CONGRATS CHRIS V who won the draw for the television!

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me to this point.

Please keep your prayers a flowin'

I still need to raise about 3,000ish dollars in the next few weeks please be praying for this!

FLiGHT

i have my plane ticket book

its official,
im leavin Jan 2nd @ 9am!

worrddd.. .


thank you to each and everyone of you that has supported me financially and prayerfully,

such a HUGE blesssing

<3 y'all

faith

yesterday was a really tough day.
looking at the amount of money i need to raise, and the amount of money i have
i momentarily gave up. i waved a white flag, i quit
but some lovely friends of mine reminded me why i am working so hard to get to mexico.
God has called me to mexico, and is calling me to mexico
i need to remain strong in my faith.

thank you D for giving me Phil 4:13
thank you M for calling me out on my stupidity.
I need to raise roughly 2,000$ in the next 10 days
and over the next 7-12 weeks another $2,000

thank you to all those who have already supported this season of my life,
if you think you can help me, or God is calling you to help me, let me know :)

love you all.. always

home is where the heart is ..

after a fun filled weekend, I am moved back home.
living on an air matress, in what has become a storage room in my dads home.
i am oh so thankful i can still call this home :)
i spent the day trying to settle in.. but at the same time remembering, i leave in 3 weeks, God willing.

thank you to all of you who have supported and continue to support me on this journey.
it means so much to me, and is such a blessing.

gotta have faith <3

God will provide.

SUPPPORT!

i did it.
the infamous support letter have officially been sent out.
it's all in Gods hands now.
will you pray for me?

random thoughts after a TOUGH day.

i had one of those AH-HA moments today.
let me see if i can put it into words.

for me serving people is the best, i am so passionate about it, and i really do enjoy it.
when i first started working at the woods on service in the kitchen, it was amazing.
i would wake up in the morning, excited, and stoked to meet new people and serve them to the best of my ability.
the opportunity to love on and pour into people i really dont know at all, is phenomenal.
i have the best job.

but over the last few months it has become tough.
even tho the job itself isnt difficult, i found myself without drive, or motivation,
even tho i still say i love to serve, it just isnt a reality for me.
today.. was the ah-ha.. i found my answer.

working at the woods, is about 4ish hours away from home, away from church, away from my family, away from my auntie m, its away.
living here virtually alone sucks. i am surrounded by co-workers and new groups every couple of days..
but virtually i live here on my own, no church, no family, no network of people that pour into me.

so if im pouring all of my heart out to the guests, and no one is refilling my tank by pouring into me..
i lost the drive.. because i'm running on e. my tank is empty.
here is the real 'ah-ha' ..
i shouldnt be relying on other people to fill my tank .. God wants to!
i need to rely on God, and His strength, and allow him to flow through me...

ah-ha ..

:) i figured it out ..

will you pray for me?

beauty.

what a morning.
it was amazing.
i walked out of the house, down the stairs, onto the dirt road.
considering it is november it was very warm and the sun was just waking up.
amazing.
walking down the road a little more, the sound of crows caught my attention.
looking to the tree tops trying to see them, they are hidden, but ever so loud.
moments later, seagulls are following me down the road.. hoping for food im sure..
then.. the breath taking moment,
i heard the canadian geese calling to each other.. as it got closer.. i looked up..
about 60 geese flew about 15 feet above me, as they flew over me, i could hear their wings flapping in the wind.
.. don't worry.. no bird poo!

what a life..
i was reminded of how truly amazing our God is this morning..
it was true beauty.

<3

help?

so.. i kinda suck at this.. but.. im gunna do it.
i need to ask you for help.
i cannot do this alone!

we have 1400 tickets to sell.. in 50 days.
the tickets are for a 50" plasma TV.. its pretty sick.
tickets are $5.00 each
the person that sells the winning ticket will get $250..
would you please consider helping me sell a book or two of tickets? *5 tickets/book*

let me know if you think you can help...

along with selling all of these tickets i also need to raise another $5000.
Please pray for me..

Support letter will be sent out sometime this week!

thank you all.

<3

blessings!

bittersweet

its getting closer.
62 days till i leave. still need to raise a significant amount of money.
its so amazing... i havent even left yet.. and already through the process of preparing for my DTS, i have learned so much. my faith is growing and im learning to persevere ..
i kinda feel like dory in finding nemo .. just keep swimming swimming swimming..
even on days when it seems like an impossible task, i just need to remember to have faith.
because nothing is impossible when you have faith.

