am so truly excited for this season of my life. Things have been flowing so wonderfully, and my faith has grown so much as a result of it. Even sharing this would have been difficult for me just a little while ago, and now I can't wait to tell you even more about the things I'm learning and growing in.

Can't wait to chat more.. and seriously. What is the craziest place you've ever been too? I'm really quite curious now.

a trip into childhood

Hello folks!

I've just finished the fourth book in The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.
T'was really a rather amazing series. I haven't finished the entire set, but the fourth book ended in such a way that I felt that, at least for the mean time, I could take a break from them.
You see, I am the type of reader, that when I'm really taken-in by a book, I cannot put it down. So with two high school courses about to commence, and my job still being there for me, I figured it was time to set them down and get back to reality :(
As you may have figured, I start school soon! Yay? I'm actually not too bothered by it though. If I have these two courses done *fingers crossed* by November, then it means I am finally eligible to apply to University for Child and Youth Care! Which is one in many steps that will start me on my way to, one day, opening an orphanage of my own... shall we tangent that-a-ways?

Heck! Why not?
Ever since I was 12 years old, I wanted to run an orphanage. Odd for such a young age, I'm sure.
But I had three sisters and a crazy mum (in the best possible sense, of course) that decided to home school us so that she could ensure that our childhood was just that. A childhood. You see, kids grow up way to fast these days, I doubt I'll find many people that disagree with me on that one. You see little girls wearing makeup, and having boyfriends by the time there into middle school! And boys, well they're dating those girls, and just generally trying to grow up way too fast as well!
Anyways, back to it. The idea to run an orphanage was an off-and-on thing, not one of those steady goers. But when graduating high school was over, and my life's-plan hadn't emerged yet, I took another look at the idea.
Of course now, I have much greater awareness of how important your childhood is in your development. Not only intellectually ... or ... let's just go with all things "academic". But it affects your entire person. How your raised affects your attitudes and your values. The things that you want out of life, how you see other people.. how you see yourself. All of which are extremely important! And when you hold that looking-glass up to yourself and see the minute details that created you and your different response to things. You also start to notice when these beliefs began to take root.
Now maybe I'm a rare case, and people don't actually care all too much about why they are how they are. But I did. Most of it was great, I'm a super creative person, partly due to genetics, but art was always a huge part of my homeschooling. Creativity was believed to be a part of each and everyone of us, regardless if we had any actual talent. And then of course you see negative things, which I'm not sure I wish to divulge via blogging, but but I'm sure you all can think of a few for yourself, just as easily as I can for me.

Why that big schpeel? Orphans have lost a huge part of the potential for childhood, when their parents are no longer in the picture. Think about it? No more parent.. whose going to raise the child, who is going to allow the child to even behave like a child? That, is what bothers me.
I've seen the effects in my own life for thinking I had to be older than I was. And I had parents, and an older sister! And cousins and uncles and grandparents and family friends and "fake uncles and aunts". They were all there at my disposal. Yet I still managed to grow up way too fast, and take on responsibilities that were never mine to carry. Now sure, I'm "mature for my age" and it wasn't all negative. But that was a choice. Other kids don't get to choose.

So now I want to give back, over an above becoming a mum someday. I want to be in the child's life, who doesn't have, even just a big sister. I want to be there for them so they don't have to be there for themselves. So that they can live as a child till its time for them to grow up, not a second sooner.

This is also why I'm so excited about YWAM. Chances are, I'll get to work with some children who have had to grow beyond their years. Not only will I get to have my own personal-growth-time. But I'll get to help witness to children who've had way to much growing up and not enough child-ing.

a first

So this is my first entry into the blogging world. How exciting!

Most people ( I think?) have some sort of motivation behind beginning a blog. So I thought I'd let you in on my little secret. I'm not a poet, though I do occasionally scribble down a little something. I'm not a musician, though my friends and I love writing music, and I played flute, play piano, and attempt guitar. I'm not an artist, even though I sketch and paint pretty often.

I'm not a lot of things. But I am one. I am a traveler. Have I done a ton of it? Compared to most people my age, maybe. But is it enough? Nope. What else am I? I am someone who wants to bring joy to people. To me, joy= God, or vice-versa... either way my joy comes from Him, so I figure they're essentially interchangeable.
My goal is to bring (through God) as much joy as possible, to everyone I come in contact with on my travels.

My first step in achieving this, in as safe a way as possible (don't you hate how that's a concern these days?), is applying to Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Kona, Hawaii.
THAT'S RIGHT BABY!
How stoked would you be? A 3-month stay in Kona doing a ministry training and personal development school, and then onto a 3-month stay over sees, somewhere in Asia and sub-continental India.

So there you have it. My original motivation for starting this blog.
Those of you willing to follow along, will be second-hand-witnesses to the adventure that may, or may not (dun-dun-duhn) unfold.

The beginning adventure to a lifetime of meaningful travel.
I know I am excited. So much so, that even the smallest things in my mind, deserves a whole post! But I figure you may not be nearly as excited as I am... just yet!

So soon enough, you'll have a short little list of all the craziness that led up to this decision, and the steps that I have taken so far to make this little dream come even closer to a wonderful reality.

Can't wait? Me neither.