The Last 2 Months.

       The last two months have been really challenging and good. I'm surrounded by so many amazing people who are constantly encouraging and lifting me up. I don't have too much time to update on everything that has been going on in my life lately, so I'll just give you some small details.

After spending a few days in Herrnhut (where the base is located), my team traveled to Hamburg, Germany for 2 weeks of lecture and outreach. The lecture content was really challenging and focused mainly on using you abilities to reach people. It felt like we had an inspirational speaker who was really pushing us to stop sitting around and to actually do something. The outreached were amazing! Hamburg is such an amazing city with so many opportunities. We did mostly homeless ministry. We got to hang out with the ministry almost everyday. Some people were even invited by the homeless to sleep on the streets to get a real view of their lives.

Where the homeless live.

We also got to spend a lot of time in the Red Light District to pray and worship. The red light district was really difficult to digest because most of the prostitutes were either sold or tricked into prostitution. They are drugged and beaten until they submit to their pimps. They can't simply run away because the pimps know where their family lives and they threaten the girls with that.

Next we went to Bautzen, Germany for a week. This week was really relaxed. We were all so beat from Hamburg that a week to rest was really needed. We stayed at a church located on a lake. 

My friend Hannah and I (she's AMAZING!)

     We helped at a few churches during our stay in Bautzen. 

      Now, I am in Zurich, Switzerland! Our three and a half weeks here is coming to an end on Thursday. It has been a really good and busy time here. Lecture during the day and outreaches at night. 

The city

       On Thursday we will be packing out bags, yet again, and heading back to Herrnhut to pick up our Visa's. On Monday my team will be heading out for Kampala, Uganda. We will take a bus for 9 or so hours and finally reach Yei, South Sudan. We will be spending the Holidays there and starting our ministry. We we be working in various areas: orphanages, preschools, prisons, refugee camps, villages... etc. 

       We will be in Africa for a total of 9 weeks, then we will head to Amsterdam to meet up with our whole DTS and debrief about our outreaches. During my time away I won't be able to make much contact back home due to a really full schedule, lack of computers, and lack of phones. If you do want to contact me while I am away please e-mail me at: pricestephanie@live.com. 

South Sudan and Uganda team picture!

       If you would like to partner with me on this trip by donating to the cause, please contact me at pricestephanie@live.com for more information on how to do that.

Love you all!!

Recently..

I’m sure that you all know everything that has been going in my family’s life over the past few weeks. I went home to Maui on October 11^th to spend time with my dad because he really wasn’t doing well. On October 15^th he passed away. I am now back at YWAM in Germany. Tomorrow I will be heading to Hamburg for 2 weeks. We’re staying at a church in down town... time to get the sleeping mat out!

            It feels good to be back here with everyone. I really love what I’m doing and the people that I’m doing it with. There’s not too much left to update you with.

            We did find out where we’re going for outreach. I chose Uganda, and I got it! So, on December 18^th I’ll be heading to Uganda with 15 other people. I’m so excited to work with kids who are have lost their parent(s). I’m so excited to have something so in common and so fresh to me. I think it’ll be good that I can relate to them and a bit of what they have to deal with. 

Update

Well, I made it here in one piece. I flew into Berlin then took a bus from the airport to the train station, which was HUGE. Took the train to Dresden then to Loebau, a staff member picked me up at the station and we drove half an hour to the base.

            The base is soo big. Some students live in apartments in the town, some at the base, and some in the farmhouses. I live at the base with around 70 other girls. The boys live in the side house. All of the girl’s rooms are on the top floor with a big living area in the middle. It has the feel of a college here because everyone hangs out in the lounge until late at night. It’s such a community here; I love it. Everyone hangs out with everyone and it’s just so fun.

