Another side of my life

I thought it would be fun to share some photos of special people and memories I have made during this past year. 

I am thankful for the friendships I have made with people from many nations, as our YWAM base receives people from all over the world to serve here in Brazil.

 

Life is about being in RELATIONSHIPS and sharing LIFE together! 

Enjoy seeing another side of my life...

Easter Day 2008 - Hiking in the beautiful Brazilian countryside!

A big group of us hiked for almost half the day on Easter in search of a waterfall located out in the country side.  

It was quite an experience!  Fun, tiring, and unforgetable!

Below- My two FUN friends from NEW ZEALAND- Kate and Kirsty!  Having fun along the way as we walked and walked and walked...

The Final Destination!  This photo was taken looking straight up.  It does not capture the actual size of the waterfall and river at the bottom. It was BIG!

A night out on the town with my friend Eveline, from Holland! I met Eveline last year here in Brazil and we became GREAT friends!  So... this year she returned to Brazil with the main goal of visiting and encouraging me!  What a blessing!  God really used her to speak much truth to me during a time in the year when I really needed a friend!

My BIRTHDAY!!! 

We had a fruit and chocolate Fondue and Movie night!

I felt so loved by all the girls who threw this Birthday party for me!

The Light House staff had some really special times as a team this year making bonfires, singing songs, talking, and just enjoying being together. 

LADY, the beloved Light House Community Center dog! It is SO nice having a dog around the house - I feel more at home with a pet. I like this photo of Lady and it shows our beautiful view of Belo Horizonte! Lady truly has been a blessing to our ministry and to my life this year!  

My mom also came to visit me this year!  I am so thankful that she had this opportunity to come.  Here is a pretty photo of mom at a local park in the center of the city!

Mom, me and the night skyline in Rio de Janiero, Brazil!

My mom and a cool view of the ocean...

We were visiting a beach near Rio de Janiero called Buzios!

American Friends in Brazil! A girl's night out!

Me and Stefanie, the only two Americans working here at the YWAM Belo Horizonte base!

Meet a very important person in my life!  This is Felipe, the leader of the Light House Community Center (where I work) and also my boyfriend.  Below is a photo of us on our first date.  He took me to a restaurant overlooking the city and had roses delivered to me as well!  It was a very special and memorable night. I feel very blessed to be in a relationship with a guy who has a such a beautiful heart for the Lord, kids and missions.  God is using Felipe to teach me so much.

I am thankful for a YEAR full of blessings...  There were many tears, challenges, and hard times,but also there were many many joys, triumphs, times of laughter and fun!  It has been a year of major growth for me and I am thankful.

At the moment a song that I love is playing in my heart. 

I pray that my life can express the following lyrics.

JESUS, My passion in life is to KNOW You

May all other goals bow down to this Journey of Loving You MORE...

JESUS, You've Showered Your goodness on me

You've given Your gifts so FREELY

Now there's one thing I'm longing for...

Hear my heart's cry and my prayer for this life.

ABOVE ALL ELSE

ABOVE ALL ELSE

ABOVE ALL ELSE

GIVE ME YOURSELF

This truly is the cry of my heart. I am SO thankful for the blessings of this past year and I look forward, with all the blessings and challenges that are ahead in the year to come. My cry continues to be- through it all,  "Above all else, LORD give me Yourself!" 

Thoughts about life...

This is YOUR LIFE...

Are YOU WHO 

you want to be?

Don't CLOSE YOUR EYES...

Don't CLOSE YOUR EYES...

Don't CLOSE YOUR EYES...

Is it everything you dreamed it would be?

When the world was younger and you had everything to lose...

Above are a few lyrics of a song by Switchfoot that I have been meditating on...

I really like this song because it is CONFRONTATIONAL.

This year the Lord has really been challenging me and I have been thinking many thoughts that are expressed in this song.

I am thinking and asking myself many questions...reflecting...

God has given me the gift of LIFE.  How am I going to spend my life?

Is my life REALLY what I want it to be?

 Am I who I want to be? 

 Am I who God is calling me to be? 

Am I closing my eyes to the world around me?

God has placed HOPES, DREAMS, and VISIONS in me.  God is changing the way I see the world, people and how I see Him too.  

Through living here in Brazil I am coming to know GOD in new ways, I discover more and more about His heart and character every day...as I sit and talk with children, as I have relationships with the people God places around me, as I go to the humble homes of the hurting families in the slum, as I share a Bible story or sing with the precious girls

 I work with, as I pray and worship with my team here at the Light House... 

God is challenging me to live this life He has given me, walking hand and hand with HIM, yet going after the dreams, hopes, and visions...  He has given me dreams worth FIGHTING for and unless I fight - purposely live to fight for these things He has placed on my heart - my dreams and hopes may not ever come to pass.

The children that I work with are worth fighting for. Many of them have no one who is really fighting to speak truth into their lives, to tell them of their great worth and value. 

Once again thinking about WHY I am here in Brazil... 

I want to live my life with purpose, with intention, with eyes WIDE OPEN focused on Jesus and ready to see the world around me. I want to SEE God's great compassion and SEE His reaction to reality.  I want to join with Him.  I want to respond and do whatever He longs to do. Be His hands, His feet, His voice, expressing His heart.

Living simply to LOVE...