Cant believe its week 5!

Last week was great learning about the Heart of God.  Our speaker Jeff Pratt was incredible and we learned the five ways God loves us and it is in or hands to accept that.  He can love us no more than He already does.  This week our speakers name is Jim Peterson and he is teaching on leadership.  We have to read another book this week, and I chose the WalMart Way.  It is about how Walmart started and the leadership in that.  I am almost done with Screwtape letters, and we are about halfway through our leadership book for our Tuesday night classes.  Studying here is going great and I am learning so much everyday.

Friday night we went into town for dinner, and then a bunch of us went to a place with live music that was right on the beach and the band was from Dallas!! I felt like I was at home.  They played country and we danced all night.  It was such a fun night.  Saturday we went diving, and we were swimming through these canyons, and we turned the corner and there was a 7 ft black tip shark.  It scared the s*** out of me. ;) Thank goodness we scared the shark so it swam away from us.  Then we were were ascending, these fish that looked like baby sharks looked me straight in the eyes and I knew they were going to attack me.  I got so scared.  But instead they went straight to Tina.  They were biting her hair and goggles.  She went straight to the fetal position.  Being the good dive partner I am I shot straight to the top.  I literally went in freak out mode.  When we got on the boat we could not catch our breath and were freaking out, only to find out the things are remoras, the things that ride on sharks and turtles and eat off of them.  They have no teeth and they suck on people all the time.  They were 2 feet long, and seriously looked like baby sharks.  We got a good laugh and just tell everyone they were sharks. 

Sunday me, Tina, Louise, Ally, and T walked to a resort about 3 miles away and got breakfast.  It was SOOO good and the place was too cute.  We got chocolate bananna pancakes and the best coffee I have ever had.  Then me and Tina spent the day at one of the nicest resorts in San Pedro.  We made friends with some of the workers and it was like we went on vacation for the day.  It was such a good Sunday and we both got a lot of studying done for the week. 

My parents are coming to visit me in 2 weeks, and I CANT wait!! As much as I am loving life here, I miss my friends and family a lot, so it will be so great to see them!

I love and miss yall so much!

 If you look really closely there is a man climbing up that tree to cut the coconuts off so that they dont fall on us.  I thought it looked easy and could not get 5 ft above the ground.

 Chocolate banana pancakes!

 me and Tina, normal day in Belize

This is the resort we got to spend Sunday at! So beautiful!

Big news!!

So I have big news!  We found out yesterday we are going to the United Kingdom for our outreach, or mission trip.  To be honest, I was SHOCKED. The entire team was. The majority of YWAM outreaches are in third world countries, and I honestly pictured another experience like I had in Haiti.  But this is where the Lord has called us, so we are going to Europe to spread the Word.  We do not know much details yet.  We know that we are leaving Belize around July 25, and then will be living all over the UK (London, Scotland, ect) for 2 months.  We are very excited and are continuing training here to prepare us.  It is going to be crazy going from the sunny Caribbean to the rainy England. Marvin, the local on our team, has never left Belize, and I am SO excited for him to see another part of the world!

Sunday night me and Tina went into town and ate dinner at a restaurant right on the beach.  It was so much fun and a good get away from base food.  I love the town of San Pedro.  Its EXACLY what you would picture for an islands downtown.

Out teacher this week is INCREDIBLE.  His name is Jeff Pratt and he is teaching on the Father Heart of God.  I am learning so much.  We also have a test coming up where we have to memorize 100 countries and their capitals and fill them in on a map.  It sounds like a 5^th grade geography test, but its actually kind of a lot. 

I had a GREAT birthday in the Caribbean! My roommates and team were great and it was such a dream come true to turn 22 in the Caribbean. 

Today I learned how to spear fish.  It was WAY harder than it looks.  I got close, but no luck for us today.  I felt so intense.  Me, Tina, T and Ally kayaked out to the reef and then we were swimming around with a spear trying to catch these fish. We brought a bag to put our fish in and we told everyone we were going to cook them that night. It was a low point coming back exhausted with no fish. Haha oopsies;)

We will decide by next week (I think) where our internship will be.  Our internship is from September 25 (right after our mission trip in Europe) until January 6.  Its on our own, so we wont be with the team anymore.  I am thinking for my internship I will want to work at a YWAM base.  I love YWAM and would love to learn more about it by being on staff through my internship.  Basically there are YWAM bases al over the world so I am praying where the Lord wants me.  Please pray the decisions I make are the Lords and not mine. 

I love and miss yall so much.  Thank you so much for your prayers and e mails, I have the best friends and family in the world.

