A little update from Michigan!

Why hello there my dear family and friends!

It's been awhile, eh?! Just thought I would drop a note in your inbox to fill you in a bit about what's been going these last 9 months and what the new and exciting things that will happen in this new year!

Around Europe I go!

As you know, I spent two months after my DTS to travel around Europe to visit my new found friends and my family in the Netherlands. To say that it was an adventure, is an understatement :) It was an incredible experience! The whole trip was orchestrated by God and his timing was always perfect even when I did not think the plans would come together. I don't know which was a more growing expereince, the DTS or the travels afterwards! Some highlights were being with almost all of my DTS team in Sweden for a wedding of two of our teamates, saying "Hello!" to Ms. Mona Lisa in Paris, and riding through my homeland of Holland on bicycles.

Hey there Michigan!

After my grand 10 month adventure, I decided it was time to go back to Grand Rapids, Michigan where I lived before. God called me to a time of much needed rest for three months. During this season, I lived with a good friend of mine and her gracious family in a small suburb of Grand Rapids. It was the perfect place for me just to be as I did not have to do anything but just rest and reflect on my past experiences. I felt antsy at times to get back in the workforce, but God continually said that I would get a job in September. I rested in his Word and spent a lot of time outside by the lakes kayaking and walking around the dunes. It wast not easy to be the changed person in a place that I was so comfortable being in with my old self. It has been a process, one that has been filled with God's grace and abounding love.

God was faithful to his word and provided me with two part-time jobs in September that are quite different from each other. God knows I like variety!:) I work for a nonprofit Christian assisted living place as an In-Home caretaker. I have 4 clients that I see each week to either help them around the house or to simply offer companionship. I love being with each of them as they always have such great stories to tell and are quick to encourage me! Their lives inspire me! When I am not working in my scrubs, I am all dressed up at a high-end office in downtown Grand Rapids working as a Program Director for a nonprofit Christian counseling center. Our desire is to reach the young adult population by offering them affordable Christian counseling. I wear a variety of hats with between my administrative duties, greeting the clients, marketing and grant writing. I am most excited about our upcoming support groups that I am beginning for teen moms and one for teen girls regarding their identity in Christ. My heart is full of gratifude to God for blessing me with a job that allows me to work in my passion for raising up a generation of women who are firmly rooted in the truth. I praise you Father!

Oh hey future!

Being back in the States has not been easy as I truly found a home in Europe. To say that I loved it there is an understatement! I have been praying that God would provide an opportunity for me to go back and further his kingdom there. Thankfully, he has heard my cry. I was asked back in early fall to begin a retreat center in Budapest, Hungary. Immediately, I was ecstatic, as you can imagine! However, the excitement went down as I began to seriously think and pray about accepting this offer. Well a couple months have gone by and I have had several confirmations that this is something that I need to pursue. I do not know many details, but what I do know is that I would be working under YWAM, specifically for the Hinge family( their daughter Amanda was my closest friend in my DTS). As of right now, the hope is that I would go in April when they are hosting a conference there with the Central European YWAM leaders to cast my vision and gain their support. Then I would move out there as soon as I have enough support.

This is all in God's hands. I encourage you to join me in prayer as I pursue this opportunity. It has been on my heart to lead a retreat center since last spring when I first heard God speak to me about leading one. I know that this is from God because it is a desire of mine for people to take time to rest with God- to be silent and listen to what our gracious, redeeming, loving Father wants to earnestly say to us.

As plans unfold, I will be happy to share more details with you.

May you all have an abundant new year filled with experiences that you never thought were possible. Dare to dream big!

Much love,
Kelsey

Ahoj from Slovakia one last time!

Dear Family and Friends,

It is hard for me to believe that in just 2 days I will be graduating from DTS Slovakia. It has truly been a life-changing experience. I feel blessed beyond words for this amazing opportunity. I would like to share some thoughts with you on what God has done in my life in this past month as well as over the past 8 months. When I think about my Father has done in the past month, I am reminded of the verses in Psalm 66 that say, "Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make his praise glorious. Say to God "How awesome are Your works!"

