Hello to all!
So in 19 days I will be boarding a plane to Hong Kong! My time in the lecture phase of my DTS has been so great, but I am super excited to head on our outreach! God has been specifically designing our time away and I think its going to be awesome. In the beginning, we were heading to the Philippines and Bali, but through things falling through and God speaking to us, we are now headed to Hong Kong for a month, possibly Thailand for a couple of weeks and then to Bali until April. We are all so excited to embark on this adventure that God has set before us.

the streets of Hong Kong

While we know that God is sending us to Hong Kong, serving there come with quite a bit more cost. The cost of living for us in Hong Kong is almost twice as much as was budgeted for. With that knowledge my team and I would appreciate it if you would consider helping us cover the extra cost of 9,700. That number is for our team of 10 as a whole, not individually. I know that amount seems great, but I am confident that with Christ it is nothing.
More than anything I would appreciate your prayers. I ask that you would pray for unity for my team, for the hearts of those we will be ministering to to be prepared and that I would continue to allow God to mold me.

I can't wait to be on the streets of Hong Kong sharing the saving name of Jesus. I can't wait to look into the eyes of prostitutes in Bali and tell them of a hope that is greater than their despair. I can't wait to hold babies and whisper prayers of faith over their lives. I can't wait to make children laugh and smile and tell them that they are loved. I can't wait to capture these things in photographs to share with the rest of the world. I can't wait to speak the name of Christ to those who have never heard it. I can't wait to take wounded women in Bali to a SAFE house, a place where they can learn skills and hear about Jesus. I can't wait to be the hands and feet of Christ and share his greatness with everyone. It would be such an honor if you would partner with me in whatever way is possible for you, whether that is financially or in prayer.
If you would like to help, you can send a check made out to YWAM Kauai to:
YWAM Kauai
ATTN: Raquel Brace
4-831 Kuhio Hwy Suite 438 #122
Kapaa, HI 96746
If you would like for it to be tax deductible, you can make the check out to your church and have them send it to that address.
Thank you thank you thank you, to those of you who have made it possible for me to be where I am today. God is moving and I am LOVING being a part of it
love,
Carrie

Giving Up Your Rights

I have been trying and trying to write this blog post, and for some reason it has been SO hard. Summing up all that God is doing in me seems to be nearly impossible, probably because I don't really know myself. My days are filled with Jesus. Lectures about Him, worshiping Him, reading His Word, talking with Him, and I feel like he shows me something different in each one of those times. I have loved spending so much time with him though. I am really trying to take advantage of this time where everything has the potential to be about him, but I would be lying if I said it wasn't hard. There are distractions, lots of noise and moments of serious frustration with being here. Last night the biggest spider I have seen in my whole life was wandering around the room, I have a mouse living (and pooping) in one of my drawers, I live in a room with 6 other girls, my feet seem to be permanently brown (which means my sheets are too), the shower seems to be cold more often than not, I have no control over what I eat, where I go or what time I wake up. But what I'm learning, is that he is WORTH it. SO worth it.

So, instead of explaining all thats going on I'm just going to single out one thing that  has been in the front of my mind.

A few weeks ago, our little YWAM family took a trip over to The Big Island where one of the largest YWAM bases in the world is. We spent 5 days there soaking in the "big group" atmosphere. Kona, the base, has about 300 DTS students right now, not counting the students of other schools and staff. They have about 1000 people on campus. Compared to the 14 people we have on our base, it was like we were in a totally different world. I loved being there so much. The week was called Corporate Week. We had a band (thats actually from knoxville yeah!), United Pursuit Band, come and lead worship for us which was AWESOME. Our speakers were actually the founders of YWAM, Loren and Darlene Cunningham. It was so cool to hear their stories and know that we are apart of the vision Loren had 51 years ago. 

In the middle of the week Loren spoke on a topic that still has my mind reeling. He talked to us about giving up our rights. The things we feel like we deserve to have- like a bug-free room or hot shower. I would guess that the majority of the world live with bug infested homes and cold or no shower at all. Most people share their lives with their entire family, and here I am complaining about sharing 8 months of my life with 6 other people. 

Loren talked about how Christ's command to us was to "take up your cross and follow Him." Taking up your cross= giving up your rights. 

"24Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" Matthew 16: 24-26

When Jesus came down to earth, He gave up ALL of His rights to be with us. He is GOD, and he came to us as a man. He was tempted, ridiculed, tortured, and murdered and what he asks of us in return is to follow after him and love him. In response to His request we often act a lot like the rich young ruler. 

"20The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" 21Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Matthew 19: 20-22

The man thinks that he has done enough "stuff" to follow Jesus, like following the commandments, but when Jesus asks him to sell all that he has and give it to the poor, the man simply can not relinquish his right to his things. Now, I do not believe that this man lost his salvation or anything. I would say he probably goes off and continues living his mediocre Christian life, but he did miss the greatness of God's will for his life. Just because he couldn't lay down his right to what he thinks will make him happy. We are SO like that. I bet we all have that one thing that if God asked us to lay it down we would strongly consider holding onto it and missing the greatness of what God has planned. For some it might be money or reputation. It may be the right to have food 3 times a day or freedom. For Loren it was his right to his wife. That was the one thing he could never give over to God and let him handle and protect. It took a horrible wreck where Darlene almost lost her life for Loren to finally listen to God on this matter. As we prayed about what our right that we needed to lay down might be, I got completely convicted. I have lived my life like I have the right to anything and everything I want. One of the really big ones for me was the right to my family. It has been really hard for me to be away from them for so long, but I have realized that I need to give up the right to be with my family always. Because Christ has called me to follow him wherever he goes, and I'm not so sure that its always going to be where my family is. And really, thats okay. Because whats 8 months or 8 years here on this earth when I have ETERNITY with them in heaven? I want my sister to move away from me to Cambodia and my parents to follow my dads new work calling wherever it takes them and my brother to follow wherever God calls him, because how much better will the Kingdom be for that! How much greater will our celebration be in heaven because we have given up our right to live life like many others and have instead followed Christ! It gets my heart all excited just thinking about the impact that my family can have for the Kingdom if we let this become truth in our lives. It gets my heart all excited thinking about the impact that all of you reading this could have, if you would step out in faith, pick up that right, and follow where Christ is leading you. Look at the impact Paul had. We read all of the things he wrote because he gave up his right to freedom! Look at Katie Davis. She is a 22 year old girl from a privileged life that is now living in Uganda because she gave up her right to live the American dream that she had at her finger tips. (kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com) I want my life to look different like Paul's did and Katie's does. I want your lives to look different too. Not just because its exciting or good to be different or anythings. Only because Christ demands it of us. In order to live the rich full life that is in Christ, we must drop our desires and pick up His. His promises are greater than any earthy reward ever could be.

"28Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones,judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last first." Matthew 19:28-30

Sunset at Hanalei Bay