Oh How HE LOVES US...

This weekend I had the opportunity to go on retreat with the school that I graduated from. I was extremely nervous mainly because I wanted to be used but I didn't know how. I went into the weekend saying 'Surprise Me, God!' I LOVE surprises...and I realized over the weekend that Christians should too. If you really think about it most things are surprises to us, God rarely lets us in on what is going to happen. In that I think God likes to surprise us because He is never surprised! :)

A few days out of the weekend I am now looking back and seeing how God surprised me this weekend. I think the biggest surprise was how much I was able to get out of the weekend. We are always learning and hearing from God; this weekend I was able to learn so much from God through the girls in my group! They were such a blessing to me! The words that they said to one another as well as their prayers for each other were not only a blessing for me, or those they were praying for but also a blessing to GOD. What amazing stewards of HIS love!

Also, I was able to feel HIS love for me in such an amazing way! I pray that all pursue that love…those that do will find it! Once felt there is no turning back. I feel that since I grew up in the church and was told SO many times, ‘God loves you’ I have become numb to it! ‘Yep, sure I know that, thanks!’ BUT seriously GOD LOVES ME! Not even just that, how much He loves me is amazing!

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

Well, I thought about You the day Stephen died,
And You met me between my breaking.
I know that I still love You, God, despite the agony.
...They want to tell me You're cruel,
But if Stephen could sing, he'd say it's not true, cause...

Cause He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us.
Whoa! how He loves us.
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.


This song is amazing…if you have never heard it look it up, it brings me into His love every time! PRAISE GOD FOR HOW MUCH HE LOVES US!!

Oh Fall...

I LOVE FALL!! Anyone that knows me knows this. I could sit all day on a blanket outside just soaking up the essence of fall! When I talk about my ultimate favorite day it involves fall! The perfect weather for a run or walk, a softball game, a motorcycle ride, an extreme cold jump in the lake AND a bonfire!! These are all things that I LOVE and what season better to have it in!

At the same time God produces such amazing views! It seems that the tree's just serve as decoration in this season as we don't need the shade, they are just hear for our enjoyment! Also the leaves fall and then you have leaf piles to jump in or make 'houses' out of as I did when I was young. The harvest not quiet out of the fields brings a glow around the area! When the sun sets you have one of the most amazing displays of artwork known to mankind!

This year I have been a tich disappointed...I go outside and what do we have, 85 degree weather?! What is that? Where is my sweatshirt and sweatpants weather...only my favorite outfit to wear and I CAN'T wear it yet because it is 80 degrees outside! What is a bonfire if you are sweating at it? They are ment to keep you warm but if it is already warm what is the point?

Last year this time I was in Africa, with weather similar to this and seriously disappointed in the fact that I was missing most of my beloved fall! This year, I am missing Africa...if it is going to be hot I mine as well be somewhere where it is suppose to be hot! All I have to say is BRING ON THE COOLNESS...NOT winter, just my 60-70 degree weather! :)

Recreating the Past!

"Anna and I were riding in the 'stang' on our way home after one of our sponsorship updates talking about our dinner to be made when we got home. Anna volunteered to cook the meat and I was going to prepare the rest of the food for the taco's. As we talked about this all the sudden the staff in the car that heard us talking started laughing extremely hard. I had no clue what they were laughing about figured it had to be something that I had said. Anna and I were quite confused and asked what we had said wrong...they asked us if we were having 'tacos' to which we replied yes, another round of laugher came from them. Mama then turned to us and explained that in their language that ment 'butt'. Turns out we were having 'butt' for supper!"

This is just one of the many memories I recreated yesterday at Rice Care Center in Willmar, MN. I loved every second of being able to share my experience with someone! I was asked many questions as to what we ate, what kind of gardens they had, what was my outfit for, etc. All of them coming from the most adorable lady in the front row to my left. She was so interested in what I did, so excited to hear and so proud of me! The adorable little lady in the front row was my Grandma Ryks!

Over the course of the past couple months she has suffered 2 major strokes and who knows how many mini strokes that aren't recorded; YET there she was front and center acting as though she was invincible! I have been so impressed with this women more so in the past couple months then ever before.

