Moms Helping Moms

I am writing this to those of you out there that have received one of my cards. I wanted to explain a little bit more about my motivation for handing these out. Since having my daughter Lily this past March it has been quite a journey being an American mom living in Aalborg, Denmark. I got the idea to create a network for International Moms in Aalborg after going on a tour of the maternity ward at the hospital with a couple friend of ours. They are from Ghana and are expecting their first baby in 2 wks. Because they do not speak much danish I went with them to translate for them. During this tour I met another American-French couple who are also here short term with the husband's company. I ended up translating for them as well. After this I thought wow maybe there are other international Mom's out there who are only here for a short time and need help adjusting to being a mom in a foreign land just like me. I am just an american mom raising our half danish/half american daughter with my loving husband Kristian. But I would really like to do whatever I can to help other moms that are maybe only here for a few years and have not mastered the danish language. I think it is still very important to have contact with other danish moms and the community. But sometimes it is nice to meet others in the same life situation that we are in. It is therefore that I would like to offer whatever assistance could be helpful to you. Translating recipes, help with grocery shopping or finding the danish word for an ingredient you are shopping for, help with understanding or communicating with midwives or the sundhedsplejesker the nurses that come to visit you after you have a baby, or just to make a play group for our kids to get to know other international families. Currently I am still on maternity leave until February so my weeks are only filled with different mom groups and play groups so I am available to chat with. It would be great if a bunch of us international moms could get together and share our stories. Please feel free to email me at fullyalive1978@yahoo.com.

I just got done reading a piece by a friend of our family who lost their 20 something son last year. As I read the words of the broken and hurt mother pouring over where the Lord has brought their lives since then i am compelled to write. I cannot help but respond with tears as this evokes new feelings in my mother's heart. I look down at my 7 month old Lily as she plays on our blue carpet her dad just bought playing with her toys. She is just at the beginning of her little life with so many dreams we have for her to love Jesus with all her heart,soul, and mind. For her to have a full life. But we never know how much time we have or how many days God has promised to give to us. Sometimes I get so caught up in getting chores done or doing other things that I forget to cherish every moment God gives us with our little girl. For none of us knows what tomorrow may bring. There is so much depth to a mother's heart that I am just learning about and experiencing. It is amazing how children can create such great joy and such great sorrow. And how it must be with God our Father and the joy and sorrow we can cause Him at times too. Oh how I think this journey of being a mom will teach me so many new aspects of God's incredible character and draw me closer to Himself. My heart goes out to this mother's broken heart Lord continue to pour your strength over this family. And thank you for these eternal reality checks on what really matters in light of eternity. Help Kristian and I to daily speak the gospel over our little Lily and live it our before her in our relationship with each other.

Romans 1:5

or="#ffffff">Make a Smilebox scrapbook

There are so many things I could say up to this point after being a Mom for almost five months. It is hard to believe our little Lily Hadassa will be five months old this month. There are so many things I have learned up til now but that will come later. I am taking up the blogging again after a break. They might be short entries as my time is not my own anymore. But that is ok because it never really was anyway it was God's. I am not sure who if any will read this but my hope is that somehow there will be some who will also share their stories about being a woman striving to live counter culturally, ministering in a different country, mothering, mentoring younger women,living life with an eternal perspective, cooking and baking recipes, travelling with a baby across the atlantic. Just to name a few of the possible conversations that could happen. I hope you will take part in the journey with me.

Just a little thought from last night. I went into our first child Lily's room to find her asleep yet crying in her sleep. She seemed scared but without really being awake. I began to pray over her and finally she calmed down and went back to sleep. This has never happened before and it made me think about the importance of praying over and for our children. When she is sleeping is the time that i find moments to pray for her life. That she will be a girl of God, that the Spirit of God will move in her heart and bring her to repentance and salvation, that Kristian and I would have the wisdom to parent her and know how to develop her gifts, encourage her according to her own love language and for the man that will be her husband some day. But I need to also remember to pray for the here and now as well with her. Like the trip we will be taking in Sept. to fly to the States and visit my family. I am so thankful that we can come to our Father at anytime with anything and cry out to Him. It is like a message I heard where he was taking about coming to God like a child. A baby can only communicate through crying. Lily can only cry when she needs something to eat, has her diaper on the wrong way, is tired or just wants to spend some face time with us. But that is also how we need to come to God to cry out to him when we need Him. I am so thankful that we can cry out to Him at anytime He just wants me to be quiet enough to hear His voice.

