I thought you all might enjoy this... to get to know each other and for some fun we love to play the SIGNS game. Do you know it? Each person has a sign for them (you'll see some here) and the person in the middle has to tag the person who has the sign. You pass it around by the person who has the sign giving another person's sign. :) FUN in Kona! :) Plus you can see some of my classmates.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Where's Rayelle: 3rd Entry from Kona, Hawaii
WOW... It is Saturday and I'm in my room alone reflecting on the first week of class. I wish I could show you the inside of my heart and mind as there is so much refreshment that has come in me and I'm already changed in a really good way. I am so glad to be here, to have this opportunity, and to learn more about the great God we serve and the love of Jesus.
My verse today I've been enjoying is from Psalms 89:1-2. Check it out! :)
This week we are starting to get into the schedule of things that will go on for the next 3 months. We have class each day, some wonderful prayer times, and work duty! Our classes each week are led my different leaders here on campus and those who come in from around the world to share with us. I am so honored to be a part of an amazing group and family (ohana). And my work duty is putting up in the morning, and taking down at night with 3 other people the 70 flags representing those here as students, teachers, and more. It is a lot of flags, but an amazing time for prayer and to learn the flag designs of many countries I didn't know! :)
Our classes this week have been penetrating my heart to a depth I've never felt. We have taken on the topic of God's love in a new way and we've discussed and practiced intercessory prayer. If you've not heard of Joy Dawson she is an amazing woman of God who has written on practical ways to dig deep into intercessory prayer that have helped me a ton this week! I've known a lot of things (by the way, intercessory prayer is praying on behalf of others) about this kind of prayer but with the classes help, there has been a new freedom in my prayers and some biblical definition given to things I've not totally understood before. And the prayers people have prayed for me... it is radical the God we serve and the way He speaks through others to answer questions we were just asking Him ourselves. PLEASE check out the link below if you want to hear our talks, they record them. They will be amazing food for your souls.
http://www.manningsinmissions.com/Mannings_In_Missions/Podcast/Podcast.html
I'm so thankful to be here, I may say that a lot, but I really am! My roommates are just terrific! They have amazing hearts of servants. And we talk about such life giving things, even through cultural differences and we laugh... a lot! And my class is so wonderful. It is amazing to see how God is working in a group from 9 nations... 36 or so students, over 10 teachers and bringing us together in unity as we learn, care for each other, and grow. My heart just beams as I reflect on it! If you can't tell I just have JOY oozing out of me :).
Oh yeah, and Hawaii is beautiful! The palm trees, rainbows :), oceans, wildlife (by the way there are no snakes here! yeah!), and the air... so great.
If you could be praying for me here are a couple items that I'd like you to intercede for...
1. We were given 4 choices to pray about to go on for outreach at the end of June... the choices are... 1. LA/NY, 2. Brazil, 3. Phillipines, 4. Kenya. Please ask God to speak to me clearly this weekend on this topic
2. Guidance on my house as it is still for sale in Pella
3. That my heart would stay open to his teaching and growing
4. I went swimming in the ocean last night and kicked a rock and broke my left foot middle toe. So praying for quick healing and that it won't hinder things here.
Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement! And if you have skype... about 8-10pm Central time is a good time for me if it works for you. :) Please send me your prayer requests also and know that God loves you so much He is willing to sacrifice anything for you, in fact He did with His Son just so that He could share LOVE with you. :)
My verse today I've been enjoying is from Psalms 89:1-2. Check it out! :)
This week we are starting to get into the schedule of things that will go on for the next 3 months. We have class each day, some wonderful prayer times, and work duty! Our classes each week are led my different leaders here on campus and those who come in from around the world to share with us. I am so honored to be a part of an amazing group and family (ohana). And my work duty is putting up in the morning, and taking down at night with 3 other people the 70 flags representing those here as students, teachers, and more. It is a lot of flags, but an amazing time for prayer and to learn the flag designs of many countries I didn't know! :)
Our classes this week have been penetrating my heart to a depth I've never felt. We have taken on the topic of God's love in a new way and we've discussed and practiced intercessory prayer. If you've not heard of Joy Dawson she is an amazing woman of God who has written on practical ways to dig deep into intercessory prayer that have helped me a ton this week! I've known a lot of things (by the way, intercessory prayer is praying on behalf of others) about this kind of prayer but with the classes help, there has been a new freedom in my prayers and some biblical definition given to things I've not totally understood before. And the prayers people have prayed for me... it is radical the God we serve and the way He speaks through others to answer questions we were just asking Him ourselves. PLEASE check out the link below if you want to hear our talks, they record them. They will be amazing food for your souls.
http://www.manningsinmissions.com/Mannings_In_Missions/Podcast/Podcast.html
I'm so thankful to be here, I may say that a lot, but I really am! My roommates are just terrific! They have amazing hearts of servants. And we talk about such life giving things, even through cultural differences and we laugh... a lot! And my class is so wonderful. It is amazing to see how God is working in a group from 9 nations... 36 or so students, over 10 teachers and bringing us together in unity as we learn, care for each other, and grow. My heart just beams as I reflect on it! If you can't tell I just have JOY oozing out of me :).