Growing up I was not very close with her...we would visit on Sunday mornings after church but all the kids went downstairs to play. I had High School where I could have gotten to know her but was 'too cool' and only heard how stubborn she was. I had college where I took off to Northwestern College in St. Paul, coming home only for short visits; in that time the only words I would say is 'I'll see you later Grandma, Love you!' as I was hugging her to go. She would look deep in my eyes and say 'You should come around more often!' I would tell her I would try and then be on my way. Now I am home living in Prinsburg, working in Willmar literally not even 5 minutes from my Grandmother and yet I can't 'find the time' to visit with her.

It is incredible how selfish I have been in my years growing up and even now, BUT during the few moments before my 'speech' I was talking with this strong, stubborn, beautiful women. I saw her break, it was only for a moment. She told me that she felt bad she wasn't there for her husband, my grandfather, in this time. He hasn't been feeling the best and she had tears in her eyes when she told me that she felt guilty she wasnt taking care of him. My heart went out to her! She was sitting there like a little girl unable to do anything to help, looking at me for an answer and I had none. She wasn't going to be able to go home and take care of Grandpa, she can hardly take care of herself...yet in this moment she didn't care she just wanted to make sure he was okay. If only that is how all of us would be, SELFLESS! In recreating the past I wish I could change how I was through all those years of growing up and learn a little lesson from Grandma on how to be truely selfless!

LOVE YOU GRANDMA!

Missing HOME!!

3 Months...It has been three months since AFRICA and I have been missing it more than ever before! The thrill of being home as worn off and now I am ready to get back to my 2nd home!

Life has been pretty amazing, weird, crazy...my last week in Africa I got an email from my mother stating that a job was opening up at CTI Music Ministries! I contacted one of the staff members there to get a little information about the job and an application! The following week when I was back in Prinsburg I was in contact with them and asked to come in for an interview! I sent in my application and a week later I had a job...not just any job, a job I LOVE and that is furthering Gods kingdom, THE PERFECT JOB! At least for me that is!

Not long after starting there I was also asked to help out my home church with the Young Adults! I have been a little slow getting it all started because it has taken me a LONG time to get into a grove after getting back. I pray that I will be used and can help the Young Adults of my community get involved in a group that makes them feel comfortable! I thank God that I was chosen to try and help out in this way!

THANKS BE TO GOD!

I Did NOT Sign Up For This!

No, no, no, no, NO! This is not what was in my plan, saying goodbye...NOPE too hard!
This will probably be my last blog before I head off for the States! Tonight Anna and I stopped by My Father's Houses 7 & 8 to say goodbye! Nope this wasn't easy...we hungout for about an hour before telling them that we had to go. The looks we received when we told them we were going back home to America were not easy. The kids that we met the first week we were here and fell in love with, we are now having to leave behind...with no return in the schedule yet! All I know is that I am leaving them in the loving hands of my Zambian family...how their lives will twist and turn, I no longer have control!
Tomorrow the schedule consists of some last minute shopping, packing, Zambian Night and then more goodbyes...I am not sure how I will hold up with that! I have to say goodbye to the MFH kids that I have gotten closest too and also most of my Zambian Family! Please pray for Anna and I both as we have to leave a home that we found here and return to our old lives...which we are excited to go back to, BUT at the same time are having a hard time leaving this life behind!
Thank you for all of your prayers so far I am so excited to tell everyone about life in Lusaka, Zambia and bring back a love that I have found for this place!
SEE YOU in less than a week! LOVE and THANKS to all of you!

*Flight leaves 2 AM (Central America Time) 9 AM here in Zambia on Wednesday morning - Oct 15th. We will be in the air on and off until around 12:30 PM on Thursday Oct. 16th.
*Goodbyes...not going to be easy!
*Family - Grandma! I LOVE YOU ALL!

In One Week!

Wow...can you believe it? My trip here is coming to a close. In the course of the next week I will be leaving my dream! The place I dreamed of going since I was 12 to come home! Saddness, excitement, and question lies in my future!
Sad to go, sad to not see these faces everyday, sad to get on a 18 hour plane ride accross the ocean, sad for the ending!
Excited to see my family and friends, excited to sleep in my own bed, excited to have that shower in my basement back (sad I know that I'm missing that shower), excited to see my Grandma!
Questioning where I will go from here, how I will respond to seeing eveyone, how well I will come back and adjust to the US time frame, and where God will send me next!

