Let me tell you what

So Friday I went to a Kiwi Wedding. Let me tell ya, it is so different than american weddings. When we go in and sit, everyone is talking, it's tradition for the bride to be late, the ceremony only took 30minutes, everyone that's at the ceremony takes a big group picture, they have cupcakes after the ceremony while taking pictures, then close friends and family are invited to dinner. The ceremony was at 1:30 and the dance was at 9pm. We had to wait around for it to start, then when it did the bride and groom only danced to their song then they left. After the bride and groom leave it's tradition for everyone else to leave. We were this group of people and we were the last to leave. We were hoping the DJ would play something danceable but that was a fail. All in all it was a marvelous day the bride and groom were as happy as could be. It was a great start to the weekend and a great finish to the week.
These kids here only have a week left. It's crazy how time has flown!! I'll be home in about 8 days! Single digits can you believe that! I made breakfast for my kitchen crew yesterday Evan and Kristoffer I wanted to bless them for all their work and for putting up with me. Just kidding about the last one they are a pleasure to work with and it's one part of the day I look forward to! Kristoffer is from Norway and Evan is from Colorado. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them on a different level than the school staff. That's why I love being base staff because you see everyone differently and you can speak into students lives uniquely as well. I am going to miss these guys next school.

Isaac (white), Kristoffer (black), Me, Evan (red)

Although Isaac didn't work in the kitchen with me, he is my honorary little brother. I swear Cameron has a twin and he is it! I had to take him to Christchurch yesterday to get x-rays on his wrist. We spent the day walking around the city, I was showing him some cool spots, it was like old times, even in the car he acts like Cam. It was a blessed day because I'm looking forward to coming home so much that I anticipate and start missing people a lot more. I think God just knew what I needed and yesterday with Isaac was amazing he is one epic kid! 

Finish strong is all I have in mind right now, to really push through and hold on to my integrity. It will be a very fun last week with these guys! They are so amazing as are all the students that come through here. I think that since I finally found where I belong and my place in the kitchen with being comfortable cooking for large numbers I am more chill. There's this lady that is coming to help me in the kitchen this next week and she is stepping in as one of my mentors for the next year. Now remember when I said God knows what you need and puts people in that remind you of home ie Isaac for Cameron. Well this lady reminds me of my mother, Katharine and Kathleen in one. She is epic, she calls me crazy all day long, we speak different languages, I put things in the pot with her not looking then she gets mad at me for not following a recipe, we laugh all day long, it is so AWESOME!!!! I'm super stoked for the next school with her, even this next week we will just be in the kitchen my sanctuary all day long cooking, laughing, talking, kicking each others butts. You know the usual.... 

She can't accept the fact that I don't like recipes at all, I told her if you give me a recipe I will change it and she said well how do you know it's good? I said well, I like to take a few recipes of the same thing and pick and choose what to put in. She gave me the strangest look. She said I'm crazy coming into this position brand new without having any experience cooking in bulk for people. I told her that when I prayed about coming back I told God I wanted to be stretched in different areas. Now she really did look at me like I was crazy. I said you know, you can either wait for God to do something or you can ask for something crazy either way he will bless you. For me I would rather be stretched now and go through things that I'm going to have to go through anyway, might as well go through it now. I also told her, I've accepted that I'm crazy and I'd rather be crazy living in God's will than not. She's crazy too though, don't let her fool you! It will be a glorious time getting to know her more and learning how to cook kiwi style. She's also been to India and makes a mean curry. Her husband works on base and is in and out so getting to know them over the past year has been awesome. 

To everyone at home I cannot wait to see you, hug you, talk to you and I cannot wait to see how things have changed! 

“The way to be hypocritical is to only do what you feel like doing! The believer does things because they’re right. In the world you do things because you feel like it. In the kingdom you do things because they’re right and then the feeling follows.” - Bill Johnston