Lovin' my Father
I have really come into a fuller understanding of what it means that God is my Father. It has been a beautiful revelation as I face each day knowing that my Father has his arms wrapped around me and is leading me through each moment of each day. I truly feel his love and I am amazed at how he reveals his love to me each day through his creation, what I read in the Bible, the little comments people say, and the peace that I feel deep down in my heart. We all have a perfect father who loves just because he loves us. Embrace this everlasting love. Soak it in. Rest in it.

Renewing my mind
The mind is so powerful and I have realized the great importance of making sure every thought is in coherence with the truth of who God created me to be. This has been a battle for me over the past 8 months and it hasn't been an easy one. The devil can be very sneaky in the way he tries to make us think, but praise the Lord that we have victory in Him and can fight with the truth and that will set us free. I am claiming freedom over my life each day.

Kingdom of God
I have come into a deeper understanding of what it means when he pray that "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". It means that we need to bring heaven unto earth. This has huge implications on how we live each day. It says in the Bible that "Greater is he who is in us that he who is in the world", so we need to claim the authority that God has given us. This means that we can do even more than what Jesus did on this earth. How exciting is that?! It is my desire to live each day so that I am bringing heaven unto earth and influencing the world in a supernatural way.

Unity
Over the past month, we have had several teachings about bringing the Catholic and Protestant church together so that we can further God's kingdom. I have realized several times how I had the wrong assumptions about the Catholic church. Throughout these teachings I have come into a deeper understanding of the Catholic church and how they have far more similarities than differences. In one of Jesus' last prayers to the Father, he cries out and asks for the church to be one just like he is one with the Father. This too has become a cry of my heart because we are serving one God.

Life After DTS
I have come to face the reality that I can't live in a DTS forever. Bummer! However, I am looking forward to going home and influencing the Kingdom of God where I live. I will no longer be returning at the end of April, instead I am going to be staying in Europe for another 2 months to visit some of my friends that I made on DTS, visit my family in the Netherlands as well as attend a wedding of two of my fellow students. I am more than excited for these coming months and feel so blessed to have this opportunity to slowly ease back into reality. I will be returning June 18 and I look forward to seeing most of you and sharing with you stories and pictures of these past months. I do not have any definite plans when I get back to Grand Rapids, but I am trusting in God to provide me with a job until he leads me elsewhere. I really have a deep passion for teenage girls and would love to be a mentor for them in some way. God really confirmed this passion while I have been here and I know he will provide a way for me to serve in this area.

Thank-you so much for making it possible for me to go on this journey. As I am writing this, I have tears in my eyes because I am so overwhelmed by the goodness of God through you and through your investment in my life. May God bless you along your journey as you find peace and rest in your hearts and minds.

Much love,
Kelsey

P.S I will post pictures on Picasa in about a week or so that will give you an inside look on the adventures that I have been on in the last month like white water rafting, skiing on mountains, and of course hiking. I will also have pictures from my graduation. Enjoy!

Praise:
- For all the wonderful teachings I was able to receive and how they have impacted my life in a mighty way.

-For the many opportunities that my team and I had to visit different youth groups and share with them about the DTS as well as pray with them.


Pray:
-a smooth transition for everyone as we return back to our homes and share what God has done in the past 8 months
-Safety as I travel from country to country. Pray that my times will be meaningful and that it will be a time when I get rejuvenated.

Life after Outreach

Hello family and Friends!

The debrief time at the end of my outreach link was amazing. We were able to go on a safari in Krueger Park. We spent a whole day in a van watching giraffes, monkeys and elephants live their lives in their natural habitat. It was always very exciting when the animals would walk right in front of our vehicle! After the safari we spent 4 days at a Nazarene Conference Center in South Africa. The highlights of those four days were playing sand volleyball, watching movies, eating amazing food,relaxing in the sun, and reminicing about our time in Mozambique.

