A Journey of Faith has Brought Me to the Middle of Nowhere!

"The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway of your life.  I will advise you and watch over you."  Psalms 32:8




The view of coming into camp!!! Breathe taking!!!

Eight years ago, I set out on an unknown journey.  I graduated college in December of 2007.  After graduating, my best friend from college, Kate, and her husband were starting Young Life in Custer SD.  I didn't know a lot about Young Life, but for what Kate had told me of it.  I decided that I was going to move to Custer to be a leader with Kate and Mike.  This was a volunteer position, but I believed God would provide me a job. 

 During that time, the Rapid City Young Life was talking about taking students to camp in Canada.  I thought, "How cool would that be to go to a Young Life camp".  I didn't really know what is was about, but I was learning about Young Life from Kate.   After I moved all my things down to Custer, I was laying in bed one night.  Clear as a bell I heard God say, "Move in with Brittany."  I thought, that crazy I just moved all my things to Custer!!!!"  But it was so clear and I had so much peace about it.

So the next morning, I asked my aunt if it would be crazy not to move to Custer, but to move in with Brittany.  I told her that what I felt God told me to the night before.  She said, no that is not crazy, and agreed it was the Lord speaking.  So I moved in with Brittany, Baylie, and soon to be Jax!!!!  I figured that Young Life was probably not going to be part of my life anymore, since I really didn't know a lot about it.  I was really excited to live with Britt and her kids, but was kind of bummed I would probably never experience a Young Life camp!  I had no idea what the Lord had in store for me!!!  As I look back, I thank God that I got those 10 months with Baylie and Jax!!  During those 10 months I worked at the Northern Hills Training Center.  (Which will be important later in the blog!)

Nicole and me and at the pool!!!  We are both from the Midwest

 That October, with the encouragement of Brittany, I moved to Iowa with my mom.  I knew I always wanted to move out of SD.  Sorry SD friends, but I didn't like the weather there, and I wanted more opportunities!   I didn't know what I wanted to do, all I knew is that I needed a job.  After a three months of looking for a job, Kate found a job in Oregon.  It was at a Young Life camp in Central Oregon!!!!

The job was for a job coach position at Mark 2, working with developmental disabled adults.  I was a job coach at the NHTC.  I knew I wanted to work with disabilities, but after the NHTC, I wasn't as excited as I once was.  I knew job coaching was a hard job.  When I was at the NHTC, I was struggled with my self-image and how others viewed me as a staff with a disability.  This was my own personal struggle, and what I only thought myself.  So I wasn't sure if working with developmental disabled adults was something I really wanted to do!  But I needed a job.  Three months feels like forever when you are looking for a job.  But now I see God hand on it! 



Just some of the friends I met here at camp!!!  It really a family away from family!
This was a fundraiser they had to get me a scooter!!!

I always knew I wanted to move away, but Oregon felt really far away.  It took her about 3 weeks to convince me to apply for the job, and since I had no other options I thought I might as well try it!  To my surprise I got offered the job. 

"Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow."  Psalms 25:4

That was 8 years ago!!!  The Lord has done so many things for me during these eight years!   I thought I was coming to Oregon for a job, but God had bigger plans.  I came to Oregon as a very broken girl.  I had very low self-image.  God took a very broken girl and has made me a Woman who knows she is created by her Father in Heaven!  

"He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of morning, festive praise instead of despise."  Isiah 61:3

I have fallen in love with Central Oregon!!  The hardest part is not being my family, and not being able to see the kids grow up, but I feel like God had has grown my independence so much.  Central Oregon has become my home and I am excited to see what else God has in store for me here!



Marrianne, she has become another family member of mine!

"And everyone who gives up houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mothers or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and inherit eternal life."  Matt 19:29



I love this verse because, it was so hard to leave my family, my life as I knew it and go out into the unknown world of Oregon.  But I am so grateful I took this leap of faith, and been amazed to see faithfulness these 8 years!