Yes

     Just before the DTS students arrived, I started reading a book called Kisses From Katie, a book written by Katie Davis about her life. If you've never heard of it, basically, Katie moved to Uganda at the age of eighteen, after graduating from high school. What originally was going to be a year long stint in Africa turned into a lifetime. By the age of twenty, she had adopted fourteen Ugandan girls on top of starting a non-profit organization which helps send Ugandan children to school. She is now in her mid twenties, and is still living in Uganda as a single mom. Her ministry supports around 400 children, covering the cost of their tuition, supplies, and uniform, and feeding them.
     While  I was reading the book, I started to wonder about my own life. Katie Davis had accomplished so much by the age of nineteen. What have I done? Yeah, I'm a "missionary", but when you look at what I'm doing -living in America, teaching preschoolers- compared to what Katie is doing -starting a ministry in Uganda, moving there and adopting 14 children- it feels like it is obvious who is the "better" Christian.
     Comparison is a terrible thing. Because the truth is, we are both doing what God has called us to do. She isn't any better of a person than me just because she is adopting children and living full time in Africa. God has not called me to do that, and doing what God has called you to do is the most important thing.
     At one point in the book, Katie mentions something like this. How people will always think she is an extraordinary person. "That I am courageous. That I am strong. That I am special. But I am just a plain girl from Tennessee. Broken in many ways, sinful, and inadequate. Common and simple with nothing special about me. Nothing special except I choose to say 'yes'. 'Yes' to the things God asks of me, and 'yes' to the people He places in front of me. You can too. I am just an ordinary person. An ordinary person serving an extraordinary God." (Kisses From Katie). It doesn't matter what you are doing, because really, if God has called you to it, it is He who is doing it. Like this preschool. I did not know what I was doing when I put this preschool together. I have never done anything like it before. Yet it went from being a dorm room to a preschool classroom in a week because God is a mighty God who provides and equips us. I do not take credit for that room, because I know that it was Him. And I won't take credit for the fruit of the preschool, because I know that it is Him.
     "He [God] chose Moses. He chose David. He chose Peter and Paul. He chose me. He chose you. Common people. Simple people. People with nothing special about them. Nothing special except they said yes. They obeyed. They took the task God assigned them and they did it. They didn't always do it well, but they said yes, and with His help they did it anyway. Extraordinary tasks." (Kisses From Katie).
    God has called us each to a different life, a different task. No one's calling is any better or worse than another's. If God has called you to do something, say yes! Do it, without comparing it to the "better" calling of someone else. God knows where He wants you and who He wants you to touch. He will do amazing things with you, if only you say yes to what He has asked.
     Blessings,
          Katie

Go Time!

     This past weekend has been a bit crazy and overwhelming for me. As I said before, the preschool is held at the GMC in town, and only runs three days a week. So I am living out in the cornfields where I lived last year, at the TC, and supporting the new Discipleship Training School (DTS).
     Well, this weekend was the start of this new DTS! The first student and his wife and three week old baby (I know!!!! :D) moved in on Friday night. A few more came on Saturday, and then on Sunday the rest arrived. We have thirty more people living in our building, which for an introvert like me is slightly overwhelming! I picked up one girl at the bus stop on Saturday, but other than that, I stuck around the TC all weekend so that I wouldn't come back to masses of people. Still, by five o'clock on Sunday I was exhausted by the sheer number of people. I was greeting students as they arrived and giving them tours, and while it was great being able to meet the students one-on-one and talk to them a bit, it was definitely tiring! So I went to my room at five and hibernated until dinner. And then I realized what a bad idea that was, because I walked into a room of forty-five people, most of whom I had met but didn't really know. I wanted to run and hide, but I managed to stay!
     So today DTS began. Its still strange suddenly having so many people living at the TC, when I am used to only having us 16 staff, but I know that I will adjust- I did last year, after all! (though last year I came in with all the people so didn't know the building before it was full) It does make me miss the others from my DTS, though.
     I'm super excited for all these new students. Their world is about to get rocked and it is so exciting that I get the honour of walking along side them as they travel this journey with God! They seem like a really great and friendly bunch, and I'm looking forward to (one by one) getting to know them better.
     So that's where I'm at! A lot of new faces, entering my second week of preschool (and I have heard from several parents that their kids are loving it, so that's good!), and really just living to serve God during my days!
     If you could pray for me to really invest in these new DTS students and building relationships with them, even though I'm not there full time. And please continue to pray for the preschool and that the kids will really learn and grow in their relationship with God through it! Thanks, all!
     Blessings,
          Katie

