Another Ending

I'm not sure how it happened again, but my time in Colorado has come and gone again. YWAM time is so weird it seems like so long but at the same time it's so short. It seems so long because so much happens and you grow and learn so much. You grow so close to people and you have such deep relationships. But it seems short because the days go by fast and before you even realize it it's over and you're already having to say goodbye to the people who have come to be so dear to you.

Phase 2 (The School of Ministry Development) was amazing! I grew and learned so much! I know that there's some of it that I haven't even realized yet. But there are a few things I know I learned. If I could sum up what Phase 2 was for me I would call it the school of brokenness.
I learned to be humble during Phase 2. I learned that on my own I am weak and that there's a lot I don't know yet, that there's a lot I haven't figured out. I learned how much I need the Lord and that when I realize that I can't do it on my own that He can then do amazing things through me.
I also learned how much I need other people. That the Lord has given me people to support me and that I can support. That doing life together with other people is the best way to live.
On my own I am weak but with the Lord and other people then I am strong!
I learned so many other lessons also: I learned to trust the Lord more. I learned that being a leader is really about being a servant. I learned that success really is just being obedient and faithful to what God has called you to.
Phase 2 definitely didn't teach me the lessons I was expecting it to, but it was so good! That doesn't mean it was always easy, because honestly it was really hard sometimes. But in the midst of it God was always good and I wouldn't trade this time for anything! God took me deeper than He ever has before and I'm so thankful for it.

And now it's over and that's hard too. I'm going to miss everyone so much! The fun times we had together, the hard times, the lessons we all learned. These people were there for me through everything and it was so hard to say goodbye. They weren't just my classmates or roommates, they are my friends. They are my friends and they always will be. And I am so thankful for that!

So I'm back home again and I'm not completely sure what this next chapter of life holds for me. I have some ideas and some thoughts about it and I'm really excited for what's in store! I know that it's going to be good! And I know it's going to be good because I have a good God who will be with me every step of the way and because He has surrounded me with amazing people who I know will always be there for me.

So it's another ending. But really it's just a new beginning. I'm so thankful for the time I've had in Colorado and the memories I have made that I'll never forget.
But I'm going to keep moving forward, being faithful where I'm at and I know as I do that the journey ahead is going to be amazing!

So, until next time!
~Rachel

November, where did you go???

Well here I am again and where did November go??? Thanksgiving is in just a couple days and then I only have two weeks left here after that! Phase 2 has been amazing and I have learned so much! I've learned so much that sometimes I've felt like my head was going to explode if I put any more information in it! But so far so good on that front! :)

We've had a variety of topics in the last few weeks from Finances, to Effective Ministry, to Global Missions. They have all been so good! I've learned a lot and definitely been stretched to think about what I actually think about things. It's been great!
I've also almost finished all my school projects/homework. We've had book reports, an outreach project, a vision project and a couple speeches. I only have one speech left then all my projects are done!

Besides all that it's just been fun to be here and really continue to build deep relationships with the people around me. I'm going to miss all these people so much! But for now I'm just going to enjoy these last couple weeks of learning and making memories with them!

Well I think that's all I have for now! Until next time!
~Rachel

Half Way!

Well another few weeks have flown by again! I'm now over half way through my time here, which is crazy! It's gone by so fast!

The last few weeks have been much calmer then the weeks before that. At least in that there have been no major events to report (since my appendix is now gone that can't cause any more trouble! Lol!). Definitely a good thing!

We have been super busy though! We've had a lot of events and stuff happening here on top of all our classes.
Last week as a class project to practice our leadership skills and how to work together we put on a outdoor movie night for everyone here on base. We planned everything from getting a projector to buying snacks to advertising. It was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed the night!

I've also just been learning a ton! Our teachers have been amazing and on top of that God has been teaching me so much! In class we've been learning a lot about how important it is to take care of what God has already given us, and how from that place of stewarding our gifts well we can then help and lead others. We've also been learning about the importance of our word and how everything we say should be speaking life over people, never speaking to bring them down.
And then God has been teaching me so much about relying on Him. Trusting that when I know what He wants me to do that I can move forward in that in confidence and that I can trust Him to walk with me through it.

So things have been busy, sometimes hard, but so good! I'm still loving it here! And I can't wait for what God has in store for these next 6 weeks here!

~Rachel

I get to call these amazing people friends! It's pretty awesome! :)

Did that really happen??? (Things have been crazy!)

Well, where do I even start??? The last two weeks have been crazy!!! So much has happened!

Two weeks ago we drove 5 hours to western Colorado, to another one of YWAM Denver's locations called Electric Mountain. It was a beautiful drive there and the base itself is gorgeous! We were right in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere and all the colors of the trees were changing. It was so beautiful!

