Mardi Gras

So we got back from New Orleans last night. It was definitely a good experience. We saw God work in such crazy amazing ways. Not only did we hear God's voice for people on the street we definitely learned alot about ourselves and the way we work. I'll try and update later on different stories and exciting testimonies...I'm just feeling a little sick right now. time for sleep.

lots of love.

Word Fast

Today starts a word fast for me. God has been laying it on my heart to spend some time in silence. I want to learn to hear the voice of God more clearly and be able to know what He wants me to be doing. Today during our fast for finances I really felt like God told me it was time to start. I'm not sure how long I'll be doing this but I do know that God will tell me when to stop. So if anyone calls I won't be answering, I'll check my voicemail to make sure everything is ok but just know that I love you guys even though I might not answer your phone call. Please pray for me during this time. It's going to be a definite challenge and I'm ready to give up everything.

love you all.

He Provides, Once Again

This past week has been great. Our teaching on Identity in Christ was really eye opening and a really great way to start out the quarter. I really feel I got a better view of my identity in Christ.

What I really want to share with you is how God provided for the Warren family yesterday. The Warrens are the directers and founders of our base. Their daughter, Rachel, was leading a School Of Worship outreach in California when she fell off a horse and hit gravel...she fractured her skull and got hurt pretty badly. she is healing good and they are going to start driving her home on Monday (because she can't fly). They have about $3000 of hospital bills that their insurance can't cover so we had an offering for their family yesterday during worship. In our minds we wanted to raise about $10,000...it sounds crazy but we felt it's what God had for them. So from about 200 YWAMers we raised $12,000!!! God is so good. With everything that the family has been dealing with this will be such a blessing. They need a rest, a time for themselves with everything that has been happening. God is so good.

We also did a silent retreat yesterday in the mountains! It was a really good time. It's amazing the things God can teach through us just listening instead of talking. I think being silent is something I need to work on more.

Prayer Needs:

• REST...physically, spiritually, and mentally
• finances, i still need about $1300
• health, there's a really bad flu going around that some of the girls have gotten, please pray for all of us here on base because it's miserable and we don't want anyone else to have to go through it.

Thanks for all your prayers.

Love and God bless.

SO BLESSED

I have seen God work in amazing ways the last couple days. I've been so blessed and feel so unworthy of everything He has done for me. Yesterday morning I needed about $750 so I could stay past Friday...I thought it was impossible but, we serve a God that goes past the impossible. Through supporters and some school mates I have exactly half of my tuition (which is what I needed to stay past Friday!). I feel so unbelievably unworthy. But that's the business God is in right? Blessing all of us who are undeserving. The key is being able to accept it, which is one of the biggest lessons I've been learning. We have to accept the gifts God is giving us otherwise they just sit there unused and getting "dusty."

So thank you for all the prayers, they've been answered in abundance.

Love and Blessings,
Tasha

First Day Crazyness

So the first day is done. We're getting into our PJ's and into our beds. It's nice to be back in our rooms. We actually get to stay in one of the new, remodeled rooms. Both of my friends and I get to stay in the same room, it's so nice to be with both of them.

This week will be different than the rest of the school. We get to sleep in until 9 most of this week where we usually have to be at breakfast by 7:30. Most of our classes are about orientation and getting things ready for the rest of school. My schoolmates seem to be really great and I think it's going to be an intense time. Thanks for all the prayers today!

Love,
Tasha

Home Sweet Denver

Wednesday night I headed to Mansfield to a friends house to spend the night. We met the rest of the group and headed out for Denver around 7:30 A.M. As soon as we started out we knew it was going to be a long ride...with no heat. Yes, the car we were in had NO HEAT. haha It was a very cold first hour of the trip but after meeting up with friends in Columbus at Waffle house we took the car into the shop. We hung out, watching Anchorman, for a couple hours until we could finish the trip with some warmth. The rest of the way was a breeze. I ended up not driving any of the trip, which was probably good because I wasn't sure where to go. But we made it to Arvada by 7 Friday morning and got to sleep for a few more hours.

Since we've been here we've just done a lot of hanging out. It's been great to see everyone on staff and have some time to just enjoy the surroundings. I'm definitely ready for school to start on Monday. I'm excited to see what God has in store during this quarter cause I know it's going to be great. I already have some friends from home planning on visiting so I'm even more excited.

Prayer needs:

• finances
• relationships
• a new understanding of faith and my beliefs
• rest and restoration
• focus

thanks so much for the prayers and everything you've done for me so far! I've been so blessed by all of you.

Love and Blessings,

Tasha

Curry, Hospitality, and Rain

So much has happened since we've gotten to India. We first piled into 5 vehicles from the airport to our hotel for a 1 1/2 hour drive. We showed up at our hotel early Wednesday morning to find our resort to be a little less than a 5 star American resort...there was sarcasm in that statment. LakeView Resort soon became our place of rest and we found we were completely blessed to stay there. For India it is a beautiful, relaxing, luxurious hotel. I have to admit that our view was GORGEOUS! It's not quite what you would usually think of but it just made the stay all the more peaceful. The first couple days of our stay we slept and tried to adapt to the Indian time zone. Jet lag can really mess with you. Sometime around the 3rd day I got pretty sick. I think it was a combination of my stomach not handling the change of diet and the mold growing everywhere from monsoon season. There was a point where I was truly sick as well. Our school has gone through a lot of bugs and illness since we've been here but I think it's an attack that we can pray over and let God's victory take place.

The Monday after we got here the Celebrate Asia workshop started, as did our time with the little kids. Throughout the workshop our school took turns teaching the kids and keeping them occupied for their parents. It was such a blessing for us to bless these influencial missionaries by letting them take part of the conference. We also got to sit in on some of the sessions and God was definitely moving in obvious ways. We had the chance to pray for those being persecuted for their faith. I feel so blessed to have the chance to meet those who have risked everything their whole lives to just live for their God. I wish I could describe every detail from this past week on here but it is just too much to write for now. We were so blessed by the little children as well and it was hard to say bye to most of them.

Saturday was the last day of the conference and then Sunday we moved from the hotel to the YWAM base here in Lonavala. We've spent the last days here together before the teams part our ways. It's been so encouraging to see all of us grow so much through God unifying us and moving so much. Tonight we had worship as a whole school for the last time. It was so good. We are all expecting God to move so much in the next few weeks. I know I am going to miss my friends that are going north but I am so excited to meet with them again in Denver to share stories. A new adventure is definitely on it's way. We leave tomorrow around 2 P.M. here and have a train ride that lasts somewhere between 9 and 18 hours. Pray for us!haha

So here I go. I asked God to send me, and that's what He's doing. Southern India is my first stop in nations He has placed on my heart.

Prayer Requests:

safety.
focus.
rest.
no more homesickness.
unity.
radical changes in our group.
calmness.
open doors for ministry.

love you guys!