 This was my birthday cake my team made me! Tina is on the left, and T is in the middle. I have great friends here!

 This is one of our balconies, and we eat most meals out here if the wind is not too bad! BEAUTIFUL!

 This is where I normally go for our off time.  I seriously get to study right here. i am trying to soak up every minute because i only have 2 months left on this island!

This was us being hardcore before spear fishing. we looked like a mess when we came back. its so hard!

Studying John was super intense but I loved the week!  Our next speaker, Jeff Prat comes tomorrow, and according to Ally who did YWAM in Denver, he is AMAZING.  I am so excited for our studies next week.  Our first book report is due Monday.  It’s a 10 minute presentation on the book we have been reading.  I started my second book for my second book report, which is Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.  I have always wanted to read it all the way through and am very excited about it. 

Something cool about Belize is that we can walk to really nice resorts and they let us use their pools and eat their ice cream.  Its so fun so on our off time it is like we are on vacation!  It is so much fun.  Today I learned how to sail.  I kinda sucked at it, but apparently it takes practice.  Tomorrow we get to go diving again, and then I am going into town with Tina to get some dinner, and were going to church with the local on our team, Marvin. 

I am so pumped to spend my birthday here Monday!  I cant believe I get to spend my birthday in the Caribbean!! 

 This is the ONE and only road on the island. this is where I run most mornings.  Just down and back.  Its about 5 miles to town, and beautiful the entire time! its so much harder running on sand though!

 This was giving my oral gospel presentation

We tried to go for 4, but it didnt work. 

Weekend and beginning of the week!

So I am just going to start from Friday because I have not been able to give a good update recently.  Friday we had our first oral gospel presentation where we had to share the gospel in our own creative way in 3 to 5 minutes.  it was way harder than i thought, and crazy to me that sharing the gospel is hard to do.  But it went good and we all did great! Friday night we went into town, ate amazing food, saturday and sunday we scuba dived, and then sunday I got to bike into town by my self which was such a good get away.  Weekends are so fun here, and a good break from school.

This week our speaker is John Peterson.  He is teaching on HOW to read the bible.  We are studying John this week, and have to read it everyday.  It takes me about 3 hours. Then we are tested the next morning over where exactly stories are in the book, which miracles are in John, which verses are in what chapter.  Its really intense but I am learning so much.

I eat lunch everyday with our cook, Laura.  She is incredible. She is a local and is one of the funniest and most blunt people I have ever met.  Her english is very good, so its easy to communicate. It is one of my favorite times of the day. Its so cool to see the different ways these people have grown up.

I am getting so close to the people here and its crazy how spending every second with people makes you bond so fast.  They are all great and some of the girls are becoming really good friends.  I could not have asked for a better team.  I still can't believe I wake up every morning to the ocean.

 This is me and Tina.  She is probably one of the FUNNIEST people I have ever met. She is from Minnesota and we are bunk buddies.So glad the Lord has blessed me with good friends here.

 Yep, we work out together here.  A little insanity.  I didnt think workout videos work, but i was so sweaty. I blamed the humidity

 So this looks jank, but some DANG good food comes from here! And its sooo cheap.  A little to the right and youre staring at the Caribbean! Its so BEAUTIFUL here.

This is where I go for the internet cafe.  I always get Pineapple juice, then its free internet.  I went there sunday by myself and met a couple from Idaho, and they bought me pineapple juice and french fries and we sat and talked for about an hour.  It was such a nice treat.  This place is literally straight on the beach.  I LOVE it here!

I am loving life here!

I am having the time of my life here.  I am learning so much through my reading and lectures.  I am also getting so close to my team.  Yesterday we talked about hearing God’s voice, the different ways we hear His voice, and why we sometimes don’t hear His voice.  The speakers here are incredible.  Last night we had dinner on our own, so we went into town and ate some local food. It was SO fun and the food was great.  Life is so different here.  We literally take boats everywhere and everything is so slow paced. I love it. Today we had the day off, so I laid out all morning on the dock and finished my book, and then we went scuba diving and saw sharks, eels, and HUGE turtles.  Scuba diving is amazing, I have never seen anything like it,  I get to go again tomorrow since it’s the weekend!  I will post more pictures tomorrow when I go into town! Love and miss yall. 

We did our last certification dive today, so all we have to do is take the test tomorrow and we are certified!  I am so pumped!  Scuba diving is one of the coolest things I have ever done.

Class is going great.  Today we continued to study different religions and then we studied some astrology.  It was very interesting and eye opening.

