Conversations…so much talking

One moment of business, but then I will get to the good stuff.  I will be trying my best to post once a week.  I don’t have internet at 228 (the house I am staying at), so I can only connect when I am at base.  School has also started so I am now busier then ever.

NOW the topic at hand.  Conversations!  I have had so many great conversations with people and I just want to share a few of them (sometimes I will share names and sometime I wont).  God has so blessed me through these conversations. 

Within the first couple of days, when we had heaps of free time, I met a few cool people from outside of the base.  One day, we went to the beach.  It was absolutely amazing.  On our way there I started to get to know people from the other DTSs.  DTS stands for Discipleship Training School.  Nothing too special, but nice to connect with people I did not know before.  The beach was amazing, just in case you doubted.  On the way home from the beach, a student named Ben and I spoke with two foreigners.  One’s name was Nikko.  He is German and Spanish.  He is backpacking through wherever he can.  He is working at a hostile for room and board and just making ends meet to survive.  Ben and him got right into a conversation about human trafficking, which was cool.  When Ben started talking to his friend, Nikko and I talked about my tattoos.  It lead to us talking about why I have them.  It was not anything earth shattering, but I was just so excited to share a bit of my reasoning for getting them and why I follow Christ.  

The next day, the sport DTS was playing rugby across the street from 228 and I went with a couple of music DTSers to watch and try to attempt to figure out the rules.  Our poor, poor attempt at guessing led to a long conversation with a Kiwi (a person from New Zealand).  Her name is Mel and she just moved here to be with her partner, who plays professionally, I believe that is the case.  She is/was a PE and health teacher.  We talked forever about New Zealand and American schools comparing the two and talking about kids.  Some things we found to be very different, but we found that we bother work with poorer kids and that they are basically the same.  Like their need for teachers believing in them and the importance of encouraging and pushing kids to do what others say they can’t.  I so hope to speak with her again and become her friend (I really like her).  I found out a couple days later that her and her partner are mates with the older brothers of someone in MY DTS!  How amazing is that?  So there is a total opportunity to get to know her more.

I have had so many great conversations with people in 228 and the few DTSers living at other houses.  I have really started to connect with some of them.  I generally ask, so what brought you here?  Why are you doing a DTS?  That opens so much conversation and has really helped me see people’s hearts and has helped me to know how to pray for many of them…something I so want to grow in.  I have really connected with a girl from Dallas named Brittany.  I might have mentioned her before.  I feel like her and I are going to be good friends.  She has called me (to her family) he fun friend.  She is also 26 (there are 3 females that are 26).  We connected over that immediately.  Her and I both got to school early, so we had some extra bonding time.  The other night was when we walked and really had a good talk.  We spoke about orientation and registration and some cool God moments.  We had not started school yet.  I shared about some awesome God orchestrated meetings with women who run/know the people that run the ministries that I so feel God has called me to be part of.  Praise God for that.  I am excited to get involved and see what God has planned for me in these ministries. 

So keep praying for awesome conversations, these are only three of so many.  I am so excited for getting to know people more.  Tonight, we are having team hangout at our leaders’ Matty and Deya’s house.  I am excited for team bonding.  Also pray that I am open and able to hear God’s voice (that is the lecture topic this week).  Well since I don’t know when you will read this: good morning, good afternoon, and good evening.