And then they were gone...

Blessed, ordained, spirit-filled, energetic, life-changing, revolutionary, hilarious, fun...

A few words that come to mind when I think back on my last few months here at DP.  I do want to apologize that this post has come so late but to be honest I’ve been super busy just living life with an amazing group of students who have blessed me far more than they will ever know.

My role here at DP is an interesting one because since I am administrative staff my job requires me to be more in the office and less engaged with students as the school staff members are.  However, at the beginning of this school I felt very strongly that God wanted me to be active and involved in these students lives, not just another face they see around the base from time to time.  Though I would need to be in the office a lot, I made a big effort to spend as much time with these guys as possible and really get to know them and encourage them while they were here.  When Anya asked me if I would like to be in her girls small group, I just knew that God had something up his sleeve...

Girls small group on their last morning in Belize!

Well three months have passed since then and quite honestly they have been some of the best months of my life.  God has shown me SO much of who he is through these students, and even though I set out to be a blessing and encouragement to them, I feel like I am the one who is walking away blessed and encouraged!  As my good friend Dina would say, my emotional bank account has been filled up!  It has been so life-giving just to be around them!  To see them be real and go deep, to watch their faces light up during their “A-ha” moments, to see them worship shamelessly, to catch a glimpse into their souls and all God is doing there, to hear about where they’ve been and where God is taking them, to sense their deep and passionate desire to know Him more, to laugh with them and see how creative and talented they are....all this has brought so much joy to my life!  It has been an honor that they would let me share a little piece of their journey!

Today they left for outreach and took a little piece of my heart along with them.  I am so sad to see them go but excited at the same time for what’s ahead.  They are off on their outreaches to Honduras and the Philippines so please be praying for them!

Falling into fall!

These past few weeks I have been missing fall soooo much!  I miss the crispness of the air, the turning leaves, getting to wear cute sweaters, boots, and scarves, changing my nail polish colors from the bright reds, pinks and corals of summer to the browns and deep colors of fall.  I miss Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Sunday football (even though I never watched football, I still miss the atmosphere of it! :)  I miss wearing sweatpants to bed at night, making vegetarian chili, the Farmer’s Market....I just miss it all!!!  In attempt to bring a touch of fall to my world here in Belize, I changed the background on my computer to a picture of some beautiful fall leaves and will most likely slap on a coat of OPI’s Lincoln Park after Dark in the next few days.  I’ve also been considering carving a watermelon jack-o-lantern since I am pretty sure pumpkins don’t grow around here.  Lately it’s been a little cooler than normal (although still in the high 70‘s!) and not so humid, so sometimes I close my eyes and try to pretend like I’m back in the midwest...I’m strolling in Lincoln Park on a cool autumn day, sipping my latte, kicking the leaves at my feet...and then I’m suddenly transported back to reality as a mosquito bites my leg, a bead of sweat drips from my forehead, and the tamale man rings the little bell on his bike as he rides down the beach... my daydreaming comes to an abrupt halt.  I’m not in Chicago anymore...

Even though I miss fall at home, life here in the eternal summer is amazing.  For one, there are 31 wonderful, eager, and fun new students here who are now in their 5th week of their DTS!  The school is going really well and God is moving in huge ways.  I have been powerfully encouraged and blessed by these students and have had the privilege of mentoring some of the girls.  It’s been so awesome to share and participate in this radical time in their lives and see God begin to bring about deep healing, restoration, and revelation.  Today outreach locations were announced and there will be a group going to Honduras and one to the Philippines.  About 20 of the students are going international and the other 11 are staying regional in Honduras.  

Secondly, I am working on getting my SCUBA Open Water diving certification, and am just about there!  Last weekend we had our written test, which I just barely passed, and this weekend we will have our last set of practical skills in the pool, and then I should be all set to explore the great deep in no time!  I’ve recently had a fixation with Miss Frizzle and the Magic School bus (remember that?)  When I’m diving I feel like Miss Frizzle. :) 

Work is moving right along, I finished up the project I was working on with collecting alumni information.  I sent out a newsletter and survey a few weeks ago and am currently working on analyzing survey results.  The marketing plan I’m working on is nearly done, goal is to have it finished this week!  I’ve also been helping with getting our website transitioned over to a new host site, and will be starting a promotional video for DP in the next few weeks!  All that, on top of being involved in girls small group, sitting in on lectures, and general community living, it’s been a busy season but SUCH A GOOD ONE!  

Some very exciting news to report is that I will be getting visitors in the months of November and December! Yessss! My friends Ali and Gretchen are coming from Chicago right around Thanksgiving time, and then my family is coming out for Christmas!  So excited for them to see and experience my life out here.

