Going to India!

As many of you know I am currently in Redding, CA attending Bethel School of Ministry.  So far, even after only three months, God has been teaching me so much.  It is amazing for me to see him moving in and through my life along with hearing the daily testimonies of how He is working in the hearts and bodies of his people.  My view of God has grown exponentially and I am realizing the truth behind “nothing being impossible with God!” 

As part of school, this spring I have the opportunity to go on a missions trip to India!  You can imagine my excitement.  The heart and passion of the Bethel Mission Trips Department is to see the sons and daughters of God in all the nations awaken to His goodness and love. As children of God, we have access to His Kingdom and should demonstrate His love, glory, and power in all aspects of society. Our strategy is to raise up a generation of world changers in their own nations to begin to run with their God-given inheritance to bring heaven to earth and transform their nation. This trip ultimately reflects the vision of the Bethel Missions Department.

I am blessed to be traveling with my team in partnering with the move of the Holy Spirit in this first ever Bethel Redding missions trip to India! I will be on an exploratory trip to build connections in the second most populous nation in the world. My team and I will focus on ministering to the poor through love, hope, and healing, as well as meeting basic practical needs like food, medicine, and health training. I will be ministering to them, body, soul, and spirit. My potential ministry opportunities will include working in the slums, loving orphans, training young adults in the power of the Holy Spirit, ministering to church leaders, helping in medical clinics, serving in a leper colony, as well as going to Kolkata to volunteer with Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity!

I would love if you would consider supporting me in prayer and/or financially.  There will be about 20 of us going on the trip.  Specifically you could be in prayer for unity among my team as we begin meeting together, safety for our travels, boldness to follow the Holy Spirits leading, and the ability to show God’s unfailing love to every person we come in contact with.  Financial gifts may be made online at https://missiontrips.ibethel.org . This gift is tax deductible and you will receive a statement at the end of the year for your tax records. If you wish your gift to be anonymous, please check the anonymous box. This will allow you to receive an end of year statement, but will not allow the student to see your name. This is a non-refundable donation to the Bethel Church Missions Department for the benefit of the trip specified.  If online payment is not an option, check donations can be made payable to Bethel Church and mailed to the following address: Bethel Mission Trips Department, 915 Twin View Blvd., Redding, CA 96003. Please include a note with the donation designating that this is for the India trip along with my name.  

I pray that the life changing power of Jesus invades your life. I’ll keep you updated on what God is doing in my life and would love to hear what He’s doing in yours as well.  Feel free to e-mail me anytime andkelma@gmail.com.  (I also love snail mail 780 Locust St., Redding, CA 96001, or if you have any other questions, thoughts, or just want to share what God has been doing in your life...give me a call 612-245-9373)

Pure Joy

I don't even know where to begin on updating you all on my life in Redding.   Words can hardly describe what God is doing in and through me.  I defiantly know without a shadow of a doubt that this is where I am supposed to be!

This past week I my cousin Holly came out to  fully experience Bethel.  While she was here she blessed us with her photography skills!  We went to the sundial bridge and had a blast!   Here is a picture of me with all of my roommates.  If you are interested in know more about the ins and outs of our house in Redding check out our facebook page.  We have decided to call our house Elle home.  If you visit our facebook page makes sure you take a look at the photo album called Bios.  This will give you a little inside scoop about each of us.

Joy....have you ever experienced pure joy?! A joy that comes from the Holy Spirit...a joy that is indescribable, irresistible, and undeniable.  As many of you know I am NOT a morning person by any means.  But I truly believe that the Holy Spirit is working within my heart, soul and mind and changing me.  Over the past 2-3 weeks within about 5 minutes of waking up some mornings I will be laughing and smiling before even getting out of bed.  Now, this is not the normal Kelly!  Then often times in class I find myself so overjoyed that I will just start giggling...which then turns into laughing!  God is so so good, and He loves it when we smile and laugh with him!  I am realizing that I don't think I laughed enough before...and now I probably can't go two days without laughing!  (and as I am writing this I am surrounded by two of my best roommates...laughing!!)