Oh yeah, and Hawaii is beautiful! The palm trees, rainbows :), oceans, wildlife (by the way there are no snakes here! yeah!), and the air... so great.
If you could be praying for me here are a couple items that I'd like you to intercede for...
1. We were given 4 choices to pray about to go on for outreach at the end of June... the choices are... 1. LA/NY, 2. Brazil, 3. Phillipines, 4. Kenya. Please ask God to speak to me clearly this weekend on this topic
2. Guidance on my house as it is still for sale in Pella
3. That my heart would stay open to his teaching and growing
4. I went swimming in the ocean last night and kicked a rock and broke my left foot middle toe. So praying for quick healing and that it won't hinder things here.
Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement! And if you have skype... about 8-10pm Central time is a good time for me if it works for you. :) Please send me your prayer requests also and know that God loves you so much He is willing to sacrifice anything for you, in fact He did with His Son just so that He could share LOVE with you. :)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Where's Rayelle: 2nd Entry from Kona, Hawaii
Hello everyone! I'm very tired, it has been a day full of many activities :) but I wanted to share before I went to bed. I enjoy reflecting on the days here so much, and every day seems to be more exciting and glorious than the last! Today was our first day of class. We have breakfast from 6:30-7:15am (each day includes fresh Hawaiian fruit... today was pineapple... yum!). On Monday's we have group worship in the Ohana Court (ohana=family in Hawaiian) to start the day. Then off to class, backpacks and all! Our classroom is open air, which who wouldn't want that here!
Today one of our main leaders, Aaron, shared some of his story and we talked about God's love for us. We talked about how since birth we are compared to each other through height and weight percentiles, and later on in life we are compared to others by how we look and based on our performance in school, sports, and work. We are trained in such a way that when God wants to tell us He loves us, we tend to think we need to perform a certain way for Him. Compare this to the analogy of a man asking a woman to marry him. The man plans out the whole event, is down on one knee and shares those word "I love you. Will you marry me?" The woman looks at him and says "I'll do your laundry for you, make dinner, change our babies diapers and clean the house." What kind of a let down answer that would be! When God tells us He loves us, He doesn't want to hear all the things we are going to do for Him. He wants us to love Him, to say YES to the groom. It was a great check for me today... and there is freedom that bursts forth through this. We had an amazing prayer time too. I had been asking God some specific questions about a "wall" up around me and His plans for me while I'm here and a leader prayed for me and to the very detail God spoke through her the answers I was seeking. Praise Jesus! :) And this is a time of infilling for me and a more intimate relationship with my Savior.
The remainder of the day was filled with great conversation over meals with people from my Call2All class and other classes, as well as some terrific games we played as a group. Our leaders are doing a wonderful job having time for us to create "ohana". We played the signs game (see the picture) and the "have you ever game". I'm truly enjoying learning about my YWAM family with new surprises each day! Our stories are so different, yet God's loved is woven in each of us, and brings us together as a beautiful tapestry. :)
Today one of our main leaders, Aaron, shared some of his story and we talked about God's love for us. We talked about how since birth we are compared to each other through height and weight percentiles, and later on in life we are compared to others by how we look and based on our performance in school, sports, and work. We are trained in such a way that when God wants to tell us He loves us, we tend to think we need to perform a certain way for Him. Compare this to the analogy of a man asking a woman to marry him. The man plans out the whole event, is down on one knee and shares those word "I love you. Will you marry me?" The woman looks at him and says "I'll do your laundry for you, make dinner, change our babies diapers and clean the house." What kind of a let down answer that would be! When God tells us He loves us, He doesn't want to hear all the things we are going to do for Him. He wants us to love Him, to say YES to the groom. It was a great check for me today... and there is freedom that bursts forth through this. We had an amazing prayer time too. I had been asking God some specific questions about a "wall" up around me and His plans for me while I'm here and a leader prayed for me and to the very detail God spoke through her the answers I was seeking. Praise Jesus! :) And this is a time of infilling for me and a more intimate relationship with my Savior.