Last weekend we celebrated September birthdays with a “Book Club” themed birthday party where everyone dressed up as their fave book character.  Here are some pictures.  That’s me dressed up as Cruella Deville (not my fave, but I couldn’t get my original Miss Frizzle costume to work out, so this was a backup). 

Cruella Deville and "Max" from Where the Wild Things Are

Lining up to play musical chairs!

Captain Underpants and a Bible Character
(can't remember which)

As always, many thanks for standing with me and for the blessing you are to me!  I hope you are doing well!  I wanted to share a verse that has been speaking to me a lot lately, and I hope that it’s an encouragement to you too!  

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love.  He will rejoice over you with singing.  Zephaniah 3:17

Abundant Blessings to you!!!

Brittany

A New Season!

The past week has been a whirlwind here on the base as we have been getting everything ready for the September DTS students who arrive TODAY!  This is going to be DP’s biggest school yet:  18 students will be on base for the Diving/Adventure DTS and 14 students on the boats, plus 12 staff, the 5 Toney’s, and 3 long-term guests.  In just a few hours this place is going to be hoppin’ with new people!  I am SO excited to meet these students!  It’s exciting to think about how much they have ahead of them....and that 8 months ago I was in their position.  Crazy how fast those 8 months have gone by!  I’m excited for these students that they are just starting.  That there is nothing but endless possibility ahead of them.  When we were praying for the students the other day, for some reason it just hit me really hard that God has specifically chosen these specific people to come to this specific school at this specific time.  These students were handpicked by the God of the Universe to be here right now for such a time as this.  What big plans He has for them and I’m excited and privileged to be a part of their journey!

Me and some of my besties at the airport the night I left for DTS...8 months have FLOWN by!

Last week we got three new staff members, Jeremy (who I call Jaguar), Megan, and Allysen.  Also, Anya came back from the outreach in Guatemala and Louise came back from her holiday in England.  The past week has been SO fun getting to know the new staff.  There is such a good energy here now and I have this funny little feeling that this school is going to be epic :).  

Lately I’ve been working a lot on what I’ll call “alumni affairs.”  In my opinion, one of DP’s most valuable assets is their alumni.  There is no better voice than of someone who’s already been through DP and can tell potential students about their experience, or someone who can come back and staff a school, or provide an awesome internship opportunity, etc.  The relationships that we have with alumni are invaluable.  The past few weeks I have been working on tracking down the alumni contact information and organizing a database with their contact information.  I also put together a newsletter and will be sending it out to alumni soon!  Just another way for people tied to DP to stay in the loop...especially now that things are changing so fast!  

Once things settle in with the new school, I’m really going to crack down and finish up the Marketing Plan that I had started at the beginning of the summer.  I just have a few loose ends that I need to tie up on that and hopefully it should be good to go for DP to have and distribute to their board members.

Well, I need to go and help with last minute things before the students get here.  Thanks to all for your ongoing support and love, and for being a part of this awesome journey God has me on.  

With the Wind,

Brittany

On Following my Bliss....

During my travels I’ve had many chances to meet and talk to some really interesting people.  Our lives have intersected during various points in their journeys and I’ve loved hearing their stories.  It’s gotten me thinking about the fact that most everyone I’ve met is, in some way or another, seeking something more than that which they already have;  whether it's an adventure in the Amazon, inner peace at an Ashram in India, plastic bags to weave into purses and sell in the streets of Bangkok, a college education in Belize City, or the love of their life in Chicago.  Knowledge, experience, relationship, necessity...these “things” are what propel them to move, what feed their energy in their everyday lives. Everyone in their own way is searching for “more;” following after their bliss by doing what leads to happiness and a sense of satisfaction. 

I’m in Chicago this week visiting friends and family and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked how long I’ll be in Belize and what I’m going to do next.  I wish I had a better answer but honestly I don’t know, and I am slowly coming to a place where I’m ok with not knowing.  For me, being willing to live in the unknowingness of life is my way of following after my own bliss, because it brings me closer to God.  Author Mike Erre says that we waste much our time trying to “find out God’s will for our lives,” while living in a constant state of worry that somehow, we might miss it.  Erre challenges his readers to quit worrying about finding out what God’s master plan is for our future, and instead being obedient to what he has called us to do today.  Putting others above ourselves through living and learning in love, being selfless in our actions, speaking less, listening more, and doing this all in humble adoration of God and His kingdom is His will for our lives; and we can start doing this right now.  For me, following after my bliss is being obedient to what God has called me to do today, so that I may fully understand His love for me and in turn be able to love and bless others.  And I know that I have grace to catch me when I stumble and fumble in the process.  