:)

hmmmm update on my lifeee..
we had a couple really awesome retreat groups here this weekend.. a ladies group and a young adults group.
i love working, and serving on weekends.. getting to meet new people, going to sessions, and enjoying great convos with pretty sweeet people..


i get to go home tomorrow.. i am really looking forward to it.
get to hang with the family, celebrate my day of birth.. and my dads day of birth..
but today was a bitter-sweet day.
tomorrow when i leave, i will be carting alot of my possessions back to london with me, to store till june.. as i was packing the car i was reflecting on the time i've been here and it really is going to be sad to leave.. this place has done so much for me, for my relationship with God, and really had helped shape who i am today..
but at the same time.. i'm embarking on a new chapter of my life..
i will be travelling to another country to learn, grow and serve.. just as i believe God has called me to.

im stoked.

to everyone that has already sponsored me.. thank you.
to everyone selling tickets to help get me to mexico.. thank you.
to everyone that is praying for me .. thank you.

blessings

xox

christie

>tired jar total 7 dollars (5 from today.. yawnnnn)

excited!

Wooo great news!

I have my support letter all typed up, I have some addresses on envelopes, and I have people who love and support me.

I also have like a bizzillion tickets! I'm going to give someone a TV!
Its a siiick t.v. i went to best buy and picked it out myself!
its 50" of glorious TV!

oh! and there is a possibility FBC Tillsonburg may have a scholarship of $500 dollars for me!

its 67 days till i leave.. which means i need to raise roughly 150 dollars a day till i leave.
woo sounds daunting.. but fortunately for me.. Gods bigger than $10,000.. bigger than $150 a day.. so yea..

I'm all smiles.

(2.00 in the tired jar.. not too shabby!)
(found 6 pop cans on my run around camp today!!)

on a more serious note..

thank you, to each and everyone of you for you love, prayers, and support.
it really does mean the world to me.. to know i have friends and family that love and care for me.
i love you all.

xox

tired. ---> rant

it seems every time someone asks 'how are you?'
i have the same boring old response. im tired.
im on a never ending battle with tiredness it seems.
-i live in a house full of girls working a different schedule than i do,
i'm almost always kept up late with the giggling, stair climbing, door slamming and movie watching of other people.
its not a big deal on days when i can sleep in till 10.. but on the day i work breakfast.. and need to be awake before the sun.. the 5 hours of sleep i get just isnt cutting it. im tired.

-im a woman. i have always and will always have low iron. i reached an all time low last month of 7. a normal woman is supposed to have something like 80. (thats a big difference) so i started taking trusty 'ol iron pills and am keeping the fibre near by! im tired.

-my immune system sucks. i seem to have this lingering cold, stuffy nose, headache and sore throat.. i feel like i have had it for like a month.. just cant seem to get rid of it.. im sure this makes me feel tired as well. im tired.

- i work in a kitchen. this week it seems i have had like no self control over the food i was stuffing in my mouth.. when i know i should go for the carrots. . i went for the chips! im tired.

-on friday i worked breakfast and lunch at the woods.. got into a van, drove to toronto, volunteered at the 30th aniv. fundraising dinner for the woods, drove back.. went to bed at 3 am and got up 3.5 hours later to work breakfast, lunch, dinner, and then breakfast, lunch today. im tired.

so enough with the rant already.
im done being tired. done dwelling on something i have very little control over.
i will control what i can to make myself less tired, and accept that which i cannot change.
im going to try my very best to not answer the question 'how are you?' with 'im tired'
every time i do. im going to put $1.00 into a jar. kinda like a swear jar.
except the tired jar!
time to be positive :)
be happy about the amazing life i have the privilege to live..
and serve wholeheartedly as if i were serving the Lord, not men

woooop!
christie out!

guessssss what! ... no really.. guess!

UpDaTe!
"Dear Christie,
On behalf of the JAN 2010 DTS staff, I'd like to welcome you to theschool!! We've prayed over your app and would love for you to come andspend 6 exciting months with us here in Mazatlan!! We know this will be alife changing time for you. It's a time where you can get away with Godand focus in on Him. You'll make incredible friendships that will last alifetime and you'll get the adventure of experiencing another culture."

So, I have been accepted!
Im so stoked, nervous, and excited!

Thank you all for your support and prayers!
Keep checking back for more updates!

much love

..keep it real..

Prayer Request!

