I can't believe that we are already moving into week seven here on the base. I've been struggling to write this blog. The struggle isn't in not having anything to say, but in trying to figure out how to communicate all of the incredible things God has been doing.

Where do I start? I never knew it was possible for God to work on so many areas of my life at the same time. He has been speaking so much! This past week, God taught me more on what it means to hear His voice. Not only to hear His voice, but to believe Him and that His word is good and He is faithful to follow through on every promise He makes.

My heart is literally so full. Most recently, God has been showing me that, though I've always claimed to be a "planner", this is not where my identity comes from. My value does not come in this administrative gift. And, God has been holding back this gift for a season, allowing me to fail over and over so that I can enter into freedom, operating in the refined gift. I'm so excited! I'm learning I don't need to live by my to-do list. That, in fact, it has been my to-do list that has hindered me from living for the moment, appreciating each day for all God has.

I am not defined by the gifts God has given me. My value is not based on how well I can plan things, my ability to sing praises to Him, or even in my obedience to follow Him. My value simply comes from the fact that my Father created me and loves me. This is my most recent revelation from Him. He is using it to usher me into brand new freedom. I am finally learning to receive God's love and His identity for me.

There is so much more, but this is it for now. God is so faithful!!!

~Megan

God is moving!!!

We're in the middle of week 2 of lecture phase for the students, and God is moving in powerful ways! It has been our prayer that these students would experience God from day 1, and this is exactly what is happening. This is not the norm by any means, and we've seen students dig into what God is doing in their lives. It's incredible!

For me, it's definitely been a transition from life on the base as a student to staff. It has been challenging, but so good. God has been speaking to me about being a nurturing, comforting, caring mother for girls here who haven't had this. As I'm walking through this I'm learning that all of the comfort I have to offer is truly from the Lord. "...the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). I am walking this very verse out right now.

I guess I just wanted to give you all more of an insider perspective on the specifics of what is happening right now on base. Like I said, God is moving! With that, we've been getting some serious attack from the enemy who does not want these students (or anyone else on base) to be moved by the Lord. But, we continue to press in and take the authority that we know we have in Jesus.

Thank you all for your prayers! I will keep you posted. :)

Blessings!

~Megan

Students are here!!!

Hi friends,

I have quite the plan change to explain. I will not be going on outreach this coming December, but instead will support staff this school. Most likely, I will end up leading the January school outreach. A couple of the male staff stepped up into outreach staff positions, which is definitely ideal. I have total peace about this switch and am looking forward to getting acquainted with staffing and digging roots down deep with the families on base and with the surrounding Honolulu community. I already met a nice man in the valley (probably in his 80's) while I was on a jog who talked to me about gardening. :) Such a great neighborhood!

The students have been arriving this week and all of them will be here by this evening's end. We have our welcoming day tomorrow (Aloha Day) when we will get to know everyone a bit better, head to the beach and have a BBQ. We have 29 students; 15 girls and 14 guys. The nearly 50/50 ratio hasn't happened in quite a long while at the Honolulu base. Typically the number of girls far outweighs the guys. They are all wonderful and we are so excited to see what God is going to do.

I just wanted to give a little update to keep everyone in the loop. Hope all is well!!!

~Megan

Staffing Begins!

Hello wonderful friends and family,

I arrived home in Honolulu, HI on Saturday! It is so good to see familiar faces and catch up with friends. This week we began leadership seminar. For the next couple of weeks, everyone one on base (base staff, DTS staff, leaders) will all be spending time together, training, serving the community, and drawing closer to the Lord as we prepare for what's to come this year.

DTS staffing was definitely not my original plan, but as I spent time praying about where the Lord would have me go, my heart grew more and more for this program. I am so excited for the students to arrive and begin their experience.

What's more, my plan was to support staff for the September school. Essentially, DTS staff is made up of outreach staff - staff that will take the students on their outreaches - and support staff - staff that will come alongside each team of staff and students as they prepare for outreach. The plan was to support staff the September school. However, as I'm noticing more and more in my relationship with God, there are always fun surprises!

So, I am officially outreach staff! It's a new development, and I completely feel the Lord's leading in this. Over the next couple of weeks I will be praying about where God is wanting me to lead a team. All of the outreach staff will be praying individually. In a couple of weeks we will all sit down and pray together and reveal where we feel called to go. From there, staff will be paired up and teams will begin to develop.