Here is a recent shot of my new bike my loving hubby bought me earlier this summer. This picture was taken at 11pm and its still light. The lovley long summer danish days!
We had a great summer at One our national teen camp. The Lord really showed up and worked in the hearts and lives of teens that week. The new team structure in planning the camp really allowed us all to do what God has gifted us to do.
A few days after we drove to Leipzig, Germany for the Baptist World Alliance with 6000 teens from all over the world. God really used this trip as reflection time for me personally and all that He has done in my life the past 5 yrs. I was so challenged by the fact that only a few summers back I stood at the Passion Conference in TN wanting God to use me however he wanted. I was just so desperate for Him to work in my life. I would have never thought that He would move me to a totally different country, speaking another language and ministering to students in Denmark. My heart was overwhelmed in that moment by God and His plan that always surprises us. God is so kind to give us moments like this of reflection on His goodness.

My apologies this has been such a long time coming. So I will just give a little update on what's been going on lately in my life. Today I am praising God for good health and the blessing that it is. Yesterday most of the day I spent on the couch and barfing my brains out. Not fun for someone who never gets sick but it sure makes you thankful for good health. I was even glad for the fact that I felt good enough to do dishes and bake bread today. But yesterday while not being able to do much of just laying on the sofa I was able to watch a video called the Truth Project by Focus on the Family. It was so fantastic its a video series that teaches through the fundamentals of Truth. Questions like Who is God? Who is Man? What is truth? What is reality? What is evil? Where does it come from?
It was a huge blessing to be challenged to think through these things. The one question that challenged me yesterday was . What is eternal life? The answer- knowing God.

John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Sometimes eternal life seems like something that we will only experience after we die. But the reality is that we can experience it now through and intimate connection with our Heavenly Father. Sometimes in the daily grind of ministry I lose sight of this getting way too caught up in the planning. I lose sight of truly Knowing God that is what its all about. Knowing You Jesus.

just click on the ? to see the website for our girls day Princess - Created for Freedom

I have not updated this for some time but I wanted to share with you all about a day that is coming up that I would like you all to be praying for. It is really a dream come true and has potential to effect future generations here in Denamrk.

I am writing today to ask that you join us in praying
for a very special day that is coming up October 20.
About a year ago God really placed on my heart the
desire to make a day event for just girls all over
Denmark. A day where they would hear some great
speaking and leave understanding more of their
identity in Christ or hearing about it for the first
time. So praise the Lord it is happening next Saturday
from about 5:30am ET -2pm ET. I am asking if there
are some of you who would be willing to pray for us
and for the girls coming. As of today there are about
30 girls signed up. It might sound small but for a
first time event its an ok size, not that it matters
anyway.
But I have attached a list of the girls names that
are coming so that you can specifically pray for them
and that God would really work in their hearts this
day.
-That they would leave truly grasping that they have
worth in Christ and that He has set them free from the
things they struggle with.
- And I would also ask they you pray for me too that I
would not lose focus being worried about all the
details. Even though this is something i love doing
and organizing sometimes i can get freaked out by the
plannning and i seriously DO NOT want to do that. I
really just want this day to be a quality day for them
and most of all that they leave feeling very
treasured.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I really believe
there is strength in prayer and that your prayers will
make a difference in the lives of these
girls! I cant wait to write again and tell of the
great work God has done!

Psalm 39: 4-7
"LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.
My life is no longer than the width of my hand.(Imagine that yes i just looked down at my hand and well thats not very big when you think about it.)
An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath.
We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
MY ONLY HOPE IS IN YOU!"