In class we have been learning lots about the fathers heart for us!  Do you honestly realize the extend of God's love for you??  God loves you so so so much!  More than you can ever imagine...and he love you the most!  Well actually He loves me the most.  Try telling yourself that every day...and see how it changes your mind set.  God loves ME the most!!!!

I have been overjoyed with the amount of worship I get here!  Five days a week I get to worship with fellow believers and it is amazing!  GOD IS SO GOOD!  When we invite him into our lives we get to experience pure freedom and joy.   We are free from bondage, the bondage of sin, and have gained full access to the Holy Spirit!  I have found that the prefect outlet to express that freedom is in worship.  Being able to fully express myself before the Lord without holding anything back.  Have you ever truly danced as if you have felt undignified like David before the Lord?  God wants all of us...not just the part of us that is utterly composed all the time.  He wants our all in all!  

I am realizing that after only 9 months here I am going to be changed.  Even though I have not always been a person who is found of change...I know that this will be a change for the better.  I am excited for the journey...and I can't wait for what God is going to do next!!  Stay tuned....and I will try not to wait so long before writing again :o)

First Week!

I have officially been living in Redding, CA for a week now, and it has been amazing!  I am living in a furnished house with 6 other girls (kinda feels like I am back in college again).  So far we are all getting along great!  We had our first dinner together this week and plan to have family dinners once a week!  I can already tell that this is going to be a great community of girls to live with!

We have quite the diversity in my house.  The girls range in age from 18 to 27 and are from all over the world (Minnesota, Illinois, California, Missouri, Canada, Switzerland, and Germany!)  Along with that my roommate Megan is a little person!  We get along great and we just found a kids bike that will attach to the back of my bike on Craigslist so that we can ride to school together!  We have been laughing about it this past week and are kinda excited about the scene we are going to make when we bike to class!  (A picture of us riding our bike coming soon!)

As for school...it is AMAZING!!!  In just the first 3 days I am amazed at what God is doing in my heart! On a usual week I will have class from about 10am - 3:45pm Monday through Thursday.  Every day starts with worship for 1 hr.  Which is so wonderful!  There are about 1200 of us in my class and we all meet at the convention center.  Imagine 1200 people in passionate love for Jesus singing and praising God for an hour!  (this honestly is unlike any experience I have had!)  This past week has kinda felt like I have been at a conference.  After worship we listened to 2-3 speakers.  This week was Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton.  Who were both so interesting.  I am continually being amazed at how the Bible seems to be coming alive to me in a whole knew way!  At times I feel like the words are just popping off the page, like God is speaking directly to me!

Along with going to class the reading has already begun.  And as most of you know...I am NOT a reader!  But I guess God can change anything!  So far I am really enjoying it!  Over the summer I was required to read the book "When Heaven Invades Earth" by Bill Johnson and currently I am reading another one of his books called "Hosting the Presence."  Both of these books have really been opening my mind and heart to the Holy Spirit, and I would definitely recommend them to ALL of you!  I know that for many of you they may be a little bit out of the box...but guess what God can not be put in a box because He is God!  I would love to hear any of your thoughts about these books if you have a chance to read them :o)

Well...I believe that is it for now!  If anyone likes to get mail...I love sending letters and if you write me...I will write you!  780 Locust St, Redding, CA 96001.
Please continue to keep me in your prayers, and let me know if I can be praying for any of you!  So far I have continued to see God answer prayers....

1. I am getting along Great with my roommates...and it honestly seems like we have been living together for longer than just one week!  
2. The transition of being back in school (which I said I was never going to do...he he he)  has been wonderful!

Love you all....and Yes...I still do miss Minnesota!

The Journey Begins...

My Journey started early Thursday morning at 8am.  Well, I guess for most people that's not too early, but when you are used to climbing in bed at 8am after working a night shift its early!  My car was packed to the brim.  Complete with my snowboard, bike, and kitchen aid mixer.  What can I say...a girl has got to have her necessities!  I was actually looking forward to the 30hr drive ahead of me!  The plan was to drive 13.5 hrs the first day and then 16.5 hrs the second and stopping in Casper, WY for the night.  Many people were shocked to think that I was going to take this long trip alone...but let me tell you I was not alone!  Let me introduce my travel companions...  First we have Mr. Gnome who's resides in my peace lilly....