Our travels back to Slovakia all went really well. It is hard to beleive that I have been back for almost a week now. To my surprise, I experienced some culture shock especially with the cold weather and only seeing white people. Even though the shock has worn off, my body still has not gotten used to the cold ;(. It has been wonderful reconnecting with the other half of my school that went to Jordan. They too, had an amazing outreach and were able to evanglize to the muslims through teaching english and working at a coffee shop.

This week started off the lecture phase again. Our speakers are Kevin and Andee Bridges and they are leading us through a program called Jumpstart. The purpose of this program is to help each person discover their natural abilities, spiritual gifts, their best working environment, their life mission statement among many other things through taking different personality tests and talking to family members and close friends. So far it has been very helpful and I will share with you my findings once I complete the program.

I hope this quick update finds you doing well and I will write again soon.

Much love from Slovakia,
Kelsey

Praise God with me for:
- Safe travels from Mozambique
- all the unique ways that he created each of us

Pray with me for:
-a heart that will dream big. I know that God can do anything and I want to live this life in fullness and with no regrets. Pray that the dreams and passions on my heart will become a reality and that I won't get discouraged by doubts or obstacles that may get in the way.
- the people who are going to be hearing about this DTS as we travel to various churches and youth groups around Banska Bystricia. Pray that the people who need to come to this DTS will answer the call that God puts on their hearts.

Photos of Mozambique

Please click on the link below to see pictures from my adventure in Mozambique. Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.nl/kelseybruxvoort/Mozambique

Hunger

Hello from Slovakia!
Well I tried posting this update that I wrote 3 weeks ago, but unfortunately it did not happen due to a bad internet connection. I plan on writing a post in the next couple of days that tells all about the latest and greatest on this amazing adventure that I am on. I'll post pictures too :)
Love from Slovakia!

Hello family and friends!I apologize that I have not updated you until now but the Internetaccess has not always been reliable or accessible. Here are some ofthe major highlights of the past month.

-evangelizing in remote villages and seeing people come into apersonal relationship with our Father and Savior-seeing people healed in the name of Jesus
-leading a two day catholic youth conference where over thirty youthaccepted Jesus into their hearts
-riding in Chapas,the public transportsystem in Maputo. Imagine travelling in a very used twelve passenger van that is packed with over twenty people and the seats are falling apart so there is no way toget comfortable. Not only are you squishedagainst your neighbor, but the driver is weaving in and out ofincoming traffic. Its quite exhilirating and I am always thankfulwhen I arrive safely to my destination!
- witnessing my first killing of live chickens and then eating themfour hours later. Amazingly, I am not a vegetarian!
- snorkeling in the Coral Gardens at Inhaca island- building a plaground for the Nazarene Seminary that we have beenstaying at on and off for three weeks.

Hunger:
It has been an intense month filled with many new experiences. Ihave been greatly impacted by the African hospitality and theiropeness to the gospel. It is so exciting toshare the gospel because the people are eager to hear about a Father who loves them deeply and longs to be intimately involved in theirlives.The city is saturatedwith hunger for the gospel. I saw this hunger very clearly when wewent door to door in the villages. As soon as we stepped into their"yard" they grabbed chairs for us to sit on and stopped everythingthey were doing. The conversations flowed easily and their questionswere insightful and childlike. At the end there was always a time ofprayer where they could accept Jesus into their heart. Many of themmade this decision and we made sure that they got in contact with thechurch in their village. I too am hungry. I never want the gospelmessage to become just another story. I want it to be real in my lifeeveryday. There is so much more of God that I desire to know andexperience. I am hungry and I know I won't be fully satisfied untilthe day I die.