Well the Lord certainly reminded me of this last thursday as i was on my way to the church to meet up with a girl to talk thru 1 timothy. Its kind of crazy cause i never go through red lights on my bike. But for some reason on this day I thought i could quickly make it through the yellow very very soon to be red light. But no. But thankfully the guy who hit me was not travelling at a very very high speed. But i got hit on my right side and knocked me off my bike. As soon as i got knocked down i quickly got up to avoid getting hit again. Amazingly only by Gods protecting hand i did not hit my head and only have bruised ribs. The ladies that saw it happen wanted to call an ambulance but i pleaded with them not to i hate hate ambulances and have never been in one before. and this was not going to be the first and i could move my arms and legs so i thought it was a bit over the top. So i gave my number and address to the guy so the insurance could pay for his side mirror. then i kept walking to the church still in shock. i wasnt feeling so bad so i waited til after i was done meeting her to tell kristian. he didnt appreciate that so much that i waited a few hours to tell him what happened. now i know to call the husband first he was so sweet though and had taken great care of me. the pain didnt come til later that day it hurt everytime i laughed and took a deep breath. so the next day i went to get checked out at the doctor. i am so so so greatful for Gods protecting hand. I have never experienced Gods protection over my physical life like that before. I am thankful that even though i had to learn the hard way God had his hand on my life. God's grace over our stupidity whether it be going through a red light or our sin is so huge.
The past few days i have been a little more content with all the little things we can sometimes take for granted and just enjoyed life a bit more. Like just relaxing making dinner for my honey and me, walking a bit more slowly (cause it hurts if i breath too hard) down the street, but its been kind of nice walking in the hope of life God has given.
Hope you all can walk in that HOPE today too without being hit by a car to teach it to you. Never thought i was so thick skulled that i had to learn things the hard way but maybe i did this time.

this new song i added has been a huge encouragement to me lately and a reminder that no matter how i might get disappointed with people around me God will never disappoint and that He is our true source of Hope when things seem like a spiritual standstill in the lives of people you are working with.

this morning i was reading in lamentations and wow talk about gaining perspective. let me just give you a glimpse of life in Jeremiahs world suddenly my situation seems much better. here is where Jeremiah is at: "I am the one who has seen the afflictions that come from the rod of the LORD'S anger. He has brought me into deep darkness, shutting out all light. He has turned against me. Day and night his hand is heavy upon me. He has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has attacked me and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like a person long dead. "this is coming from a guy who warned these people for years that this day of destruction would come. imagine ministering to people that just would not confess their sin, see their need for Gods forgiveness and turn from their sinful ways. how frustrating for jeremiah working amongst such a people as this. even though much suffering had come upon them that still did not get through to their stubborn hearts. so its easy to see why he was so discouraged here. maybe thats how you feel like you are just not getting through to the hearts of those around you, that those people just keep choosing destructive habits to fill the void in their life. or maybe its you maybe you are the one choosing lesser gods that are keeping your heart calloused. God is offering HOPE TO YOU! no matter what the situation HE HAS HOPE TO OFFER YOU, HOPE THAT CAN ONLY COME FROM HIM!

here is what keeps Jeremiah from going off the deep end of his difficult days surrounded by the darkness of sins of rebelliousness and people that keep disappointing him, here is what keeps him going and what will keep us you and me going as well! Praise God that He is our unfailing source of HOPE!

"I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still DARE TO HOPE when I remember this:
The unfailing love of the LORD NEVER ENDS! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my heritance; therefore, I will HOPE IN HIM!
THE LORD IS WONDERFULLY GOOD NOT JUST GOOD BUT WONDERFULLY GOOD TO THOSE WHO WAIT FOR HIM AND SEEK HIM"

Here are the lyrics to the song You Are My Hope by Skillet
listen to the song on here and let these words sink in!