It brings a lot of peace to know that I’m smack dab in the middle of His perfect plan for my life, a plan that will prosper me, not harm me.  While I don’t know what all that plan entails, the joy that I have experienced through being intentional and obedient brings me hope.  It encourages me to keep living day-to-day and pushing forth even if there is no visible light at the end of the tunnel.

I’ve learned sooo much this year and I am content in the season of life that I’m in.  I don’t know what bliss looks like to everyone, but what I’ve learned over the past seven months is what it looks like for me.  It’s waking up each day and dying to myself all over again.  Putting my wants and desires on the table and saying to the Lord, “take it.”  It’s trying my best to act out of love even though it may not be easy or come naturally.  It’s spending every day in the arms of a loving Father who will never leave me nor forsake me, and living in the comfort and hope that comes with that truth.  That, to me, is bliss.

Life these days...

Greetings from Central America!

Well I have been here almost exactly a month now...hard to Belize, huh?  :)  I'm located on an island called Ambergris Caye, which is a bit to the east of the mainland of Belize.  It's tiny slice of paradise in the Caribbean, which has (so-far) been clear of any hurricanes and overly dangerous tropical storms.  Look it up on a map sometime and start making plans to come visit me!  :)

I arrived on June 8th and spent that week settling in and getting reacquainted with life on the base.  I'm sharing a room with two other girls on staff, Alyssa and Louise.  The April school is already in week 11 of their lecture phase, so one more week and they'll be taking off for their outreach to Guatemala!  It's been really fun getting to know the new students and do life with them for the past few weeks.  Last week, I said goodbye to Kristin, or K2 as we called her, who became a very dear friend to me.  Kristin recently graduated with her masters in accounting from UT and was here for just a month volunteering at the base.  We hit it off almost instantly and had a blast hanging out.  I was sad to see her go.  :(

Now that I'm back on base as an intern, my official title is "Communications Coordinator." Basically I am involved in anything that someone may hear, read, or see regarding Destination Paradise.  Right now I'm working on a marketing plan, which involves a lot of research and strategy.  I'm having a lot of fun with it though and learning a ton of new stuff about social networking and marketing strategy.  A lot of people have asked what a typical day looks like, so....here you go!  6:30 get up, 7:00 breakfast, 7:30 read, 8:00 worship and devos, 9:00 work on marketing stuff, 1:00 lunch, 2:00 work on marketing stuff or other projects, 4:30 workout, 6:30 dinner, after dinner hang out/read/watch movies/whatever and then bed.  Pretty typical schedule for a weekday, and then on the weekends I'll often go into town which is about 15 minutes away, or do something like ride bikes, kayak, relax by the pool, etc.  

This past Wednesday was my 26th birthday (thanks to everyone who sent me some love on FB!).  It was a great day.  I woke up to a sweet birthday poem and flowers from my lovely roommate, Louise.  My other roommate, Alyssa made me dirt pudding (YUM!)  and then at night we had a bonfire.  So fun!  It was a wonderful celebration of a wonderful 26 years!  Woo hoo!

I am definitely living the island life here, where things are a lot sloooower and I have much less of the daily grind I became accustomed to living in Chicago.  I'm actually still getting used to the pace of things here and the flexibility of my work and life right now.  For the first few weeks I was feeling stir crazy and anxious/antsy being here.  But it's starting to become more normal to me, even though I've had to very purposefully allow myself to take things down a notch or two.  I'm learning to enjoy the quiet, the solitude and simplicity of my life, and embrace the time to just be with God and in fellowship with other people.  

I don't want to make this too long but, I do want to send out a prayer request for my director Chris.    As many of you know already, Chris was involved in a horseback riding accident about 3 weeks ago.  He was thrown from the horse and suffered instantaneous head injuries causing his brain to swell and bleed.  He spent 2 1/2 weeks in the ICU in Belize City, and part of that time he was in a medically-induced coma.  Fortunately he was released from the hospital on Sunday after CAT scans came back normal, however he still has a long way to go in the recovery phase.  He still experiences confusion and agitation from time to time and is very restricted in his daily activities.  We are very much praising God for how well Chris is doing, especially since all the doctors that treated him said this should have been a fatal accident.  However he still has a ways to go and could definitely use prayers for a full and speedy recovery.  Also please keep his wife, Lynn, in your prayers as this has been an incredibly stressful and draining couple of weeks.  