Tuesday nights we have leadership class and got assigned another book.  We are now also reading “Leadership is an Art” by Max De Pree.  So far its very good and I am learning a lot about leadership.

Today in “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper I read this passage and LOVED it.  He said “Whatever you do, find the God-centered, Christ-exalting, Bible-saturating passion of your life, and find your way to say it and live for it and die for you.  You will make a difference that lasts.  You will not waste your life.”

I love how God gives us all passions for a reason, and that when He is the center of them He will use our passions for His glory and to make a difference.  Do what you are passionate about! 

We have three memory verses this week- Proverbs 14:12, Psalm 118:9, and Phil 4:8.  Look them up they are great verses to memorize!

Last night the wind got so loud and the ocean was so loud that I thought it was coming into our room.  I freaked out and got up to go look about 5 times.  It was a good bonding night with my roommates.

I love and miss yall, and I am loving it here more everyday, and the Lord is teaching me so much here through classes, training, and His creation.

 This is where I walk everyday around 4 or 5 to catch up on some reading, or just to get away for a little bit.  ITs about an 8 minute walk away and has really comfrotable furniture and the picture does not even give it justice to how blue the water is!

This is us in class.  We are in class from about 8 to 1. Chris our speaker is great this week!

Quick one!

The first week with a speaker has been awesome.  This week we are studying worldviews, and today we went over all different religions.  It was really interesting and i learned so much I had no idea about.  Class is very interesting and I am learning so much.  Desiring God by John Piper is GREAT, and I am still studying Leviticus.  

We went scuba diving today for the first time in the ocean, and it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  I still cant believe we breath under water.  We went 20 ft, and then 60 ft.  it was BEAUTIFUL!!! And going deep was so fun.  We get to go again tomorrow!

I was on kitchen duty tonight, so straight after scuba I had to cook, so I have not stopped all day.  I will write a longer blog tomorrow with more detail about what we are learning and pictures.  It is incredible here, and I am getting so close to the people here.  They are all amazing and I get a good belly laugh in everyday.

I will write more tomorrow with pictures! love and miss yall!!!

Weekends here are so fun! saturday and Sunday we do not have class, so we get to be outside more.  Saturday we had work duties, and I am on the team that goes into town to grocery shop for the week.  We take a boat into town and I am in charge of fruits and veggies.  Its so much because its for the entire base for an entire week, but i feel like i got to know the town more and I met some really cool people.  And its a super fun boat ride!  after that we got the afternoon off to study, so i laid out and studied for a couple hours, then took a kayak out really far to a good snorkel spot and saw some awesome stuff.  Last night we had a movie night, but i ended up studying.  I am a little overwhelmed with all the work, but i love it, and i get to study in paradise, so I am more than happy to!

Today we had off as well.  I spent the morning studying on the beach, and then biked 5 miles into town to an internet cafe.  it was a fun bike ride, but a sand bike and biking on sand is VERY different than my road bike on the college station roads.  It took about a mile of getting used to, but then I figured it out and LOVED biking by the water.  

For my first book report I am reading Desiring God by John Piper.  The Lord is already teaching me so much.  I am almost done with my scuba diving book, and we will be certified by next weekend and have out first dive!  I am PUMPED.  I am in Leviticus in the bible, which is kinda boring, but I am trecking through!

I love my time here more everyday and am learning so much. Our first speaker comes tomorrow, so we are back to class tomorrow!  I cant wait to share with yall what I learn. 

Love yall!

Shout out to the BEST MOM EVER!!! happy mothers day mom!! miss you!

 This is the stand i get the fruits and veggies.  I tell the guy what I need, he gives me what he has, leaves for about 20 minutes and comes back with the rest.  in the mean time people come up and take fruit from the stand and just leave money for him. its veryyyy different here.  everyone trusts eachother its so funny

 This is my bunk i sleep in.  I walk right out my door and am about 10 feet from the ocean.

This was out 5mile bike into town!

Friday!

Time here is already going so fast, I cannot believe it is already Friday.  School is VERY intense here and requires a lot of reading.  I am so pumped for our speaker to come next week.  Each week we have a speaker and that is who gives out lecture from 9 to 1.  This week has just been really basic stuff, and we are getting scubadive certified so we are watching a lot of videos for our test.  I am loving my time here more everyday. 

Yesterday after class me and T, a girl here went kayaking on the ocean.  Its just so pretty here I can’t believe I get to live here for the next 3 months.  Today I went snorkeling again and saw my first shark.!!! It was a baby nurse shark, but still very exciting.  A local who works here for YWAM caught it (of coarse) so I got to hold it when we got back to shore.  He also caught a lot of konk for dinner, and he cut it right when we got back to the beach and I tasted it and thought it was pretty dang good!