I am a mixture of emotions right now. But, more than anything, I am just so aware of how faithful God is. He continues to speak to me about taking this one day at a time; trusting that He will supply me with everything that I need for this season.

The students will be arriving by September 23rd! We will spend the first few months in training (lectures, worship, evangelism, community outreach, etc.), then off to another country mid-December through February! I will let you all know as soon as I can what country I will be leading a team to.

More to come soon...

~Megan

Back In Washington

Never did I imagine that the past five months would be as incredible as they have been. I have been blown away by the incredible things the Lord has done. So many thanks to all of you have been faithfully praying for me and my team. It was needed and felt.

We finished up our time in Baguio - which was incredibly fun, challenging, and fruitful - toward the end of May. We then headed to Olongapo where we lived with - and helped disciple - women who have recently come out of prostitution. They were so kind, welcoming, and fun to get to know. The things they are learning about who God is and who He has created them to be is remarkable. At night, we visited bars and became friends with women who are still living a life of prostitution. What I didn't expect was how completely sweet they are. We would talk to the girls about how long they've been in the bars, if they like it (most often, not so much), and about their families. We would play billiards with them and dance the cha-cha slide. We were also able to hang out with them outside of the bars. We invited them to a lunch/games/Bible study day at the YWAM base where they were able to meet some of the disciples (girls who have come out of prostitution). We also invited them to a beach day where one of the girls decided to leave her life of prostitution, join the discipleship program, and begin a new life for her and her children. So exciting! Praise God!!!

Overall, we saw God do incredible things in the Philippines. The Filipino people are incredibly generous, welcoming, and family-oriented.

Our team met up with the rest of our school (those who had gone to Bangladesh) in Honolulu toward the beginning of June and have been catching up, telling stories, and saying goodbye.

I arrived in Seattle late last night (June 15th), and am spending the day processing some of the things the Lord has been doing. One of the things that has helped me so much in this whirlwind of a process is being aware of the many wonderful friends and family I have praying for me and supporting me. So, thank you for being you! I am grateful for each and every one of you.

Feel free to continue to pray for me as I prayerfully consider what the Lord is calling me to do this summer and into the fall.

Blessings!
~Megan

Baguio City!

Hi friends!

Well, we are about two-and-a-half weeks into our outreach experience. It has been INCREDIBLE! We arrived in Manila on Wednesday, April 7th (I believe) and spent about a week-and-a-half working with the Balut YWAM base. They are located in the slums of Manila and do a lot of their ministry with the Smokey Mountain kids and families. We with feeding ministries and taught Bible studies. At the new dump site (where families are living) we were able to bathe little kids and feed them. Such a blessing! One of the little babies I washed was probably under a year old (not walking yet). He was so happy! I just kept talking to him as I bathed him, and he kept touching my face and mouth with his cute little fingers. My leaders keep telling me I can't bring any babies home... ;)

I definitely created some friendships with the staff at the base and will miss them. They are incredible. A couple of the staff grew up on Smokey Mountain (it is literally a garbage dump). Years ago, the government was able to get financial aid from other nations to build permanent housing on the site so its residents wouldn't be living in the garbage anymore. They are better off than they used to be...but conditions are still not that great. And, now there are people living in the new dump site down the road. It's hard to see, but such a blessing to be a part of the work the Lord is doing there.

We left Manila and arrived in Baguio city (in the mountains) last Sunday. It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL here. It's about 10 degrees cooler here than in Manila, which is such a relief. We don't sweat through our clothes here! And, the view is amazing! I love it here in Baguio. If you get a chance, try looking up pictures. It is just so beautiful. I believe we are about 5,000 feet above sea level right now and the city is built on hills. Not great for the motion sickness when traveling in jeepneys...but I'll survive.

We have been so unbelievably blessed with a two-floor, four-bedroom, three-bath house to stay in. We are in charge of planning, buying, and preparing our own meals for our little family of six...and it is so fun! On top of that, the doors the Lord has been opening for us are great! Philippines government elections are going on right now. The election is May 10th, so we are experiencing the height of campaigning. God got us into the government offices last week and we were privileged to meet - and pray for - the mayor. He is running for congress and hoping to make even greater changes in law there. We were also able to pray for another man in government, as well. Then, a couple of nights ago, we joined an intercession team and prayed at the city gate. We were also invited up into the police tower to pray. Such a great opportunity!