Well...that's all I have for now.  I'm sure you noticed I changed the look of my blog, so I hope you like it.  I'd love to hear your comments, so let me know what you think!  Also, notice that there are now seperate pages for things like photos and stuff, which will all be coming soon!  Fancy, fancy, huh! :)

I love you all, and so appreciate your friendship and support!

-Brittany

Forever Ruined for the Ordinary

Hello and welcome back to my blog! Yes it’s been awhile and so much has happened so let me start where I left off...

...in Delhi

After spending about 2 weeks at the orphanage in Pune, we took the train to Delhi and stayed in Pahar Ganj (a really crummy part of town) for a few days while we figured out our course of action for our next month in India. Going to Delhi was a bit of a “faith trip” in that we didn’t really have any set plans for once we got there, however we all felt very strongly that God was calling us to be there for that season. And in the end, everything worked out in such a way that we felt our decision to go there was very much affirmed.

Back in Pune during the last few days we were there, a young doctor named Ben came to visit from England. He had connections with the orphanage through his church at home. We had some great times with Ben during those last few days and he quickly became like another member of our team. He was set to leave Pune a day before us, fly up to Delhi and then catch his flight back to England. Well during our train ride to Delhi we got a message from Ben saying his flight had been cancelled due to the volcano in Iceland so we made plans to meet up with him once we got to Delhi. As it turns out, Ben was staying with a guy named Joshua David, who he had met during some conference back in Pune. Ben told Joshua all about our team and our ‘situation,’ and Joshua, being a former YWAMer himself, invited our whole team to stay with him and his family for the remainder of our trip!

Joshua is an anchor for a Christian television network in India called CBN and is very involved with the evangelism efforts of his church. He connected us with his church and before we knew it we were plugged into a wonderful church community and serving with them by teaching Sunday school classes and teaching in their slum schools. Apart from that we plugged into their college ministry and did some dramas and speaking at their weekly meetings.

We were so grateful for all the friends we made at the church and the wonderful opportunity we had to serve there. I never thought of myself as being gifted in the area of teaching but I and several others on the team soon found out that we had some hidden gifts in this area! Perhaps the best part about that entire experience was just getting to know Joshua and his family: wife Mae and sons John and Josh. They were so hospitable and just welcomed us into their family right away. It was also so encouraging just sitting and talking to Joshua each night around the dinner table. He is so wise. Truly a man after God’s own heart.

While in Delhi several of us had the opportunity to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal! It was breathtaking and such a dream come true to actually be there live and in person. I was in awe of the magnificence of it. We had a great day!

Our time in India came to a close on May 18th and I decided to fly home to see friends and family (and surprise my mom on her birthday!) before heading back to Belize. India was a great experience but extremely challenging, both mentally and physically, and I was in need of a break. It has been absolutely wonderful being back at home. I’m enjoying the things that I have missed over the last five months: a hot shower, clean bed, my favorite foods, Starbucks, TV, my laptop and phone...all the luxuries, yes i said luxuries, that we so often taken for granted. I’ve never appreciated America more than I do now after seeing a bit of the world.

So what’s next?

I will be heading back to Belize on June 7 to begin my internship on base. They’ve given me the title of “Social Networkologist” which basically means that I will be in charge of communications for DP- Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Website, etc. Trying to boost enrollment and keep all people affiliated with DP connected. I’m really excited to be back on base and get back into the rhythm of things. I may be back in the Chicago area in early August for a wedding so please give me a shout if you will be around sometime around the 7th of August and would like to get together!

When I head back to Belize on Monday I am happy to say that I will be taking my laptop with me so I will be better connected and more available this time around. I look forward to keeping you updated with regular blog posts (check back often for updates-a new and improved blog is in the works!!!) and also being more accessible via email and Skype. I also am going to work on getting a Belize phone number so I will get that out to everyone when I get it figured out.

God is amazing and I am reminded of his love each and everyday. Lately I’ve been thinking about how so many of my dreams became reality when I made the decision to follow my heart and God’s leading. I’ve always wanted to learn how to sail...and not only did I learn, but I got to live on a boat for 3 months! Check. I’ve always wanted to go to Thailand...check. Always wanted to visit the Taj Mahal...check. Always wanted to do advertising/marketing in an arena where I could promote an experience or destination...check. When I stepped out in faith- quit my job, left my friends, family, and life in Chicago to learn about and grow closer to God- He blessed me in abundance and gave me all these desires of my heart! And I truly believe He wants that for each one of us. I challenge you this summer to think about an area in your life where you might be holding back. Are you passionate about something but are afraid to do it for fear of failure or what others might think? I say go for it! God is honored when we step out strongly and courageously and go forth in faith. He is the one who puts certain desires in our hearts and we shouldn’t be ashamed to follow them! You never will know the possibilities/blessings that may be waiting for you if you don’t go for it!