"You Are My Hope"

Times are hard
Times have changed
Don't you say
But I keep holding on to you
It's hard to keep the faith alive day to day
Leaning on the strength I've found in you
You're the hope of all the Earth

You are my hope
You are my strength
You're everything
Everything I need
You are my hope
You are my life
You are my hope
You are my hope

Far beyond what I can see or comprehend
Etching your eternity in me
Nations stream and angels sing, "Jesus reigns"
And every knee bows down
You're the hope of all the Earth

You are my hope
You are my strength
You're everything
Everything I need
You are my hope
You are my life
You are my hope
You are my hope

Carry on and I sing of how
You love and I love you now
All the times that I start to sink
You come and you rescue me
You are my hope
You are my hope

May your heart be encouraged today because regardless of how you feel God is offering you HOPE!
to hear the song check out my MySpace page.
http://www.myspace.com/kylenedk

this is a little exerpt from a book called 31 days of praise. this entry really hit this newlywed in the heart. reminding me of the first and greatest love ever. and that no person can ever take His place or else all goes amok.

"Thank you Lord for the people who are a blessing to me... for family andfriends and neighbors, for little children, for brothers and sisters in Christ, for colleagues and leaders, for pastors and teachers...and for others: our doctor, the postman, the plumber. Thank You for the many ways You use these people to meet my needs, brighten my path, and lighten my load.. to enrich my knowledge of You, and to counsel or correct or nourish me, builiding me up in the faith. How good and how pleasant itis to enjoy rich fellowship with those who love You. Thank You for bringing people into my life!
(this was so true when amanda gaumer came to visit we developed a new sisterhood. as you can see here hugging ronald mcdonald)
Yet Lord I also thank You that even the people I most admire have flaws-that only You are wonderful through and through, with now ugly edges, and that people, even at their best, cannot meet my deepest needs...that at times they misunderstand, they disappoint, they expect too much, or they cant be available when I need them. This makes me even more glad to have You as my best Friend, my wonderful Counselor, my ever-present help in trouble, immediately available around the clock, seven days a week. How wonderful that I belong to You, the pure,unpolluted Source from which all downstream loves flow. So I delights in people here on earth; but first and last I come to You, the only perfect Person, the only ideal Person, the only One whose love is flawless...the only One who is worthy of my highest praise. O God, who is like You? There is none to compare with You!
I thank You for the friends who've failed
To meet my souls deep need
They've driven me to the Savior's feet
Upon His love to feed.

I'm grateful too, through all life's way
No one could satisfy,
And so I've found in You alone
My rich, my full supply!
by Florence White Willett
hope this encourages some of you today!

at our teen service this past sunday my heart was overwhelmed by the moving of the holy spirit in my heart. as i sat in the back where students can come to be prayed for but i could not hold back the tears. gazing over the crowd seeing students praising God with everything they had was so encouraging especially after hearing the testimony of a guy that God has truly done and is doing a work in his life. when i first came he was one of the guys who grew up in the church but never wanted to be too christian. but this past summer something changed God really asked him what he was doing about the faith he was proclaiming he had. he is one of those guys who puts on a tough mask but is really thinking through a lot more then he lets on sometimes. this past january he started for the first time to read through the bible which caught me really by surprise. but he has been meeting with kristian and another guy weekly to talk through what they have been reading. sitting in the back of the sanctuary that night i was just overwhelmed with joy as well as shame because sometimes it seems like we dont see any change and i know it shouldnt matter but frankly sometimes it is discouraging. but God by His Spirit ever lovingly humbled me and showed me how wrong i have been and how much He is working even if it is in ways i cannot see. my heart grieved for my lack of faith but it was as if God was saying "stay faithful kylene, keep trusting me, keep waking up every morning and depend on me this is not too big for me". earlier that day another women approached me too sharing her concern for her daughter who seems so hard and prideful that she cant seem to reach her. she came to me asking for advice cause her daughter and i have been getting together on a weekly basis. she too needs to come to a place where she can let her guard down put down the mask and really show her heart. please pray for wisdom for me as we talk together that God would melt her. God is definitely wanting to do something here with her she is such a beautiful, extremely creative and talented young women. but her hard shell makes it difficult for people to see that. i know that i can only trust in God to know what to say and how and when to say things to challenge here thinking. but please pray about this i cant do it on my own. and pray that the enemy would be far from this situation and that i could effectively convey the message of abundant life to her precious heart.

