Wow! It's been several months since I last updated my blog. Currently I am staffing a DTS ( Discipleship Training School) here at YWAM Maui. The school started on September 11th and will go until the end of February including lecture and outreach phase.

As the DTS staff were praying about a theme for this school, we felt the Lord wants to refine each and everyone of us. Our school verse is from Zechariah 13:9 - "And I will put this third inot fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people' and they will say 'The Lord is my God.'"

Our prayer is that as God refines us we will fall deeper in love with Him. Already the Lord has been doing so much in my life. I've felt for a long time that God has called me inot youth ministry and being able to minister to these students has been so exciting. In the last two weeks I've realized just how much I really need to depend on Him.

In December we will elave for outreach for three months. I am co-leading a team to Bangladesh. I am really excited about this opportunity. I never thought I would go to Bangladesh but the Lord is starting, even now, to give me a love and excitement for a country I've never been too. We have a diverse of 8 students on our team. We have students from Finland, Germany, Norway, the Philippines, Canada, and the United States. During our time in Bangladesh we will be working with another YWAM base. Our hearts are to serve the people of Bangladesh and show them the love of Christ.

During this time of staffing the DTS and leading a team I could really use your prayers! I know this is going to be a really stretching and refining time. Please pray:

• I would be intentional in my walk with God and disciplining the students
• Finances for Bangladesh
• God would give me a love for the people of Bangladesh

Also, if you feel led in supporting me financially for my trip to Bangladesh, the cost is $1500. I need to reaise all the money by October 8th. You can make checks payable to YWAM Maui and mail them to: YWAM Maui. C/O Natalie Monson. PO Box 790237. Paia, HI 96779

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. I know that I wouldn't be here today without them.

Blessings and Love!!!

All the DTS Staff

My co-leader, Jason, & I

My team that's going to Bangladesh

Halfway Through March!

I can't believe that we're almost half way through March. This quarter has flown by! The students leave to go on outreach in less than two weeks! And we'll be getting ready to start another school in mid-April. The April school has alot of international students coming which we are really excited about. We have students coming from South Korea, Germany, India, Canada, & hopefully one from Australia. We've really been praying God would bring in the students for this next quarter and He has been faithful to us. We're still praying for more students and that the ones who are coming will get their visas in time.

Along with doing admin, I've also been substituting as registrar which has been alot of fun. I've been able to be in contact with the students who are coming in April. I'm enjoying the extra workload that has been added to what I already do. I love keeping busy :)

Thanks for all the continued prayers and support. Love & Blessings!!!!

Natasha - one of the DTS girls I've gotten to know

Violet, one of my good friends here. She's in Ch!n@ right now doing a secondary YWAM School

Maria, another girl on staff, that I've become good friends with

I can't believe that we're almost half way through March. This quarter has flown by! The students leave to go on outreach in less than two weeks! And we'll be getting ready to start another school in mid-April. The April school has alot of international students coming which we are really excited about. We have students coming from South Korea, Germany, India, Canada, & hopefully one from Australia. We've really been praying God would bring in the students for this next quarter and He has been faithful to us. We're still praying for more students and that the ones who are coming will get their visas in time.

Along with doing admin, I've also been substituting as registrar which has been alot of fun. I've been able to be in contact with the students who are coming in April. I'm enjoying the extra workload that has been added to what I already do. I love keeping busy :)

Thanks for all the continued prayers and support. Love & Blessings!!!!

A Thing Called Life

Over the past week life has been pretty normal. Last Friday night the Fall DTS graduated. Being DTS admin I was responsible for planning the graduation. Those who know me, know I enjoy planning parties and events, so of course, I loved planning graduation. I always feel a sense of joy/happiness when the event is over and everything went according to plan. And praise the Lord it did!It was awesome watching the student graduate and remembering that just two short months previous it had been me standing there. Since then, God has reminded me of His vision for YWAM: "To Know God and Make Him Known." And that's my desire...to know God with everything in me and make Him known throughout the nations. And in being a part of YWAM Maui I am doing just that.

Our current DTS leaves in 3 weeks to continue what has already been started. We are sending out a team to Borneo and a team to Ch!n@. I can not wait to hear their testimonies of what God does through them.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. It means the world to me!

The Borneo team that just graduated

The current Borneo team preparing to go on outreach

The current Ch!n@ team preparing to go on outreach

Me & my friend, Daena, at graduation

We decided spur the moment, we wanted s'mores, and literally devoured them

Beauty!

Wow - so much has happened since I last wrote. I'm still staying busy as DTS Admin and loving every minute of it. Last Thursday our fall school returned from outreach. We sent out three teams to Nepal/Bangladesh, Ch!n@, and Indonesia. It has been wonderful having them back and hearing the testimonies of what God is doing in Asia. Monday night was testimony night and we were able to hear what the teams did while in Asia. It was so encouraging to hear how YWAM Maui is going out and impacting the nations. I loved seeing pictures of Indonesia where I had been just a few months ago. Ahhh! God is so good and I love being a part of taking His love to other nations.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

I have included some pictures of me and a couple of staff who went to see the sunrise at Haleakala. Haleakala is the top of a mountain and the view there is just gorgeous!!

The group of us that went just after the sun had risen.

Waiting on the sun to rise!

Beauty!

I love this picture! It really shows how wonderful God and his creations are!!

Me :)

An Overdue Update

I can not believe that by this time next week I will have been in Maui for a month. The time has flown by. I guess that saying is true, "time flies when you're having fun!" These past three weeks have been absolutely wonderful. I really enjoy my position here as DTS admin. I love being able to be involved in the lives of the students.

January 9th was opening night for the Winter DTS '10. We started out the week going on Exodus. Exodus is a time where we take students camping for 2 nights and they are only allowed to bring the bare min. During this time the students are really thrown out of their comfort zone. We use this time to share testimonies and develop close friendships. Exodus was wonderful for DTS students. All of the students really started opening up and I know that every single student that is here has been hand-picked by God for this time. I have felt so honored to be a part of this ministry and watching the students lives transform before my eyes. Already in less than 3 weeks we are seeing transformation. I can't wait to see what God has in store.

A little of what's been going on with me:

God has been teaching me a lot about trusting Him. He has me at the place where I am daily surrendering all of me, my life, my desires, my everything to Him. It's been a constant battle between my flesh and my spiritual being. I am finally beginning to realize what it means to surrender everything and how we're constantly fighting against the flesh for the things of God. I am learning to believe that God is truly enough for me and that without me I am NOTHING!! God has been so good and faithful and I'm really thankful for this time He has me here in Maui.

I would love to keep in touch with all of you (family and friends at home.) I am going to try and update my blog weekly.

Thank you ALL for your prayers and support!! I appreciate it all soo much.

Much Love!!!

ps. Pictures soon to come.