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wassup wassuppp!

It has been a while, friends, since I've sent out an update. It feels like DTS just finished a few hours ago, but alas, it has been months, and an update is more than due.

I have been home for about 3 months now, and it has been great and terrifying. Seeing my friends beautiful faces after 6 months, and being able to look up at my not so little brother are all wonderful things. However trying to adjust back into what 'normal' life was is difficult because there has been such a heart transformation and adjustment compared to how I was before, that coming back and trying to slide back into my old mold has been both confusing and exhausting as I've realized I don't fit anymore (not because I've gained weight, cheeky).
Though through the transition I can hand on heart say that I've grown to know God's love and reality in such a tangible way, which has done nothing but solidify the hope and grace I've received over these past few months.

After being home for a few weeks, I'd been able to catch up with friends and family, have time to relax and process DTS, and also get an awesome job to save up for my next ventures! I've been working full time for about a month now so life is definitely getting busy again. The job is a position of a support worker, which means I'm working with adults with disabilities (mental/physical), helping them out with daily life- this involves things like washing, shopping, cooking and cleaning. So far I'm really enjoying it, it has been challenging but definitely rewarding. I've learned a lot about myself and also I'm getting little insights everyday at what unconditional love looks like. It's beautiful.

Apart from that.... What is next, I hear you ask? What exotic country will Elisa be jetting off to this time??

and my answer for you, Ladies and Gentlemen, is that I'll be heading back stateside! Y'all can't get rid of me that easily!

I am planning on doing another school with YWAM called the School of Biblical Studies. It is a 9 months school starting in September 2015, and through it I'll read the bible thoroughly through 5 times, and, as they say, give a commentary on every verse in the Bible. If any of y'all have sat down and tried to read even just one book through you'll know how tiring it can sometimes be because there's so much wisdom, love and occasionally 'boring' law throughout. I never really thought I'd do an SBS, or at least not yet, however through DTS and especially in Indonesia I really leaned on the Bible like nothing else and I started to realize and understand its goodness and necessity for life.

For those of you who know my family well will know that my dad is an SBS teacher and has been since the Genesis. I can see some of you laughing to yourselves saying it was just a matter of time until I did one since I'm Phil's daughter! Jokes aside friends, this was a decision I for reals made all by myself, my parents have been supportive of it but by no means have they pressured or reverse psychology-ed me into it!! (or at least not that I know of!). I am so excited to spend a year fully in the Word of God, letting it heal my heart and renew my mind. This school will take place in Los Angeles, California, which will give y'all an excuse to see the big LA via visiting me ;).

As I said earlier, I am working my butt off, doing over time and more, working 7 days a week mornings and evenings. I am trying to save up every penny whilst paying off car insurance here.
SBS will cost about £5,000 ($8,000),
but then there's the added costs of travel to the USA,
Travel insurance,
I need to renew both my passports (*sigh* dual citizen pains),
I need to get a new laptop for the school since mine is close to 10 years old,
I would really like to be able to buy a reliable car whilst I'm there since America is so big, everything is so far away and I'll be there for close to a year.

I am doing my best to save up which will make a dent in the expenses that I'll need for the coming year, however I'm asking any of you guys if you'd be willing to contribute or support me during this season of my life (or further!). I'd love for you to be part of my story as I journey through the Garden of Eden, Egypt, the Promise Land, Israel, wisdom, prophesy, and the promise fulfilled through Jesus' sacrifice.

The organization of YWAM is all voluntary, staff and students need to pay for their living and studying expenses which is why I'm asking for any financial help.

If you'd like to donate to me then send me a message and we can sort something out!

Or for my USA friends you can send money directly to LA to pay off my tuition at https://ywamla.org/donatepay/

Just put in my name, click on CSBS and write in your details :) 

Thanks for reading my thoughts and hopes, 'tis always a joy to write a post whenever I have anything to share! Hit me up so we can hang out either here or there, love and hugs xo

Indonesia

Indonesia.

3rd October
My friend and I arrive at the prison with a personalised birthday cake, plates, sprite and expectation.  The prison visiting area is all open so we were surrounded by tonnes of other people visiting loved ones. We sat on the concrete floor, surrounded by new friends and shared together our friend from Thailand's birthday. She still had 11 years of her unjustly given sentence left to serve, yet her hopes were still high and she had big dreams for what she would do once she was released. After being able to hang out with her I realised how I can never complain about anything ever again- if she can find joy in that then I can find joy in absolutely anything. It was so special to spend time with prisoners- with those who were seeking and finding freedom in Jesus though they had a dark past. I am so glad that God is way bigger and smarter and he can cover all wrong things done.

16th October
After a 1 hour drive we pull up to the little house where we will be spending the afternoon. I walk in to the tiny brightly coloured room and sit on the dusty tiled floor, looking around at the faces of the reserved yet smiling transgenders we were going to hang out with. I've never experienced something like this before but straight away I loved being there. We introduced ourselves, performed dramas and I talked about my story with them, which involved a sneak-a-preach and a near breakdown. After the performances my friend and I assisted one of the individuals to give their life to the sweet care of Jesus. It was in that moment, when I was listening to them ask Jesus in to their heart, that I finally had a glimpse in to what unconditional love is. It's sitting with the rejected, it's sharing stories of redemption, it's inspiring hope where none was before. It's telling the truth- life is hard but God is good. The love, forgiveness and acceptance in that moment was so powerful and impossible to explain in a blog post. A week later we arrived back in that tiny house and repeated a similar programme, later to have another individual give their heart to Jesus, as well as have people physically healed.

20th October
We felt like the theme of the afternoon at the orphanage should be joy- we wanted to bring hope and happiness to the children's lives but would that be insensitive, uncomfortable and awkward? Unsure. We followed the spirit's leading anyways, and after we performed puppets and a drama we turned up the music and told the children to join us dancing! At first we got blank stares and folded arms but it only took a few minutes to have even the hardest of hearts joining in. Jesus really know's whatsup and what his kids need- which is double stuffed oreos, dance parties and loads of laughing. As we pulled away from the orphanage for the last time, I felt a physical hurt in my chest and realised how short term missions is so hard. Those precious children and their stories will forever be stored in my heart and mind.

22nd October
Last minute plans and we are able to go to a government run high school to perform dramas, share testimonies and the gospel message. While our team was preparing I felt like I should be the one to do the Jesus talk and so I volunteer to do so. We arrive at the school and try to communicate with the teenagers, making me fully aware yet again how bad my Indonesian is. We performed the dramas and I got up and shared my heart about what Jesus has done for me, the significance of the cross and how others can accept Jesus in to their hearts. All religions and backgrounds were present in that class, but little did that really matter as most of the people came forward for prayer. Straight after that, all 16 of us and a sound system piled in to our van to travel another hour to the slum area where we would participate in a church service. After performing dramas and testimonies and offering prayer no-one stayed to respond to our message. People were friendly and welcoming yet no-one stayed; I learned that half the battle is choosing to not be discouraged in the midst of no response. I learned that ministry cannot be emotionally based- my love and my attitude needs to come from the heart and from the Holy Spirit or else I'll get burned out.      

                                                                       

Amongst those ministries, we've also taught english to children and teachers, done friendship evangelism at the university, participated in multiple church services and served the places we've been staying at. We've helped teach soccer (meaning I've been shown how bad my football skills are), visited prisons, hung out with prostitutes and street kids, and done dramas on the beach. At the start of outreach I was honestly not that excited about being here but everyday I've grown to love this country more and more.