My, my time can get away from you

These past weeks have been good.. kinda weird though... I feel like I've been "trying to find my place" like where I fit into this ministry. I have to remind myself that it will all come in time. I've only been here for almost 3 weeks! We have been preparing for the Shine Seminar coming up this week.
http://www.ywamamsterdam.org/2010/12/shine/
Its going to be rad! We have 14 full time students right now (including myself). I look forward to taking in all the info.. we have something like 29 speakers in 6 weeks! Haha its going to be soo good! People are coming from all over the world. The Shine Seminar is a 6 week conference to promote understanding of sexual injustice and the Christian response to it. The last 3 days we will be hosting a Networking conference with people from all over with all different ministries in human trafficking.. I am REALLY looking forward to meeting all these wonderful people.

My friend Brooke is here working with The Shelter, it's so nice to have her near.. we just got to spend the evening together this past weekend, its crazy how much comfort you can find in another American.

I've decided to change some things around. If I stay for 4 months like I was planning on doing I would have to start my Visa process, however once I receive my visa I would have to also get Dutch insurance right away and start paying for it the day I get my visa. But i'll be gone for the Summer so I won't even be benefiting for what I'd be paying for. Its only $50 to change my plane ticket back 3 weeks so I will be in the 90 day tourist visa window. When i come back to A-town in September/October I will start applying for all this then. So I am coming back home April 28th now.

Before I come back though, Brooke and I were talking about taking a weekend trip to England... that should be soo exciting! I've never been but have always wanted to and flying is SOOO cheap throughout Europe.

Prayer Requests
1. That I would find a good/cheap bike
2. That I would take a step back and really learn at this Seminar/and that I would take every opportunity to learn in life.

All is goed

I met with Melissa Gomez (the Lighthouse Director) yesterday. It started to get me excited because I got to really see how perfect the Lord is in orchestrating this. It is really all coming together and its soo exciting to see God moving the hearts of people all over the world to come serve and love the unloved in this city. It's clear that He is doing a mighty work here and all my desires and dreams will soon become reality.

I just want to be emerged in this life I’ve set out to live. I want to truly live above reproach. The Lord told me many years ago that I would live a life far from normal, it seems pretty normal to me right now but then again my ways of thinking are so different.

Tonight is a welcoming dinner for me and my new friend Bongiwe at The Lighthouse; I am excited to spend time with my “Amsterdam family.”

Here are a few pictures from my first few days here:

My friend Ana and I went out for pizza my first night, SOO good!

Went to the marketplace and i forgot how simple and good the "dutch cakes and sweets" are. They love waffles/pancakes! and its so pretty the way they do things :)

My bed

my messy desk/sink

my window with the beautiful view

Beautiful View one

Beautiful View two

I'm too short for this building

my map to The Lighthouse thanks to my beautiful new friend Tania

DO NOT JUDGE ME! it was only 12 Euros and has two curling irons an elliptical curling iron a CRIMPER (yes! a crimper!) and a flat iron haha hey it does the job for me!


Prayer Requests:
1. I am applying for my dutch residency/visa and medical care on Friday. I do not know how exactly I will pay for this (didn't have it in this trip's budget but I need to get the ball rolling now) and I just want to pray I get accepted (or get the process going soon or else I will not be able to stay the last month of this trip) I am not too worried about it though.
2. Also I want sooo badly to learn Dutch but will not be able to take classes until I come back in September so pray I can catch on rather quickly!

I'm finally in Amsterdam

I had a safe easy flight (much different from 4 years ago when i first traveled to Amsterdam) and i made my connecting flight by mins.. much prayer was over me i'm sure. My room is about 3/4th moved into and in the process of being made "homey." i got in at 8am amsterdam time 11pm San Diego time so i took a few hour nap and then hit the sack at 8pm and woke up at 5:15am, not bad. I'm sure it will take a few days to get used to life but i'm already feeling better than last time i first arrived here.

People on the base are amazing, there are still a few staff members here from when i was here which was nice having a reunion with them. Now that I'm thinking about it I don't think I've seen one American (on my actual base)yet. Thats why i love it here, its so mulicultrual yet the common language is English so i get by, but i am craving to learn more here; especially Dutch.

I find it so incredible that for the last 5 years i've wanted to help girls in trafficking and for the last 4 i've had my heart set on Amsterdam, now here i am. God is so soverign and faithful and good to me! In a couple weeks i'll be starting a 6 week seminar called "Shine" put on by The Lighthouse that will focus on a better understanding of sexual injustice going on in the world we live in. I'm looking forward to drinking in all this knowledge. This is what God has called me to do and I'm ready to dive in.