Welcome to Preschool!

     This morning, I left the TC at 10 o'clock, taking Micah with me. We stopped by Bethesda Thrift Shop, another church-run thrift store in Madison, and there they let us pick through their toys and children's books to take what we wanted. Micah was pretty excited at some of our finds! I love shopping for free! ;) The manager there told me to come back any time I need more things!
     So then we went to the GMC, where the preschool is being held. At 12:45, the other kids arrived! I have seven children in total, six boys and one girl. That means there is a lot of energy in one small room! Today we just played and got to know each other a bit. Even though all but one of the kids are YWAM kids (weeWAMers), there are seventy people on staff with YWAM Madison, so they don't all know each other well.
     It was cute, when I introduced myself, I said my name was Katie. Micah then piped up "But I call her T. She's really T-Teacher [his thing is he calls people blank-friend. So I was always T-friend until I became his teacher], but I just call her T. You can call her T, too if you want!"
     So cute. I'm so glad that Micah is going to preschool. His parents were the leaders of my DTS, so I really got to know him last year. I was one of the few who he chose as a friend. It is really awesome that he is able to attend preschool. because he has always been very anti-school. He never liked the idea, but with this -part time and with his friend as a teacher- he is super excited and eager.
     So I thought I would just show a few pictures of our first day! Also the before and after pictures of the room :)

Just another dorm room: What it looked like what I got it

 Painting- a big thanks to Kenzie and Bri for all their work helping, and not just with painting!

 After: The classroom all painted and set up! It cost a total for $9!

 Toys and the book corner

 Micah and "T". Someone (and not Micah's parents) insisted that we have a first-day-of-school picture

 

 Abbie insisted that I have my own first-day-of-school picture...

Bri helped me out today, and she took this picture while one of YWAM Madison's staff, Lucy, did music with the kids. She is going to do that every Tuesday, which is awesome!

     So there you have it! Sorry for so many pictures... but I couldn't get rid of any! :P

     Blessings,

          Katie

The Eve

     Preschool starts tomorrow.
     When I first arrived here in Madison a month ago (wow, has it really already been a month?!), the beginning of preschool seemed ages away. Long in the future. Yet time steadily marched on, and now here we are. On the eve of YWAM Madison's preschool opening.
     Honestly, when I got here and really started talking to Greg about the preschool, I was a bit overwhelmed by what I had gotten myself into. I'm twenty two. I have absolutely no experience starting a preschool. Working in one, yes, but starting one from scratch?? I didn't know what all needed to be done! I was given a quick glance at a room that I would eventually get and some curriculum. I had no furniture. No toys. I had nothing! I hardly knew where to start, and I was afraid that I would forget something really important.
     But God is faithful and God is good. This past month was a time of really trusting Him. I mean, up until Thursday, I didn't even know if I would have any furniture. I didn't get the furniture until today. Twenty four hours before the school opens. And toys. Again, up until today, I had four games and some balls. And books. That's it. But today I got a whole box full of things from Boomerang, that thrift store owned by a local church. Tomorrow morning, I am going to a different thrift store to see what they have to donate. God is good and He provides. Even if it seems last minute. Even if I wanted it sooner. But you know what they say, God is never late, but He's rarely early. He is just on time. Wow, He definitely showed that to me during this time!
     So today I spent the day picking up furniture and getting the room set up and ready. I'm so excited! It looks like a preschool! I never would have been able to do this alone- it is so clearly God's room! I'll post some pictures soon!
     And the kids are so excited to start. M told his mom today "I'm going to learn everything I need to know at school". (Sheesh, way to put the pressure on me, bud!) He also told some of my friends that (and 'T' is what he calls me, by the way) "T is going to be a craaaaazy teacher!"  He knows me too well ;) Another child, D, thought that preschool started last week and so she had her backpack all packed and was so disappointed when her parents told her that it was the week after.
     So please keep me in your prayers tomorrow as we have our first day of preschool! Some kids have never really been away from their parents at all before, so there could be some emotions going on! Just pray that the kids will all adjust and have fun and learn so much about God and His love for them! They learn it at home, but hopefully their relationship with Him will grow deeper through this preschool.
     Thanks and blessings,
          Katie