The next two weeks will be quite busy for us. We are teaching DTW (discipleship training weeks) at two different churches. Some of the students we will be teaching do not yet have a relationship with the Lord...so prayer is greatly needed! Our team is running the teachings, worship and small groups.


Prayer Needs:

Be praying for the DTW's - that the things the Lord wants to convey to His children would come across loud and clear and that we would have discernment and open ears as we teach

Prayer for health - 5 of the 6 of us were sick in Manila. Colds seem to be passing. But, Hakon has now acquired motion sickness for the first time in his life. Overall health prayer would be helpful as we continue to adjust to a new location, altitude, and food.

Unity in our team - continued prayer that we would grow as a close-knit family during this time.



Thank you all for partnering with me during this time. God is doing incredible things here in the Philippines and I am blessed to be a part of it. I am sure there is more I could say, but I cannot think of anything else right now (and I am running out on my hour of Internet in the cafe). ;)

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." (Ephesians 3:20)

~Megan

To the Philippines!

It's Sunday. I'm currently sitting in the base staff girl's living room getting the last of my computer "to do" list completed. We're turning in our computers and cell phones tonight in preparation for outreach (though we get them back briefly for the weekend to take care of last minute details). Friday marked our official last day of lecture phase. This week, we are focusing on preparing ourselves and our teams for living the next two months in other countries. Half of our team will be leaving for Bangladesh on Saturday morning. Then, my team will head out on Monday, April 5th. I can't believe we leave in just 8 days!

I struggle, yet again, to find words to describe what I am experiencing. The Lord has been so good to me! This has been such a season of learning to rest in Him. I am so unbelievably grateful. Now, I have an opportunity to love Filipinos! God has really been teaching me that my obedience to Him - and everything I do for Him - needs to come from a place of my love for Him. If all I am doing is acting in simple obedience to His word, it will be void of the passionate love He has for His people. If nothing else, I want to leave the Philippines knowing that every person I came in contact with experienced the full love of Jesus.

I realize that I haven't given a good idea as to what my team will be doing. We will arrive in Manila (the capital) on April 7th...just in time for the 50th Anniversary Jubilee for YWAM. We will be volunteering during the Jubilee. The rest of our time in Manila (about 2 weeks) will be spent doing slum ministry; working with children.

From Manila we will head to Baguio for 4 weeks. Here, we have been asked to teach three, week-long DTW (Discipleship Training Week) schools. The lectures I will be working on will be "The Father Heart of God" and "Hearing God's Voice." Every member of our team - there are six of us - will be in charge of at least one lecture topic and will be teaching every week. Each lecture is about an hour and half.

Next, we will head to Olongapo for the last two weeks, working with a discipleship ministry that offers women who are in prostitution a way out. We will be living in the same house with these women - some of whom have children - discipling them and living life with them during the day. In the evenings, we will go into the local bars and meet women who are still living a life of prostitution. We will have a lot of freedom in this setting to even introduce ourselves to these women, get to know them, and have the opportunity to invite them to lunch later in the week. Our goal will be to show the love of Jesus to these girls, showing them that not everyone is just looking to get something from them. Hopefully, they will have the chance to see that there is a way out of the life they are living.

As you can tell, the ministry opportunities we have in each city vary drastically, thus our prayer needs are quite widespread. Here are things you can all be praying for:

- There are huge strongholds of disunity and miscommunication in the Philippines (among
other things). Please be praying for protection for our team. Be praying for great unity and
clear communication within our little family of six. Be praying that we grow more and more
into a family, learning to love each other well. All so that we can display the love of God
well.

- That our hearts would break for the children and families living in the slums of Manila. That
we would be motivated to love through action.

- Teaching is a big responsibility. Please be praying for us as we are working on our lectures
this week before we head out. Be praying that the things God wants these students in
Baguio to learn would be conveyed clearly. They speak English, which is a huge benefit to
us, but pray that we would speak clearly and slowly so they can understand fully.

- As we are in Olongapo, it is incredibly important we are working together and loving each
other as a family. Some of these women have never seen how a loving family operates, and
we want to display that well. Also, protection for our two men (Curtis and Hakon) as we
minister the women in the bars. Other DTS teams have gone before us, so we know it is
possible and that the men have had great success in showing these women what it is to be
treated respectfully. But, we still need prayer!

- Overall...that we - like Jesus - would do only as we see the Father doing. Personally, that I
would be more concerned about God's reputation than my own; risking in whatever ways
He is asking me to, and that it would all come from my overwhelming love for Him.