Oh yes and Brooke gets here in a few days! It will be so nice to have a homey face to look at :)

Things to pray for:
-Sensitivity to the Culture
-A clear and sound mind
-Covering over spiritual warfare
-An increased hunger for Jesus and that it will not fade

info on what ywam amsterdam and The Lighthouse Ministry
www.ywamamsterdam.org
www.ywamamsterdam.org/ministries/lighthouse

and my address if you wanna write letters or anything:
Katy Randall Room 349
Youth With A Mission Amsterdam
Kadijksplein 18
1018 AC Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Two more weeks!

I finally bought my plane ticket. and the day i went to purchase it, it dropped down $150! its only gone up the past 5 months. i decided to get a one way ticket to Seattle and then fly out to Amsterdam from there so i leave for Seattle on the 22nd and to Amsterdam the 27th. i don't really know why i felt like i should buy this Seattle ticket, but i did.. i'm excited to see everyone up there but am nervous about visiting there before my trip to A-town because i'm such a homebody. it will feel weird leaving the country from there instead of San Diego. Also a downside of leaving the 22nd is i leave in the morning and my mom gets back from El Salvador in the evening. so i have to say goodbye to her THIS Saturday.. thats going to be rough. but on a lighter note she has never traveled outside the country before - ever - so i am SOOO excited to see what the Lord does for her and how He uses her! My church, Foothills, is sending out doctors and nurses to physically help the needs of the people there.. its gunna be life changing for her im sure.

oh and something else thats incredible to me, so you know i'm ALWAYS stressed about finances right? well the Lord has fulfilled His promise and i just calcuated it, with the money i have now, if i don't even sell my car, i should be fine. thats after my plane ticket and everything! and thats all without having a job. i worked here and there but nothing solid. the Lord totally provided for me which means i can ALWAYS trust Him and that He is totally backing me up on this - He wants me in Amsterdam. so i know mighty work is going to be done there. i cant wait to see what exactly it is.

a time to mourn and a time to dance

My first garage sale went amazing! i made almost $500! and i am having an even bigger one with more stuff this weekend (God willing, if it doesn't rain) The Lord has already done so much in favor of me going to Amsterdam; i have full faith that He will come through with everything. Sometimes i have to just not think about the fact that in less than a month i'll be in Amsterdam, cause i would start to freak out. Its totally not how i usually do things, i'm such a control list freak but when it comes to big life changes i have to simply not dwell on the fact that i'm leaving. So much to do such a short precious time left.

On a different note, i took my oldest (10 yo) niece to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader tonight. it was so good! and she is so precious. she is so funny and smart i love being her auntie. We shared some chinese food then got ice cream then i took her back home and she showed me her Jungle Book play songs and script... too cute. Then my 2 yo niece Lucy was going to sleep and took off her socks and placed them on her hands. when i walked into the room she says "hi! sock hands!" i am going to miss them the most when i leave.

New Beginnings

I love how no matter how much we think we know we learn more each day. I must admit this year has been a hard one. The hardest yet. I felt things i have never felt before and though i wish to never go through it again i'm glad i did and have now risen above it. I mustn't live in the past but continue on in the future. I'm letting go of things i have been squeezing in my palms. and know that once that release is completed i will have a new found, fresh freedom at my feet. It's perfect timing for this new season of my life. I am done with Bible College and now the Lord has spoken to me about going back to Amsterdam, in January, to work with the Lighthouse ministry. It's coming so fast and i don't feel prepared but i do know what i heard and must obey dispite my circumstances. The Lord has promised to provide for me in everything that i need, that is NEED not WANT. Two totally different things. All odds are against Him, but i know that God will come through, like He always does. For instance I am completely broke right now. I can't find a job, and if i do why would i get a job only to quit in a few months? But this is where my path led me so i'm trusting the Lord. If it was Him who told me to go then He will also provide a way. This morning my tire went flat and although i want to just break down into tears i see it as an opportunity to watch God provide and take care of me. If He can take care of me in the small things then of course He will in the big things. So i'm learning to fully surrender to Him. in ALL things. Being that I am a person who depends only on myself i am in for a rough, but inncredible and awakening ride.

I've finished strong

well as strong as i could. i graduated Bible College. i'm still overwelmed by much emotion but hopefully in a few years i'll be able to look back on all this and see more what God was in fact doing. i leave on Monday for Woodward.. im excited for the change and i've missed everyone so much. Then after that im planning to staff in the Coffee House in Murrieta for a semester.. then Europe? oh goodness i don't know when to go all i know is i must.