Mr. Gnome actually belongs to my roommate Rachel.  Although, when He found out that I was moving to California he begged and begged Rachel to let him come.  He had never been to California before and thought that I could use the company.  It was greatly appreciated!   Travel companion number to was a huge 3 pound bag of gummy worms....

One of my coworkers thought they would come in handy during the long drive.  Sadly.... there where a few causalities. : (  Many of the gummy worms did not survive the trip!  But, they were sacrificed for a good cause (keeping me awake).  I also went through over a 12 pack of pop!  What can I say there are basically two things to do when you drive...snack and drink pop!  

I encountered the usual things people see when driving across the country.  Miles and miles of construction with your token person holding a "slow/stop" sign; along with a good rain shower.  Fortunately the rain happened when I was sleeping in my hotel room, which was a blessing!   The nice part about rain is often time you end up with beautiful sunrises due to the clouds.  Which I was extremely grateful for!

Not going to lie planning to drive 16.5 hrs in one day is a little insane.  Luckily since I drive slightly faster than my dad (who insists on driving 65 mph since that is how you get the best gas mileage) I made it in 15 hrs!  Although I did realized that you do in fact get less MPG when you actually go the speed limit (75) or slightly over at times :o)  I did make sure to take some stops along the way.  The necessary stops for gas, along with a couple stops at McDonald's (my favorite!), and Little America for a 50 cent chocolate cone!

I arrived safely at the Grandma's house at 8pm Friday evening (California time).  It is such a blessing to be able to have family so close while I will be at school!  I am spending most of my Saturday here at my grandmas, and then I will be driving up to Redding late afternoon (with a stop to see my cousin in Chico!)  I am still so amazed that this is actually happening!  God is so so good!  I truly appreciated all your prayers for a wonderful and safe drive (prayer answered...check!!)  I went through probably 14 Adventure in Odyssey tapes on my way out!  (and yes...they were tapes not CDs!)  

I am looking forward meeting the girls who are going to be my roommates.  Along with meeting all the people in my revival group.  FYI... my class of 1200 people is broken down into groups of about 70 people which they call revival groups.  Each revival group has a pastor and some interns.  It kinda serves as a way to make you feel like you have a community of people since 1200 is kinda a lot!  Thanks for the continued prayers!  Here are some current requests...

1.  A good sense of community will develop with my new roommates.  

2.  The transition of being in school again and not working will go smoothly.

3.  Overall that God will use me and and teach me more about him!  

Background info...

For those of you who are reading this and are kinda wondering where did this come from.  I thought I would offer some background info.  I sent out an e-mail about a month or so ago kinda explaining what had been going on in my life...so here is that recap!

I wanted to write and tell you all about what God has been doing in my life the past few months!  First of all I have decided to take a break from nursing for 9 months and go to a ministry school out in Redding, California.  I know this kinda makes me sound like a crazy person, since I have a great job and I own a house here in the cities!  But, I truly feel this is where God is leading me!  So now you are probably all asking the same questions...Why? How? What? Where?When?... thus let me offer a little bit more insight.

WHY....is probably the question most burning on everyones mind, thus I will start here.  This past April I took a trip out to California with two of my college friends to visit a few other friends/family.  The last stop on our trip was visiting my friend Laura who had been going to a ministry school associated with Bethel church in Redding California.  While visiting her I had the opportunity to go to 3 different church services.  I was amazed at the presence of the Lord that I felt at this church.  Something seemed different, and I couldn’t figure out what it was.  Before leaving Redding Laura and her friends spent time praying and speaking into each of our lives.  I was amazed at the various things these people were telling me about myself.  Speaking as if they truly knew my heart, even though I had just met them.  The words they spoke truly felt like God was speaking right to me through them! 
After returning to Minnesota I had this intense hunger for God.  Something I had never felt before; unlike a spiritual high I have gotten from a youth conference!  No matter what I did I could not satisfy the hunger in my soul.  I started listening to sermons, reading my Bible more, dancing around to worship music, searching for different churches services, anything to satisfy this hunger.  Although it just got greater and greater! 
One night when I was talking with one of my friends about this hunger, he off handedly mentioned the idea of me going to this ministry school.  My immediate reaction was NO...how could I do that. I have a great job and own a house!  Thats not possible!  (But the second you say something is impossible God will make it possible!)
This planted the idea in my head and I slowly began thinking and praying more about it.  I went to some gatherings of people who attended the school this past year.  Here I learned more about their experiences and spent quality time in prayer and worship with our Father.  God continued to move in my heart and then I started to listen! 