Thank you so much for your willingness to partner with me during this time. I am confident that the Lord is going to do incredible things, as long as we continue to ask Him daily where He would have us go, what He would have us do, and who He would have us love. I am looking forward to sharing incredible report of the things He will do! I love you all and am so grateful for you.

Until my arrival back to Honolulu on June 8th... God bless you!

~Megan

Growth

God has been doing so much in my life the past few weeks and I've found it difficult to get it into writing without overwhelming all of you who are so faithfully reading this blog. So, I will try to do my best. :)

Since I last wrote, one of the girls planning on going to Bangladesh, has now - through much prayer - switched to the Philippines team! So, we now have four girls and two guys (including our leaders). I am so excited! We've begun meeting as a team on Monday afternoons (team building), Wednesday lunch for prayer, and Friday afternoon just the girls. It's been so nice to have more time to get to know these incredible men and women I'll be spending intense time with for a little over two months. More on Philippines ministries to come...

As for my heart, mind, soul...well, God has been moving in GREAT ways! We have been learning about the character & nature of God, hearing His voice, spiritual discipline/evangelism, the Holy Spirit, and spiritual warfare/freedom. The last couple of weeks, especially, have been trying. Here are the things God has been speaking to me about:

- This is to be a time of rest for me; learning what true rest in Him looks like, and intentionally integrating that into my daily life
- I have a desire for greater passion in Him that motivates me to action for His Kingdom. I'm finding that this is going to come more and more as I fall deeper in love with my Jesus.
- He has been bringing up other gifts that He's given me, and is calling me to integrate these into my everyday life, as well. (ie: intercession, prophetic worship...) He's giving me more opportunities for creative outlet (dancing, painting, writing). It has been so fun!

These are just a few of the things God has been doing in me. There is so much more...but I am still processing all of this. For those of you you have been supporting me - whether financially or through prayer - I want you to know how incredibly grateful I am! I am so appreciative for this season in my life right now. I desire to gain 100% of whatever God has for me. I'm learning more about the importance of stepping out, risking my own reputation for the benefit of God's reputation being known! God has also been speaking truth into lies I have believed. Here is what I have grasped:

- The sin in my life has never and will never define who I am. God defines who I am. In that knowledge, I can step out in risk, knowing that my mistakes will only be used to teach me, strengthen me, and grow me. Mistakes are helpful in building my character, but are NOT what defines my character.
- God will never leave me or forsake me (Joshua 1:5). There is NOTHING I can do to cause Him to leave me. So, in that truth, I can be completely myself before Him. I can bare it all!
- He is always with me. So, in all things, I can turn to Him for comfort.

Thank you, Lord, for everything you are doing in and through me during this time. I pray that this is only the beginning of this new part of our relationship. I pray that everything you desire to stick with me from this time sticks. Cause this experience to be the catalyst that catapults me into all the riches you have for me in this life - including every persecution, trial, and time of suffering - for I "know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope" (Romans 5:3,4).

~Megan

I Know Where I'm Going.... ;)

It seems like it's been such a long while that I've been wondering where God will call me to go during DTS outreach this coming April. As most of you know, I had my definite idea of where I was hoping to go. However, when I arrived in Honolulu, I began to realize that, regardless of whether or not that happened during this DTS, I knew I would eventually make it there. So, I've been able to simply be excited about where God is planning to send me.

Yesterday, I desired God to give me an idea of even one country that would be an option. Throughout the day, I began to have the slightest inkling that the Philippines would be one of the options given us to choose from. So, about 10 minutes before finding out our options, I felt prompted by God to make a list of three countries that, should one be given as an option, I would choose. The Philippines was the third on that list. I have never had a desire to visit the Philippines, nor did I have any idea about the culture, climate, religious affiliation, or even whereabouts of this country. So, you can imagine my surprise when the two options written on that whiteboard were Bangladesh and...PHILIPPINES! I laughed, and then confidently wrote "Philippines" on my little piece of paper, handed it off to my DTS staff, and began to thank God for His unbelievably clear direction in this decision.

God knows me so well. This is the type of decision that would typically cause hours of toil and prayer, greatly desiring to make the right decision. Of all the decisions I've made - including the one to even come on this DTS - it is rare that I have a clear direction given by God. In the past couple of years, many big decisions have been God allowing me to choose where I would like to go. But, not this time! This time, there is a clear calling to a specific location. On top of which, I had three staff - after the fact - tell me that, through prayer, they knew I would choose the Philippines. So great!