Anyways, I really do hope you all are doing well and enjoying the beginning of the summer!! Please let me know if I can be praying for you in a specific way. Thank you for reading!

Be Blessed,

Brittany

India!

Wow, I am in India! I was thinking this morning about what I wanted to write in my blog and honestly it's so hard to even know where to begin or how to put into words our experience here, but I will try!!
Starting from the beginning...

We left Bangkok on April 7 and flew to Mumbai where we got our first taste of India. Busy and loud roads, people everywhere, smells of dust, human waste, garlic and spice, dirt, colors of all sorts...sensory overload to say the least. The streets are filled with motorbikes, rikshaws, and these teeny tiny cars (all the vehicles here are mini...don't worry-our group already popped the tires of a van after piling in one day! :) ) Anyways, traveling around on the streets of India is not for the faint of heart. There seems to be no traffic rules, but rather people just weave in and out, pass on both sides, and honk like crazy. Oddly enough though, this sort of organized chaos seems to work very well and I have yet to see an accident!

We were only in Mumbai one night. We stayed at a hostel and managed to venture out to a restaurant and order some food which was a challenge in and of itself. Indian people do not eat with silverware, they eat with their right hand. So you can imagine the stares we got when us white foreigners piled into this restaurant, struggled to order, and then actually used silverware to eat.


The next day we met Pete and Richie and the airport (they were not with us in Thailand-the had to go through Mexico City instead to get their visas). Afterwards we took a van about 5 hours southwest to a city called Pune. We were in Pune the last week and a half and were working at an orphanage called Hope of Glory. Right now it is about maxed out with 30 children. All the kids have been rescued from the streets and the majority of their mothers are involved in prostitution.

It was such a blessing to spend time with these kids and the staff at the orphanage. The kids are so loving and really were just craving all the attention we could give them. They taught us some Indian dances and loved to laugh at our feeble attempts at learning the moves. We had a lot of time to just play and hang out with the kids. When we weren't with the kids, we were helping the staff with the cooking and cleaning (never before have I cleaned so hard in my life!) We also did lice treatments for the kids and helped with their daily routines like showering, making beds, etc. One day we went out on the streets and were able to meet and talk with some of the mothers of the kids who are still living out on the streets.

The entire time we were in Pune we were stared at like celebrities everywhere we went. Very few tourists go to Pune so when white people come by it is quite an event! Here in Delhi there are many more backpackers so white people are not so foreign. Although, the other day some Indian girls stopped me on the street and asked if they could take pictures with me! :)


After spending almost two weeks in Pune at the orphanage, we said goodbye and travelled up to Delhi via a 27-hour train ride. Traveling the country of India by train is seriously one of those experiences you only have once in a life time. We had a sleeper car and had lots of fun sitting there and drinking our chai tea :). The guys in the group had no problems making friends and before long they were seriously the most peopular people on the train. It was hilarious watching them interact with all the locals!


Now that we are in Delhi we are staying in a backpackers hostel and meeting all kinds of people from all over the world. Tomorrow we are meeting with a pastor who may have some ministry opportunities for us.


So far we are all doing really well and except for a bit of dehydration, none of us have gotten sick. Praise God for that. It is extremely hot (around 130 degrees) and we stay in rooms with no air conditioning so you can imagine how important it is to drink lots and lots of water!


This entire experience has been very eye-opening in a multitude of ways. I have been thinking about my life back at home and realizing how much of my worries were self-created. I have never known what it's like to struggle and worry about things that seem so basic: food, water, shelter...yet for so many people here that is life. Now that is something to worry about. I know this sort of poverty exists everywhere, but never before has it hit me so hard. It's one thing to read news stories and watch reports on TV about places like this; but to actually be immersed in this life is entirely something else. I look into the eyes of people and see the hoplessness and my heart is just wrecked. I come from a place where opportunities are endless. Where so many of my problems and concerns come from having too many choices and opportunities and here I am with people who have virtually no opportunities and it really puts things into perspective. I am trying to remain positive but in so many cases I am overcome by the hopelessness of these people. And that's where I just have to trust God that he will take care of them because he is the ultimate source of hope and life...

Anyways, I have to run but here is a link if you'd like to check out some pictures of our trip so far! The first bit are from our time in Thailand and then in Pune at the orphanage.

www.dropshots.com/india2010
I hope you all are doing well and my thoughts and prayers are with you. Thanks for reading and I'll try and write again soon!