HOW...was the next question that kept replaying in my mind.  I kept thinking this is impossible.  But at the same time I had this desire in my heart that kept getting bigger.  Thus I decided to take the first step of faith and ask my nurse manager for a leave of absence.  I was surprised at how understanding she was, and after a second meeting with her told me that she could not give me a leave of absence BUT, that she would give me a job when I come back!  What!! thats amazing I thought.  From here all the pieces started falling into place in a matter of weeks, thus confirming this is God’s plan.  I applied for the school, and had a phone interview.  The woman I had the interview with told me it would take 2-4 weeks before I would get an e-mail concerning my acceptance.  I got mine less than 3 hours after my interview ended!  The next hurdle was finding someone to live in my house while I am gone.  In under a week God had provided a girl from my church who is already friends with one of my current roommates!  Wow...in less than a month I had already gotten permission from work, acceptance from the school, and someone to live in my house.  If this wasn’t God saying YES then I don’t know what is! 

WHAT...exactly is this school?  Bethel Church in Redding California has a ministry school which people of all ages attend.  It is a three year program, although many people decided just to go for the first year (which currently is what I’m doing, unless God has other plans!)  The church  and school have a large focus on the Holy Spirit and how He works in and through our lives.  This is something I feel has been foreign to me in my understanding and practice of faith.  I feel like I know a lot about God the Father and Jesus, but little about the Holy Spirit.  Thus, I am anxious about what this next year will entail and I am going in with an open mind and a discerning heart for what God is going to teach me this next year.  

WHERE...seems fairly obvious by now!  Redding California is located about 2 hours or so north of Sacramento.  It is also just 2 and a half hours from my grandmas’s house!  Thus, I am hoping to be able to see her on occasion!

WHEN...does this all start?  September 11th is when classes begin.  My last day of work will be September 2nd and then shortly after I will begin the 30hr drive out to California which I know far too well from our family vacations!  I will be in California from September through May but coming back to the land of the cold for Christmas.  (I am a true Minnesotan and must get my snow fix). 

This concludes my short story!  I am excited for what God is going to do in and through me this next year.  I know it will be an incredible journey and I can’t wait.  I would love if you would keep me in your prayers this next year.  Thanks for all the loving support all of you have given throughout my life in various ways. 

Anticipation starting...

Tonight makes the end of one chapter in my life and the beginning of another!  I have been a nurse at Amplatz Children's Hospital for almost 4 years caring for kids that need bone marrow transplants.  And, now with God as my guide I am quitting my job in order to go to a Ministy school out in northern California. 

Currently I am working my last night shift on unit 4 Peds BMT!  It seems crazy that this day has already come.  I am left with some bittersweet feelings.  It is exciting to be stepping out and following God's leading.  At the same time, scary since I am leaving everything that I know in order to move across the country for 9 months.  I have never lived out of Minnesota for a long period of time!  Over and over I keep thinking that I am out of my mind.  But I guess when God says go...you drop everything and Go! 

I know that I will greatly miss everyone here in Minnesota... friends, family, coworkers!  You all have made a huge impact on my life in so many ways!  Well...since I am at work I should probably focus on my work for my last night!  I would appreciate all your prayer!  Here are some specific prayer requests for the next few days....

      1.  A restful last few days in Minnesota and that I will be able to tie up all the loose ends!
      2.  A save drive out to CA!  I will be leaving this coming Thursday the 6th and taking 2 days to drive!
      3.  A continued focus on God that He has everything under control! 

(P.S...This is my first ever Blog...so I can't promise that it is going to be that great...but I will do my best!!)