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| This is the class I'm doing and the detail with it :) |
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| Playing the Signs game |
To finish off the day a group walked about a mile to the pier in Kona and we had a late night swim. We actually jumped off the pier and swam to shore through the crystal clear water. It was a refreshing way to end a day filled with joy and laughter. I'm excited for a great night's rest and to see what tomorrow brings. :)
Aloha!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Where's Rayelle: Kona, Hawaii
Friends, what an amazing day it has been. I arrived in Kona last night after a long day of traveling, but it has been well worth the trip. I wish you were all here with me to experience this. The land here is beautiful... the birds of the air, the flowers growing everywhere. But even more amazing than that is the group of people here. We have come from far away... but I've never been in such an amazing array of God's people. Just like Revelation 5:9 talks about "and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation"; tonight as we had a ceremony that reminded me of the Olympics with flag bearers, dancing, and cheering it was announced that 39 nations are represented within our groups. Thirty nine countries! Together in the same place! To help you understand the depth of this, slightly more... I currently have 3 roommates, 2 are from South Korea and 1 is from Switzerland. They all speak english as a second language so our discussions have been good, but tend to use quite a few added hand gestures. Tonight at worship, to my right was a couple from Norway and to my left a young woman from Africa and next to her a woman from New Zealand... and we all worshiped and praised our great God together! Then a woman from Hawaii prayed for me! What a beautiful world we live in. I'm honored to be a part of this here and to learn about God's love in new ways. I must admit, I'm addicted... I'm addicted to the love of Jesus. It is sweeter than honey and more precious than jewels. :)
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Where's Rayelle: Wisconsin:) for 1 week
WOW... Where do I start? A friend told me the other night on the phone that this part of my journey might be my toughest... the time of limbo... he was right. Here is the update. I'm currently at my parent's house in Wisconsin, over the last week I've emptied my home, had a garage sale that was fantastic (even with snow and freezing weather) where I sold 75% at least of what I had, afterward packed everything I own into a 10' moving truck, and I've said many good byes (or "see you laters" anyway) and they don't get easier. For those of you in Pella, I miss you already and you've made me feel so loved.
Driving across the border to Wisconsin on Tuesday night was strange... my normal WOOHOO! just didn't feel right as I feel like I left a small piece of me behind (whoever thought... Iowa :)). Being home I'm not really unpacking, more organizing, simplifying and learning how to lean into God a new way. I'm ready to be on my way, but enjoying seeing family, because 1 week from now I'll be on my way to YWAM!
That's right, the time is actually here! Next Thursday (April 7th) I have 3 flights to catch, and at 1am central time I'll be landing on the beautiful island of Hawaii, that I will call home for 3 months. There are 35+ students in the class I'll be joining, and they come from all over the world! Africa, Canada, Ireland, US, and Korea just to name a few! The base where I'll be will be quite busy as 5 classes are all starting (so figure over 150 new people). I'll be bunking it with roommates again and loving every second of it (I hope)! I'm so excited for YWAM to start, and to learn more about God and to serve others in new ways. I'm so excited I feel like I want to jump out of my skin. ;) (I never understood that phrase before... but I think I get it now).
Thanks to all of you for your prayers, your compassion, your partnership, and more. Email me at rayellem@gmail.com to be on my prayer email list and if you can lift up a prayer today for me, please pray for my house to sell. No worries, God continues to show His awesome power in all of this :).
Rayelle
Driving across the border to Wisconsin on Tuesday night was strange... my normal WOOHOO! just didn't feel right as I feel like I left a small piece of me behind (whoever thought... Iowa :)). Being home I'm not really unpacking, more organizing, simplifying and learning how to lean into God a new way. I'm ready to be on my way, but enjoying seeing family, because 1 week from now I'll be on my way to YWAM!
That's right, the time is actually here! Next Thursday (April 7th) I have 3 flights to catch, and at 1am central time I'll be landing on the beautiful island of Hawaii, that I will call home for 3 months. There are 35+ students in the class I'll be joining, and they come from all over the world! Africa, Canada, Ireland, US, and Korea just to name a few! The base where I'll be will be quite busy as 5 classes are all starting (so figure over 150 new people). I'll be bunking it with roommates again and loving every second of it (I hope)! I'm so excited for YWAM to start, and to learn more about God and to serve others in new ways. I'm so excited I feel like I want to jump out of my skin. ;) (I never understood that phrase before... but I think I get it now).
Thanks to all of you for your prayers, your compassion, your partnership, and more. Email me at rayellem@gmail.com to be on my prayer email list and if you can lift up a prayer today for me, please pray for my house to sell. No worries, God continues to show His awesome power in all of this :).
Rayelle
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Where's Rayelle: Iowa :) for a little bit
What a strange week. I'm back in Iowa and am unemployed... weird! I'll be in Pella till the 19th then off to Wisconsin for a bit, then back to Iowa for a weekend, then back to Wisconsin... then God willing on a plane April 7th headed to YWAM for the next giant step in my life! God is continuing to prove that He is with me every day, even when those days are quiet at my house, starting to consolidate my belongings. He is teaching me about control this week, that I want it and that's not how it works... I'm not always the fastest learner and I like to be in control, but the plans He has for me are much greater than I could ever "plan". So I'm thankful He is reminding me of that and calling me to spend time with Him in the midst of the hectic world around me. God you are good! And you know me... been sitting in Psalms 139 all week, check it out! :)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Where's Rayelle: MICHIGAN :)
I just realized today, I'm unemployed! Weird. I guess the best part that comes of that for me this week is that I can take a mini road trip! So here I am in Michigan visiting AWESOME people! I feel refreshed (partly from the naps) but mainly from the way God is continuing to show himself! I even met a woman, and her family, today that I had talked with on the phone through another Christian friend... as they had left everything here in the states a few years ago to move to Italy to do mission work. They literally sold their home, everything they owned, and went! What a great encouragement. So glad to be here!
Yeah Pure Michigan :)
Yeah Pure Michigan :)
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