Psalm 37 The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. Dont be inmpatient for the LORD to act! Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you, giving you the land.


listening to the prayers of some brothers in Christ yesterday really provoked my heart. why wasnt i crying out to God like they were, what happened that my prayers have become so shallow, why is it that i have allowed so many other things to get in the way, why is it that my first thought is not on God when i get out of bed, i remember when this was a reality in my life but lately that has not been true. and its probably the reason the other night i needed to hear God say He loves me through the audible words of Kristian because i was not strong enough to fight off the lies the enemy was trying to feed me. How does this happen how can you know truth in your head and then find it almost impossible to live it out in your life. its when you are not connected. when you are not loving God with all your heart, soul and mind. when you are not focusing all your attention on loving God and loving your neighbor. it happens when you are in the midst of one of the most lost countries in the world and lose sight that God CAN do the impossible and start listening to the deceiver tell you that nothing you are doing matters that your efforts are hopeless and that it will take centuries for God to move in people that are so content because the government provides everything for them that they cant see their need for a Saviour. i can see now just the darkeness that has been surrounding me but there is hope and i praise God for His way of breaking through and reaching down into the water and pulling me out of this floating numbness. its a scary place to be but i am so thankful for using His children to speak truth into my life and once again communicating his immeasurable love for me. about a year ago i had a dream one night that kristian my husband and i were walking in a forest when all of a sudden i found a little pond where all these people were being held under the water. they were alive but had to be set free. so without a thought kristian dove into start freeing all these people and i remember standing on the edge hesitating a bit. but then i jumped in too and starting setting them free. i have never had a dream like this before and i havent since then but lately i think i have been the one that needed to be set free by Gods truth. the truth that God loves me unconditionally just as i am and i can do absolutely NOTHING to make HIM love me more or less. He sent his Son for goodness sake to die so we could be made free. this is what i have been forgetting the awe of the rescuing message of our amazing God. the wonder and amazement that lies in this story. and that we cannot rescue others if we ourselves have not been rescued first. God did the rescuing of our souls first but if we fall back in the water because of choosing to spend time watching tv instead of connecting with our God or choosing to sleep and extra hour instead of getting up and taking a walk or run outside with God, or looking to our friends, boyfriends, husbands,wives to fill that soul connection we are longing for that is when we become just like all the others waiting to be set free in the pond. This is why today I am praising God for the truth from Psalm 37 That though we stumble we will not fall for the LORD holds them by the hand. He is the one who lifts us out of the water to new life in Him. He never lets go of us. And that if we are loving God He will direct every step and DELIGHT IN EVERY DETAIL OF OUR LIVES. In Him my heart delights. Period

Psalm 37 The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. Dont be inmpatient for the LORD to act! Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you, giving you the land.