There were only three students feeling led to go to the Philippines. The other seven will be heading to Bangladesh. We will have two DTS staff with us. Another very incredible God move: the only guy going to the Philippines is Hakon (from Norway). Get this! When he bought his ticket to Honolulu, he didn't need to get a visa as long as he could prove - via airline ticket - that he would be leaving America within 90 days. Because he had no idea where to buy the outreach ticket for, he randomly chose the Philippines, planning on changing the destination later. Thus, when this was one of the outreach options, it was incredibly clear to him where he was to go. God is soooo good!!!!

So, over the next few months, I'll be learning more and more about this foreign country I know nothing about. Just thought you all should know!!! :)

~Megan

Week One

Where to begin? Well, I just experienced my first rain in Hawaii since I've been here. I love it! I struggle to find words - unrelated to weather - to describe what I'm feeling and going through right now.

God is so good. That I can say for certain. I am so unbelievably grateful to be here with greatly minimized distractions, able to focus on what the Lord is saying. He has been saying a lot. Here is where I will start...

Typically, upon arrival, DTS students are settled in, celebrate a fun Aloha Day at the beach, and then, the following day, are introduced to the curriculum, calendar, and base/house rules. But, not our team. Instead, we went on a camping trip. Given a minimal packing list - with such items as deodorant and toothbrush absent - we began to mentally prepare for our departure the following morning.

All I can say is, thank you God for this experience. Timing is everything, and this camping trip is exactly what I needed. We were taken to Kualoa Ranch (www.kualoa.com), and allowed to camp two nights in exchange for some small labor projects. It is an incredible privilege to be able to do this. Kualoa Ranch is not open for public camping. It is only by special relationship with YWAM Honolulu that we were able to do this.

During our trip, we were able to go on an eight-mile hike around the mountain, sleep on a tarp from a beautiful vantage point of the valley, and grow closer as a team. Having been stripped of so many comforts (cell phone, watches, knowledge of the time, what was being planned, when we would be coming home, toothbrush, deodorant, changes of clothes, etc) we were forced to rely solely on the strength of the Lord and encouragement from each other. What a blessing!

One of the things I felt God speaking to me during this time is simply the riches we get to enjoy as His children. Here we were, camping in a beautiful valley, rich with history and experiencing something that most people will never get the opportunity to experience. This is our inheritance in the Lord. The extraordinary! He offers the invitation to ALL but it is only those who accept His invitation for relationship with Him that are welcomed into the experience of the extraordinary.

In just a short week, I have been unbelievably challenged. I am blessed with a dedicated and mature team of DTS staff who are dedicated to our spiritual and emotional growth during the next five months. I am being stretched and know that it will only continue in deeper ways.

The people are wonderful and diverse. We are a small team; just ten of us. Young adults coming from Canada, Australia, Catalina Island, Kentucky, Chicago, Norway, and Seattle. There is a Korean DTS team here, as well. Their program is entirely separate from ours, but we get together for all-base worship on Monday mornings. And, let me just say that being a part of worshiping the Lord in different languages is so beautiful.

There is so much more I could say, but I am still processing. Please continue to pray for me as we are studying the character and nature of God this week during lectures. Pray that I gain everything from this experience that He is desiring me to grasp.

I love you friends!

~Megan

Here I Go!

I've been planning for DTS for the past several months, and now I leave in six days. Though I have had to accomplish a lot in order to be prepared to leave next week, God has been teaching me more and more about the importance in living one day at a time. That's all He gives us; one day. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Just one day to listen, obey, and follow after Him. To enjoy everything that is around us. The people He puts in our lives and the circumstances, be it good or tough. For as much of a planner as I am, I've been finding so much freedom in living one day at a time.

So, I'm spending as much time as I can with the people I love. All the while, I am beginning to anticipate all of the wonderful friendships I will make. I'm nervous, but incredibly excited. I'm slightly scared, but looking forward to the boldness and confidence I know I will increasingly gain during this experience. I may be unsure of my circumstances right now, but I am ever confident of His presence. He is with me. This I know. He is with me. For better or worse.

I have a feeling this experience is going to change so much of how I live my life and view the rest of the time He has given me in this world. And, for that I am incredibly grateful. I am ready to be put in difficult circumstances, trials, and for Him to shape me more and more into the woman He intends me to be.

I will miss you all! Please keep in touch and let me know what is happening in your lives.

~Megan