One Week

     Today the summer DTS left for their outreach, which means that I got my preschool room! It is going to be held in their former dorm room, so I've just been waiting for them to leave in order to start with the room prep.
     And one week from today, the preschool is set to begin. Freaky!
     Last night, I went with two of my friends to a church in downtown Madison. On the first Monday of every month, they host a dinner for the homeless. This dinner is restaurant style. Last year, on the Stateside portion of my DTS, my group went and helped out serving the dinner. When I got back here, I was talking about it with these other two, and we all really wanted to go back and help out again. Basically, as the men and women enter, they pick a seat at a table. We then serve them a warm dinner, with dessert, and they can choose from a couple options of drinks.
     I really enjoy doing this ministry, and I hope that I will be able to continue to do so during my time here in Madison. Last night we ended up praying for one man, who opened up about the hardships he is facing right now. It is an amazing way to connect with these people who society disregards and discards. Its a way to show them their value, and to be God's hands and feet.
     Now, I am sitting in the preschool room, figuring out what I all need to do in order to have it up and running by next Tuesday. Tomorrow it will get painted, and all the old furniture will move out. Please pray that the supplies -toys, furniture, and so on- will come in, because currently I have some books, a couple games, and that is about it! I am in contact with a church's thrift store, and they are keeping their eyes out for the toys I need, but so far they haven't found anything. Since I am on a limited budget, I'm really praying and trusting that God will provide what I need. So if you'd join me in that prayer, that'd be awesome :)
     I can't believe preschool starts in one week. I was talking to Micah, one of the boys who will be attending, and he said "You're going to be a crazy teacher!"
     Don't we all know it :)
     Blessings,
          Katie

Moving

     Last night, I moved out of the GMC (Global Missions Center) and back to the TC (Training Center), which is where I lived last year during my DTS. I was originally going to be living at the GMC during my entire time in Madison, since that is where the preschool will be run, but in the end, I moved out here to be support staff for the fall DTS on my days off from preschool. The students arrive in 15 days!
     However, last night, only three of us moved out here. The rest will move on Sunday night and Monday. Kayla, Abbie, and I moved out last night because the Phos House (our student house for university students) is having a retreat here for the weekend, and they needed people to cook for them.
     So on Friday, Kayla, Abbie, and I went grocery shopping. Two hours and $300 plus later, we had all the food we needed to cook for 25 people this weekend. The retreat folks arrived late this morning, and the three of us cooked up some pretty delicious tacos! Next we are going to be making curry chicken wraps.
     So if anyone wants to send me mail, I now have two addresses that you can send to. I'll be living at the TC, and the address is N1707 County Rd. N, Columbus, WI, USA, 53925. Or I can receive mail at the GMC: 4802 Dakota Dr., Madison, WI, USA, 53704
     Here are a few pictures of our cooking adventures!

     Blessings,
          Katie

My two Wisconsin homes!

The TC

The GMC