Today Gary, founder and president of EOH, headed home! :( Anna and I both are sad to see him go! We really enjoyed his Starbucks coffee in the morning...what a treat when you have had FAKE coffee for 5 weeks! It was really nice to have him there explaining things to us that we knew we experienced but didn't put it together! Also just to have another American to chat with and joke around with was nice!

This past week we have been helping everyone out as they went through what this next year is going to look like for EOH! Wow is it going to be amazing, I pray that the developments that are planned will be carried out to compleation! They are growing into an amazing organization and I am so happy to see that and be a part of that!

Tonight, Anna and I will be having a sleepover with the girls from MFH 4 & 5! All my friends and my sisters know how much I like sleepovers! I am so excited to hang out with the girls away from home and school, just treat them! No worries I will definatly have pictures!

LOVE YOU ALL AND SEE MOST OF YOU IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!

* Gary's traveling mercies back to the States!
* Anna and my last few days here in our DREAM land!
* My family and their tears...

Musonda Falls

I haven't had to much down time lately...they are keeping me busy! Last week Thursday we(Anna, Cypheen and myself) headed off to Musonda Falls; which is an estimated TWELVE hour bus ride! Anna and I got to know Cypheen quite well, I'm sure he would say the same about us! :) We got there at around 5ish in the morning...when I got there I either had sympathy puffiness (for Lindsey) or it was just from the long trip but I had SWOLLEN feet!

The people up there are amazing! I fell in love with the area! It was a little more like home because it is a very small town, nothing like Lusaka which is the capital of Zambia. We stayed with a young man whose wife is actually in Lusaka preparing for the birth of their first born. It was an amazing home...with a super nice shower I might add! When we woke in the morning you look out the living room window to the river coming from the falls, you can hear the falls in the distance...it was breathtaking! Pastor Mwansa was a treat to meet...he has such a heart for the orphans in that area and is involved in most of their lives. We had a little over 40 updates to get done on Friday and Saturday. At the end of the first day we had only 7 left to do! Anna and I were pretty excited about that because that meant that we would have a better chance of going down to the falls and seeing where some of the kids live.

On Saturday we went over to the church and spent a lot of time singing being as the kids had all the time in the world to come in so they came in sporadically leaving us time for Cypheen to practice his guitar skills and also write a song! BUT we got them all DONE!! How amazing is that, thanks to the Pastor and his devoted helpers we got them all done...that is a first! God really helped us out on that one! So that afternoon we were able to go down to the falls on our way down there we had a mob of kids that came with! It was so beautiful, reminded me of home! That night we hung out with the Pastor and our Host and played some card tricks on them...it was a good time!

The next day was Orphan Sunday...and it was crAzY Amazing! I didn't understand any of the message that was being preached but the praise and worship was awesome! The majority of the church was kids...most of the sponsor kids that we updated came which resulted in both arms being filled along with my lap, which is fine by me! I was touched by one little girl who must have been an angel in disguise...she is sick and nothing but bones; but when that little girl smiles it lights up the world! She was incredibly shy, spoke only Bemba and hid away in the corner but that wasn't going to keep me from her! I greeted her and gave her a hug hoping that half of the love she shown me with just her smile would be reciprocated in that hug! I fell in LOVE with that little girl and even though I don't know her name she is forever engraved in my heart! Please be praying for these kids! Some of them don't have sponsors, some are sick, and some have just lost both their parents...they have gone through more trials in their lives than most people EVER have to go through. I praise God for the JOY that still comes from them!

I want to thank you for all of your prayers for my family and I as we go through this time of loss! I really don't think there is anyway I would still have Joy if it weren't for God sustaining me right now! Really words could not express the amount of thanks that is due!

* Praise God for my Grandpa Slagter's LIFE and that he no longer has pain!

* Pray that my Grandma will be uplifted by God's hand!

* The rest of my family in this time!

* My cousin Dusty as he took off back to Iraq last Wednesday!

* Little baby Sir...boy or girl?!?

* Every little child who finds JOY in their troubled lives and even more so those who don't!

* Thank God the rain held off...it is comming! :) Which means cooler weather! I was able to wear jeans today without sweating like a pig!

* Pray for Gary, president of EOH and founder, as he is out until Friday trying to get things ready for the coming year!