There is a local Belizean in our school and he is just so cool.  His story is crazy and I love seeing locals on this island grow like he is growing.  I am getting closer to the girls here.  Sometimes it is hard to communicate because people are from EVERYWHERE and everyone has accents (apparently including me) so sometimes its hard to understand eachother, but its getting easier.

We have free time in the afternoons to study, and it is just so cool that everyday I can walk on the beach and find a cool dock to just sit on by myself.  Its like a dream come true.

I miss yall and love yall, and your e-mails make my day.

this is me holding a shark!!

 This is my team!! they are all great and we are getting to know eachother fast.  its a blast!!

The first full day was awesome.  School here is pretty intense, but I love it and learned so much in just one day.  Today I woke up at 530 (because the sun rises at 415 here… crazy) and I went on a run.  Its so pretty here and there is a road that goes right along the ocean.  There are no cars on this island- everyone travels by bike or boat.  Its so different.  We had class today from 9 to 12.  I have already learned so much.  We got a break and they gave us Cokes and we drank cokes under our palapa.  We ate lunch and then did team builing stuff, which is not my favorite, but I had a good attitude ;)  for school we have to read 4 book and do a book report on all of them and we have to read the entire bible, so its going to be a really intense 3 months, but there is nothing I would rather do than read on the ocean!  Today we were done at 2, and me and 2 other girls went snorkeling.  We can literally swim out right from our beach to a beautiful coral reef and it goes on forever.  We saw sea turtles, blow fish, starfish were everywhere, konk, and a million different types of fish.  It was BEAUTIFUL.  We snorkeled for about an hour then in our swim suits and bare feet we walked to a grocery store down the street from us.  It was so cute and about the size of my room at home.  The people here are so nice.  After that I studied until dinner and for dinner we ate mac and cheese.  The food here is GREAT but I try and stuff my self at meals because we only get 3 meals a day and we cant eat food in the kitchen when its not meal time, so there are no snacks.  But the food is so good.

I am loving my time here so far!  The people I am here with are great and from EVERYWHERE.  One person did not know where dallas was, so its weird saying I’m from Texas and not dallas.  

I arrived!

I arrived safely!  After my flight from Dallas to Belize City I boarded a TINY plane that seated maybe 12 people.  That took us to the island I am staying on.  We landed and then put our packs on and walked about 10 minutes to the "bus" which is a boat.  The walk was awesome and this town is too cool.  It is exactly what i would picture for island living.  On this boat were a ton of kids leaving school, like first graders taking the school bus home.  It was so cool and the kids are tooo cute.  So the "bus" drops people off at their docs.  We pulled up to ours after about a 25 minute boat ride, and i was in shock.  Where we stay in AMAZING.  I am rooming with 2 other girls, and if you look out our window we are about 15 feet from the ocean.  Its so beautiful and the water is completely blue and clear.  There are palm trees everywhere- it looks like a poster.  I will upload a picture tomorrow!

There are 5 girls and 2 guys in my school.  They are all pretty cool and from EVERYWHERE.  The staff here is so nice and welcoming.  We just ate dinner and we had some really good burgers.  I feel very comfortable and welcomed and am very glad I am here, it is exactly what I have wanted to do my entire life.

I dont know what our schedule is tomorrow, except that breakfast is from 730 to 9.. island living is a little slower..  I will get back to yall as soon as I can!

Love yall!

Becca is in heaven!!

Becca arrived at Ywam with an easy day of travel - her exact word were "Oh my gosh, I am living right on the beach. it's BEAUTIFUL!!! Coolest place I've ever seen or been. Better than what I pictured"
So her adventure begins! I am sure she will update as soon as she get internet access. She wanted to let you all know that she was safe and she appreciated all of your prayers! Love to all!
Sarah (aka Mom)

Leaving tomorrow!

My plane leaves from Dallas tomorrow and I fly straight into Belize City.  I then take a tiny plane to the island I will be staying on.  Please be praying for safe travel.

Moving out of college was pretty sad, but I am excited for the next step.  I am just trying to keep looking forward.

Getting everything I had into one bag was just an experience.  My mom was the best helper ever.  In our first attempt not even half of the stuff fit in.  But after unpacking, cutting back on some clothes, and repacking, we got it to work!  This is definitely going to be the simple life. 

I will blog as soon as I can when I get there!  

Love yall!