listening to the prayers of some brothers in Christ yesterday really provoked my heart. why wasnt i crying out to God like they were, what happened that my prayers have become so shallow, why is it that i have allowed so many other things to get in the way, why is it that my first thought is not on God when i get out of bed, i remember when this was a reality in my life but lately that has not been true. and its probably the reason the other night i needed to hear God say He loves me through the audible words of Kristian because i was not strong enough to fight off the lies the enemy was trying to feed me. How does this happen how can you know truth in your head and then find it almost impossible to live it out in your life. its when you are not connected. when you are not loving God with all your heart, soul and mind. when you are not focusing all your attention on loving God and loving your neighbor. it happens when you are in the midst of one of the most lost countries in the world and lose sight that God CAN do the impossible and start listening to the deceiver tell you that nothing you are doing matters that your efforts are hopeless and that it will take centuries for God to move in people that are so content because the government provides everything for them that they cant see their need for a Saviour. i can see now just the darkeness that has been surrounding me but there is hope and i praise God for His way of breaking through and reaching down into the water and pulling me out of this floating numbness. its a scary place to be but i am so thankful for using His children to speak truth into my life and once again communicating his immeasurable love for me. about a year ago i had a dream one night that kristian my husband and i were walking in a forest when all of a sudden i found a little pond where all these people were being held under the water. they were alive but had to be set free. so without a thought kristian dove into start freeing all these people and i remember standing on the edge hesitating a bit. but then i jumped in too and starting setting them free. i have never had a dream like this before and i havent since then but lately i think i have been the one that needed to be set free by Gods truth. the truth that God loves me unconditionally just as i am and i can do absolutely NOTHING to make HIM love me more or less. He sent his Son for goodness sake to die so we could be made free. this is what i have been forgetting the awe of the rescuing message of our amazing God. the wonder and amazement that lies in this story. and that we cannot rescue others if we ourselves have not been rescued first. God did the rescuing of our souls first but if we fall back in the water because of choosing to spend time watching tv instead of connecting with our God or choosing to sleep and extra hour instead of getting up and taking a walk or run outside with God, or looking to our friends, boyfriends, husbands,wives to fill that soul connection we are longing for that is when we become just like all the others waiting to be set free in the pond. This is why today I am praising God for the truth from Psalm 37 That though we stumble we will not fall for the LORD holds them by the hand. He is the one who lifts us out of the water to new life in Him. He never lets go of us. And that if we are loving God He will direct every step and DELIGHT IN EVERY DETAIL OF OUR LIVES. In Him my heart delights. Period

i am sitting in our apartment gazing at the blanket of whiteness that keeps falling outside. its funny now its our chance to get blasted with a blizzard. but if you think of it please keep us in your prayers today til saturday because we have about 30 kids coming today for Collision a teen camp we are hosting. pray they arrive safely and that God speaks into their hearts and lives through His Word.

over the past few months the Emerging Church has become a big discussion in the US but also very much within the baptist church in denmark as a leader model. i am in the process of reading Stories of Emergence: Moving from Absolute to Authentic by various authors. One of them being Tony Jones will be visiting here in March so i will get to hear him personally. i am in the process of thinking things through. So i was hoping if any of you have comments to my latest question i would be oh so glad to hear your thoughts and have a discussion about all this.

How do we convey God's judgement of sin without condemnation?

the red flag i see as of now about bringing these ideas to denmark is that the spiritual foundation is vastly different than that in the US. and even now within the baptist church here there is such a strong message of love that sin is overlooked and not addressed. and even if you mention it you are labeled as being intolerant and judgemental which is not my heart at all but i believe God has shown us a way to live that is best for us and protective.

for example: last weekend there was a meeting about the teen and young adult part of the summer conference for all the baptist churches in denmark. and in that meeting they had to discuss if they should make a rule that guys and girls can sleep in the same tent. the argument for that was if one guy would bring his nonbelieving friend wouldnt he think it was weird that there was a rule like that. one of our girls was in that group and she was the only one along with one other girl that was not in agreement and explained that it sends mixed signals to the christian teens as to what is and isn't acceptable. after some dialogue the groups thoughts were provoked and they did set a rule for the 13-18yr. that they are not allowed to sleep with the opposite sex. but for the young adults there is no boundary.

this is a little insight into the issues we are working through here. where the message of God's love has been so much that sin is just allowed. this is the consequence for not talking about sin. but then i read quotes like this one and a ? comes to my mind.
this is by Mike Yaconelli and his church
"We don't talk about sin very often. In the 12 years since L'Arche, I may have talked about it twice. Do I believe in sin? Of course. Do I believe people are accountable to God for their sin? Absolutely. Do I believe it would be better if people didn't sin? Certainly. But the people who come to Grace Community Church know all about sin. Many of them have lived in it all their lives. It has destroyed their families, their incomes, their futures. They come to church to find out what to do about it. How do they escape the hold sin has on their lives? How do they find a way out of the addiction to sin? How can they find forgiveness and healing--and grace? We don't have to talk about sin. Its a given. What we're all longing for is good news."