That's it, That's all

Oh my, it's coming to an end again. It's been raining these past few days and it's getting a bit depressing I will admit. After Angels & Mortals week last week, I'm catching up on sleep which isn't really happening. Monday and Tuesday I didn't sit down until 7:30pm! What's with that?! I don't know what happened it seems I'm getting busier and busier! This isn't supposed to happen, I guess I can catch up on sleep when I get home though! Which is in 12 days ps. I'm stoked to come home and see everyone, I just wish it wasn't winter! Oh I'll stop complaining, it will be amazing!
Some things God has done in me over this school is, I feel I'm here for the girls on this school as someone different to the school staff. Some of the girls have asked me to be their mentor, to be there to pray for them and listen to them. I think that's sweet, because I have a mentor on base and seeing our relationship grow into a more trusting relationship and discipling relationship has been something I have never had before. My mentor doesn't push for anything instead they let me come to them, they have gained the trust not by taking it but by allowing me  to trust them. With the girls that have asked me, I feel it is the same sort of relationship in a way. Mainly because they come into the kitchen or sit on the back porch with me and it's all natural conversation. I figure you can't force something that isn't there. If they want to tell me things sweet, if not sweet. It's like in a friendship over time you get to know each other better not overnight. God has totally blessed it and I feel I have grown in this area over the past couple months. So that's one thing, another is faith. I feel my faith has deepened in seeing God move and believing that he will.
I was listening to a podcast this morning and it was saying how God really doesn't look at the outward appearance but rather at the heart. "But the lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The lord does not look at the thins man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the lord looks at the heart." -1 Samuel 16:7 I know we have all heard this many times before but it really hit me this morning because I pictured the earth as a little ball and these pair of eyes looking at it, and only seeing hearts not people. Looking at what is in our hearts, then on the little ball these words started popping up like Courage, Boldness, Love, Joy. I thought that was sweet because it was God's eyes looking on the world! Then I thought today, to really consider people by looking at their hearts. If they are angry, try to hear the pain behind what their saying. Why are they hurt? They were talking about David in this podcast and how he has done the most disgraceful things OUTwardly but his heart was pure. I love the story of David, he didn't have to chase after anything, he gave it back to the Lord and the Lord kept giving him more and more. When we push each other to strive for that God will bless us. When we are faithful with a little God will give us a lot!! So that's my two cents for the day....

dessertS.....

DUDE,

My first story is of this amazing woman. She is my New Zealand Grandmother. She has been working in the kitchen with me 2 days a week since I've been here. Now she is off on another adventure on the north island. She is such a pure example of a woman of faith and being obedient. I'm so excited for her and where she is going! We would have the best times in the kitchen, good prayer times. Every time I think of her I smile, she is feisty, straight forward, and there is never a dull moment. Like every grandma they have a soft spot for grandkids, I just happened to be one of them! Having her around has been so awesome! I don't know why but I get along with the grandparents type better for some reason! I think it's because they know what their about! 

Scott, Andrew & I

Right so my next story to explain this picture, this past week it was angels and mortals week, which means everyone is an angel to someone (mortal). So I blessed my mortal and in return I got blessed as well by my angel. So at the end of this week we have love feast, we have a big meal then you stand in front of everyone and guess who your angel is. This week is so great with all the love that goes around! So this is Scott (from Michigan)  and Andrew. They dressed up as mexicans for the love feast. They brought joy to my night in the kitchen by letting me laugh at them, they said mexicans don't smile, they have to look tough. No, they are so amazing and Scott was my mortal so I had fun blessing him all week. Which was funny because he had no idea it was me! 

I was really stressed out this week with everything I had to do for this one night and the weekend meals, I tell you what! So when we started working on Thursday afternoon for this amazing meal, I was a bit different well stressed. I had two of the backpacker staff helping me but one of them cut themselves and had to go get stitches. So now I was left with one. So Andrew came in and chopped some potatoes and a few others jumped in which was great! I made the mistake of having a squirt gun, I was spraying all the boys because that's all there was in the kitchen, I think there is something about too many men in the kitchen. It happens all the time. So I went around and sprayed them all, you know when you just need to let some steam off, usually I go scream in the chiller but this seemed so much more invigorating! Well it came back to bite me in the bum! Andrew and Seth cornered me and tried to pick me up and put me in the sink to spray me, I wasn't having it! I fought my way until they left me on the ground, helpless! Then after that, I took a deep breath and said OK, now I can start working. It was awesome! Some people just need to be brought back down to earth and it's good to have people that can do that for you! I was as calm as a cucumber after that! This is my 5th event here so I pretty much have it down to a science! It's awesome! When it came time to reveal everyone is present for it so when I came out of the kitchen the students kept applauding me, I felt so honored and it was really a privilege to be there cooking for the warriors of God! 

So this weekend I am going to be so chill, these past four weeks have been full on. I'm excited to come home and sleep which is probably what I'll do the first week. Not gonna lie, I wish I could stay here in the warm weather and not come home to the cold! It'll be good though, I'm excited to see friends and family!