            I’ve been really reluctant to write about my dad, but I finally am. My mom called me on Monday during my first class. When I was told I had a phone call, I knew it wasn’t good news because my mom normally lets me call her when I’m gone. My dad was having a really hard time breathing due to an overflow of liquid in his abdomen. My mom said he has pneumonia and jaundice. The doctors gave him a couple days to live. I left Maui 6 days before I got this news. I never expected it all of happen this fast. It’s hard for me to contact home because of the 12-hour time difference. But, I just hooked up this phone thing on computer so if you want a call let me know. My dad was unable to talk or really function on Sunday because of the drugs they are giving him to make him comfortable. Fortunately, now he can talk to people for a short amount of time before he doses off. He’s been seeing lots of visitors which he really likes.

            He’s now on comfort care, where they only give him pain medicine to relieve the pain. This makes the whole process less painful and much more comfortable. I’m able to talk with him and tell him I love him.

            Thanks for praying and pouring out so much to my family.

Close

     The past few months have gone by so quickly, leaving me with four days until I leave for YWAM. I am so excited to finally do what I’ve always dreamt of doing; missions and traveling the world. God has perfectly planted this trip at my feet. The support that I needed to pay for dts came flooding in and jobs lined up perfectly to keep me working until today.

            I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me. This whole experience is going to be filled with so many stories, revelations, and new inspirations. To keep everyone up to date on what God is doing in my life, I have started this blog. I hope that you all check this blog regularly and give me your feedback.

            As far as my dad goes, two and a half weeks ago he went into the emergency room due to abdominal pain. While he was in the ER, doctors pumped four liters of a dark blue liquid out of his abdomen. The fluid is constantly coming back and needs to be drained every so often. After a week or so of endless tests and the doctors not doing what his diagnosis was, they discovered that he has stage 4 gastric cancer (his 3^rd cancer) with around 6 months to live. We found out so late into his cancer because symptoms don’t show until the patient is in the late stages. Thus far, the journey has been so crazy and unimaginable. He’s currently been in the hospital for a week and a half. We’re hoping that he’ll be able to come home in about a week. We’re going to get a hospital bed for him to be in when he gets home. At home, he’ll still have all of his iv’s hooked up and my family will have to change out the bags and all of those medical things for him.

            A few more details on his current condition; he hasn’t ate in a good month or so (he has nourishments and fluids coming through an iv), he was throwing up quite a bit but now he has a tube that goes into his nose and down to his stomach (sucking up the bile from his stomach because there isn’t any food for it to break down), I suppose the list goes on, but that’s a brief update on his health.

            The doctors started on Thursday, and today he’s been feeling pretty good. He’s been up and walking around the hospital, which is awesome. The chemo isn’t going to get rid of the cancer because there is no cure for gastric cancer. It’s just going to shrink the tumor to make him more comfortable.

            Two and a half weeks before my flight was leaving I had a HUGE decision to make. This is probably the hardest decision I’ve been faced with. Do I stay or go? I have sought a lot of council and prayed so hard. The Lord new that my dad was going to be in this condition when I got accepted to YWAM, my support came in, and I got a job at Gap after the preschool. He knew this was going to happen and He still aligned everything up perfectly for me to do dts.

            My family is in complete support of me still going abroad. My dad really wants to see me live my life long dream. If anything happens to his health at all, I’m on the next flight home. God calls us to live by faith and this is a huge example of completely trusting Him and His will. I know that being away from my dad at this time is going to be really hard for me, but I God has called me to do an amazing thing and I need to live in His purpose.

            God isn’t a God of sickness; He is a God of healing. Please be in constant prayer for my dad and my family. Most importantly, for their salvation.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Hey!
     I recently sent out thank you letters and gave this blog address.
Just wanted to let you all know that this is the right blog and I'll be updating it shortly before I leave in September.
Love you all,
Stephanie

And so it Begins..

About a month ago I was accepted to YWAM Herrnhut Go-Mobile DTS! So, on October 1st I will begin Discipleship Training School! 5 1/2 months left on Maui and I will be in Germany. How crazy is that? Oh how good is the Lord! His plans for me are more than I could ever imagine.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. -Proverbs 16:9

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. -Jeremiah 29:11

These two verses are so perfect. The plans that God has for me are behind my comprehension.