when the christians of denmark read this how will they respond? will the church become this group of people who are not experiencing any victory over sin in their lives? i realize none of us are perfect or will be in this life but dont we discredit the power of the resurrection and God transforming us into something new, alive and free?

my heart is not to criticize this movement because i am still tryin to figure out and how far we go "Moving from Absolute to Authentic". would love to hear any thoughts.

anuary is an interesting month for most people its the start of new resolutions, the end of holiday gatherings which can be a let down for some, and getting back into the groove of everyday life after a month of special celebrations and lots to do. That's why I call January the Get in the Groove month. After being in the States with my crazy but fun family and friends it's taken awhile to adjust back to life in little Denmark from the big USA. Kristian and I had the worst jet lag this past trip. For the first time I could actually watch a movie before 10:30pm and NOT fall asleep. My friend Lina was glad estatic about that. But it was wonderful being with my family that's why its so hard to say goodbye. Like C.S. Lewis says, In order to enjoy the happiness of love you have to endure the saddness as well. Its so true. (CHECK OUT PICTURES FROM CHRISTMAS HERE:
http://www.ringo.com/profile/kylene78.html)
Most of these were taken with our new digital camera!
We were able to share what God has been doing in our ministry and share video from our wedding.This gave my family and friends a chance to be a part of our story.

Getting in the groove has been a month long process of depending on God. It was tough coming back this time but praise God for His Strenght and the loving embrace of my husband! The day we came back i went to the church to see everyone and was overwhelmed with their warm welcomes. We had worhisp rehearsal that night as well and let me tell you it was exactly where I needed to be! Even though my heart was hurting going to the place where I know God has placed me brought joy to my heart. Worshipping with song that night was EXACTLY what i needed. Singing praise to God because His goodness NEVER changes no matter how I feel. There IS definitely power in praise!
We praise God for what He IS doing here and now so can you:
I praise God for the way He answered some specific requests for the girls in my small group. For Hannah who had a calm, conflict free Christmas with her family and Mialinn she was able to spend New Years with Mette. Mialinn is mettes big sister in the mentor program we began in the fall. I know that meant a lot to Mette who needed a friend that night. Before Christmas a group of girls were able to visit 12 homes of some elderly folks that are unable to come to church. Their tears of joy and thankfulness that we came still warms my heart. I praise God for the girls desire to learn about what is means to be a leader and wanted to study 1 Tim. Its been a huge blessing and challenge to me as well. The last praise I want to share is for Morton who has decided to read through the Bible this year and meet with Kristian and another guy to talk about what they read. This is a huge step of growth for him. All Praise to Our God! He is moving and active all the time but am I seeing it. Are you?
PRAYER NEEDS:
* Filing for a Visa renewal- we have decided to stay until June 2008 when my position here will end.
*COLLISION - Feb. 21-24 this is a winter camp for the students in Northern Denmark. Pray we find a woship band and that the students coming will really desire to put God at the center of their lives that changes their everyday life.
*for Kristian as he continues to search for a job
*for me as I teach 1 Tim. that i would discern and teach God's Word accurately. and that i would keep seeing how to encourage and spur on the girls to grow

For more frequent updates please check out the following sites:
padutchgirl.blogspot.com or facebook.com ( a great way to stay current with long lost friends)

gifts from God on a monday morning
glisenting first snow that puts a smile on my face and joy to my heart
a cup of hot coffee with toffee nut creamer
a picture of us sister with my dad healthy and back to himself
the corny humor of an old movie seven brides for seven brothers
days off
sleeping late
renewed longing for gems from Gods Word
Amos 8:11 "I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD." Jer. 15:16 " Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."
quality heart to hearts with one of the girls
remembering Gods goodness in my life