Hey y'all..
so this is my first official prayer request,
i'm still living and working at muskoka woods, as i have been for a while.
the last church i called my 'home' church was FBC tillsonburg,
being so far away from home for so long.. i feel disconnected
so not having the support of a home church, and trying to raise 10,000$$ is tough. where i sit right now it feels like its a goal i can't accomplish.
I know God is bigger than all this, and that these feelings of insecurity are not valid..

so here it is.. will you pray not for my finances, but for my faith to remain strong.


thank you all so much for your love and support..

love you all..

xox

Fundraising for YWAM!

over the past few years i have been on a rad journey in my relationship with God.
although not always easy, very rewarding.the tough part for me is being obedient. my plans always seem better, seem to make more sense - and they are less scary!
i guess i was always like Jonah.. God told me to go one way.. and i would run in the opposite direction - after a few challenges i find myself right where God told me to be in the first place!

so, i have decided to surrender my life for his plan.
to let his love and grace shine through me to the nations.

God is calling me to YWAM to do a DTS - this will provide a solid foundation in my life for the rest of my life.

now over the past few years i have been living and working at muskoka woods, although an amazing ministry opportunity, it has not equipped me financially for YWAM.

this is part of the real challenge in being obedient to His plan. I have always (ALWAYS) controlled my finances and i was really struggling giving up control. . but as a good friend told me.. this is what faith is all about!!
God will provide!

I need to raise around $10,000, this will cover my flight, tuition, meals, accommodation and outreach costs.

Over the next few months there will be various opportunities for you to support me, and i am sooo very grateful to each and everyone one of you for your love and support.


check back for updates!

YWAM

alrighty.
so.. in my last post i mentioned that i have applied for ywam.
im going to try to give you an idea of what its about and why i applied.
ready.. set.. go!
ywam is is an international.. inter-denominational.. non-profit.. christian missionary organization .. ywam has roughly 1100 bases in 171 nations.. (thats a lot)

the school i have applied for is the dts - discipleship training school
' DTS is a sixth month intensive training course designed for Christians who want to get to know God on a deeper level and learn how to make Him known in all areas of society'

now.. since there are 1100 bases.. it took a lot of prayer to chose which base to actually apply to..
God is calling me to Mazatlan, Mexico..

so.. do you have a better understand of what it is?
if not.. www.ywam.org and www.ywammazatlan.com

besides striving to be obedient and listen to what God is asking me to do there are a few more reasons this place is right for me,

as christians God calls us to be shining lights for him, to let him shine his light through the nations and show his grace through us..
this school will be an amazing opportunity to refine and develop my relationship with God.
i really do strive to be a living exhibition of life with God.. and pray this school will aid me!

already.. this has been a huge challenge. .
i consider myself a person with strong faith.. and this school is going to cost a lot of money..
so the first big challenge was really being faithful and obedient.. knowing God will provide.
im not sure why i struggle so much with giving up control of my finances.. but i do.. and i have! (W00T!)

in order for me to share my faith throughout the nations.. i need to have faith!
- this has already brought me way closer to God.

thats all for now! ill write more soon!

much love to you all

blogging.

until now. this very moment, I have avoided blogging.
what is a blog? why would i blog?
i mean.. i journal, i think, i vent, i rant, i praise, and i live. Shouldnt that be enough?
the answer is no.

i have been thinking alot lately about my lost relationships, and how much they mean to me.
the Gray family in south africa, the countless people i have met on trips, old friends from school and so on..
it is exhausting trying to keep in touch and keep the spark in these relationships alive.
but if everyone kept a blog, i could keep up-to-date on their lives, how their feeling and whats going on.. on my own time, in my own way. maybe i'm just to lazy? or maybe each relationship is meant to be around for that particular season? either way .. this is my way .. of letting you stay in my life.. if you'd like to be in..

so welcome. .. or welcome back?

either way..

whats going on you may ask?
i dont even know where to start.. ha ha ha
summer is a good place.. everyone likes summer!
summer was epic.
i took on a new role, an interesting role, that challenged, stressed, and excited me.
from this summer i have gained a new respect for teenagers, a love for young woman trying to make it in this cruel society, and a general appreciation for the things i have in life.

this fall.. things are back to 'normal'
Paula, Kenny, and i working away on service in the kitchen at MW.
serving is definately my calling.
i have finally applied to YWAM for a dts.. i know .. i know.. took me long enough right...
.. this has been a huge step .. no wait leap of faith..
but as a good friend said.. just gotta trust where God is calling me.

well dear friends.. and random internet strangers..
im off to bed.
im still battling a cold and need to wake up bright and early tomorrow morning!


blessings!

(and yes i know.. before you say anything.... i know i didnt use any of my grade 3 grammar in this entire blog.. but .. its my blog.. so im allowed.. :) )