All in.

My dad and I were talking tonight, and he mentioned I should share the first God story that ignited my trip to New Zealand.

One spring night, my friend Amber and I were laying in a bed in my house talking. I had been feeling very discouraged about my future after high school, and I didn't seem to be getting any big florescent signs pointing anywhere at all.
"I just don't know what I'm going to do if YWAM doesn't work out," I said to her, "I just really don't have a peace about college this fall." I had been waiting on a reply for my application to YWAM Oxford New Zealand for several weeks, and I had dead lines for colleges coming up. At the time, I had already told John Brown University that I was unsure if I would be attending their college this fall, and I was running out of time to make a final decision. I remember thinking, I need something, God. Anything.
Two nights later I was standing in Subway, where I work, and they were just about to shut down for the night. One of the girls working, Erica, had previously done a YWAM DTS in Belize.
Side Note:
YWAM stands for Youth With a Mission, and DTS stands for Discipleship Training School. It is basically an organization that trains and sends people with a passion for God into the world to shout His name and share His love. If you want to find out what this is all about, go to www.ywam.org.

Anyway, we were standing in Subway, and my phone sounded the alert that I had just received an email. Now, I only got this sound when an email came to my account that I used solely for applications to college and YWAM. I remember hearing it, and my heart sped up a little. Lord, I need something. I opened the email, and there it was, my acceptance to YWAM Oxford. At first I jumped up and down, screaming at my friend who had previously done YWAM, and both of us freaked out a little.. ok a lot. My next reaction was, oh my lanta, how is this possibly going to happen? At the time both of my parents were out of state. I called them to tell them what had happened. My dad didn't even know I had applied! I guess I really didn't think I was going to get in! haha.

The next day I was sitting in class, and my mind went straight to DTS. Lord, if this is what you have for me, let's do it, but I need a whoooole lot of money and I need a check in the mail when I get home. I need to start this now. I remember getting home from school, and looking at that mailbox and really knowing this was it. I opened the mailbox, and right there was the check I had won for some talent show I got second place in. Not a day sooner, not a day later. That check arrived right on time, and right on time to pay for my first fee: my application fee, which happened to be 50 dollars, the exact amount of my check.

Guys, God is real. From having to go all in and have 2300 dollars to buy a plane ticket and having almost exactly that and enough left over for me to live off of until my next pay check, to needing a pack and being provided with the exact backpack I wanted from my sister, a backpack that had been passed by by customers for months because it didn't fit them right (guess who it happens to fit perfectly??) I don't care what your circumstances are or who you are or how long you've been running from Him. God is absolutely real and He is ready to take you on the ride of your life, if you're willing. It has not been easy waiting on Him. Believe me, I have 2 months until I leave and still somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 dollars to raise. But as big as that dollar amount is, my God will always be bigger and more powerful. Whatever leap of faith you are so terrified to take, make the choice to throw back the chains of fear and run full speed towards Him. It's eternally worth it, and you might just have a few adventures along the way.