Looking ahead:
We are leaving today to go to Machava, another orphanage of Irisministries that is located far into the bush. We will be here for twoweeks doing practical work and building relationships with the kids.After the two weeks we hope to work with Project Purpose, anorganization that works with getting prostitutes off the streets. Thenwe will go to South Africa for five days of debrief which will includegoing on a safari! After debrief we will board the plane back toSlovakia on march two. I an hoping to write another update before Ileave, but if it doesn't happen know that I will write as soon as I arrive in Slovskia.
Love from Mozambique,
Kelsey

Praise God with me for:
- all the people who made the life-changing decision to follow God
- the way God has opened so many doors for ministry opportunities
Pray with me for:
- strength as many of us are feeling weary and drained physicallyemotionally and spiritually. Pray that we will persevere and move inthe strength of God. It is so true that in our weaknesses we are madestronger.
-continual safety as we travel in chapas and as we go to places that are unsafe

It's all about love

Hello Family and Friends

God is good! We have had an amazing time so far here in Zimpeto, Mozambique. From the very beginning of our journey, we have seen God’s hand leading and guiding us. There is so much that I would like to share with you about my time with Iris Ministries these past 3 weeks, but I will just share one story that greatly impacted my life.

I began to spend a majority of time with one of the orphans named Myra who is nine years old. She always had a smile on her face and loved to sneak up on me and “scare” me! One day I was particularly touched while we were playing because she began to cry uncontrollably. I held her in my arms, spoke comforting words, caressed her face and prayed that God’s lavish love would pour upon her and comfort her. After about 45 minutes she stopped and was able to play again. It was in this moment that I realized strongly that we are all broken and need God to love on us. We all need to be loved. Without love, we will be buried in our sorrows and crying inside and most likely outside. I am thankful that I was able to be a tangible expression of God’s love to Myra that day as she dealt with the hurts in her past.

Her story is one that breaks my heart and is one that so many of the kids at Iris have. At age 6, she was found on the streets by the police, stricken with malaria. She was brought to the hospital where she received the medicine she needed to make a complete recovery. Once she was well, she was brought to Iris Ministries. At first, she had a terrible time adjusting and was known as the “wild” child. She would sleep during the day and be awake all night, but that was what she was used to because she had to survive on the streets. It is apparent that she was sexually abused while living on the streets and is now in counseling. The Iris staff has searched for her family, but they haven’t been able to find any of her relatives. Myra never talks about her family. It breaks my heart to tell you this story and to know that I could write more stories similar to Myra. Although it is absolutely devastating what has happened to Myra in her short life so far, it is incredible what God has done in her life and the hope that she now has. . I know God has special plans for this very precious daughter of his.

Iris Ministries takes in thousands and thousands of street kids of all ages with all different backgrounds. They give these kids clothes, a place to sleep, an education, and most of all they give them knowledge about God which ultimately gives them the hope and love they need to face the future and to deal with the past. It is beautiful to see how the kids are discipled and practice what they are taught by doing outreaches to the kids on the street and by going to the garbage dump and ministering to the kids there. Most of the leaders of the outreaches are young adults from Iris who themselves have lived on the streets that they are now ministering to. Iris Ministries has outreaches everyday to the local community which impacts the city of Zimpeto in unbelievable ways.

For the next four days, we will be spending time relaxing and being rejuvenated after an intense 3 weeks at Iris on an island. During this time we will be praying about our next steps because all of our contacts for ministry opportunities have fallen through. There are a couple of options that are beginning to surface so we will be praying for guidance in which opportunity God wants us to pursue.

I do not know when I will be able to update again as we are unsure of where we will in the coming weeks. Know that I will blog as soon as I have internet access again. Thanks in advance for your prayers and support. It means so much to me.

May you keep on being loved by the Source of love and overflowing it to everyone around you.

Love in Christ,
Kelsey J

Praise God with me for:
- The incredible time at Iris Ministires. All of the kids from age 3 months to 19 are so precious. They have blessed my life greatly through their mighty faith and contagious joy!
- A wonderful Christmas and New Years. It was so special to serve the kids a Christmas feast and to see their hearts as they worshipped God and gave thanks for His son Jesus.
- Iris Ministry and the way they take care of the orphaned and treat them as their own children.

Pray with me for:
-Myra. Pray that she will continue to receive healing from the trauma she experienced as a child. Pray that we will be able to remain in contact through letters.
-Continued safety and good health. Some of us had difficulties with stomach problems but for the most part we all remain in good health and spirits
-Hearts that are continually opened to God’s leading for our next steps.