We spent a week up there. Since we were in the middle of nowhere it was nice to not have any distractions and just be able to focus on learning and growing in my relationship with the Lord and being able to grow deeper relationships with the other members of my school and the staff. I feel like we all became more of a family while we were there. It was a good time of refreshing, relaxing, learning and fun! While we were there our days consisted of classes about Bible study, and being a Bible centered leader. Then in the evenings we'd sit around the fire outside, or play games, ride on the ATVs or just hang out. We all loved it there and didn't want to come back. But our week did come to an end and we headed back to the Denver base.

Then this past week took an interesting twist! The week started out normal. We had class on Monday, we were learning about identity and our strengths and how to use those. Then on Monday evening my stomach wasn't feeling good, I woke up on Tuesday and it still hurt but I also had a weird pain in the area where my appendix is. The pain didn't go away, so Tuesday evening my roommates took me to the ER. It turned out the my appendix was inflamed 3 times the size it should be and they told me I should have it removed so it wouldn't burst. So on Tuesday night last week I had surgery. What!?!? Definitely not what I was expecting to happen last week! The surgery went fine and my friends stayed with me and took good care of me! They're great! So then the rest of my week was spent resting and recovering.
It still kind of feels like a dream. Like, did that really happen? It's just weird! But I am doing much better now! Still healing from the surgery, but I've been getting back into the swing of things and definitely have a lot more energy now! I'm moving in the right direction!

So yes it's been a crazy couple of weeks. Definitely not what I was expecting to happen! But even with all that it's still been great! And God just keeps showing me and reminding me how truly good He is! So, crazy, or unexpected, or whatever I'm still loving it here and can't wait to keep growing with God!

Rachel

New friends, new lessons & good coffee

So here I am again in Denver! It's so weird to be back in this place that I know and have grown to love so much.

I've been here for almost two weeks and I've learned so much already! It's been so good to see some of my old friends, but also to make new friends! I only have two roommates, and I love them! They never fail to make me laugh and I feel like I've known them forever!

Our first week was a lot of introduction stuff and time set aside to just get to know everyone better. Then this week was our first week of lectures/teaching. I learned so much! God's really been teaching me about how we are to serve and follow Him even when there are trials and hardships. How He can be completely relied upon and trusted no matter what. It's been so good!

This next week we're going to spend the week up the mountain. I'm excited to actually be in the mountains again! (Where we are now is in a suburb of Denver).
We won't have internet or cell service, but I'm excited to be able to just spend some time building relationship! It should be good!

So anyways, it's been a pretty good start to these three months of learning how to be a good leader! I've made some amazing friends, listening to some really good teaching and drank lots of coffee! Lol!

~Rachel

Back to Denver again!

Well here I am again, on a plane heading back to Denver. It's hard to believe that it was a whole year ago when I made this journey for the first time. Time flies! Haha! :)

I'm on my way back to YWAM Denver to do a secondary school called The School of Ministry Development/Phase 2. This school is a leadership and ministry school and it lasts 3 months. I'm so excited to learn some more tools for serving people and doing ministry! I know this will be an amazing time of learning and growing! I'm not completely sure what all to expect but I know I'm going to be doing it with Jesus so it will be amazing!

For those of you who want to know what I'm up to and what I'm learning I will try to update my blog every couple weeks. :)

And if you want to keep in contact with me you can text, email, call, Facebook message, whatever! I'd love to hear from you!
Also if you feel so inclined I can receive mail at:
Rachel Cisewski
Fall SOMD 2015
c/o Youth With A Mission
12750 W. 63rd Ave.
Arvada, CO 80004

So, off I go! Another adventure with the Lord! And I can't wait to see what He has in store. Let this new journey begin!
~Rachel

Untitled {because words can't quite sum it up}

Oh, what to say. How to start.
How do you sum up something that has changed you so much. How do you describe how God has worked in your heart and life. How do you explain the places and the people that have come to mean so much to you. The place that has become like a second home and the people that have become family to you.

How?

Honestly I'm not sure. And I don't think I could ever fully describe it and truly explain what these last 5 months have been to me. But, I'll try. I'll try to at least give a little glimpse of how this journey has changed me, shaped me and made me new.

So these past 5 months, I've learned what it truly looks like to walk with the Lord every step you take. What it means to trust Him even when you don't have all the answers. I've learned how to listen to the Lord and follow Him wherever He leads. To step out and do whatever He asks, even when it's hard and doesn't make sense. And the rewards and joy that comes from doing that. I've learned to speak up, that God wants me to use my voice and that He's given me things to say, so I should say them. I've learned what it looks like to be an encourager and what it looks like to just be there for and truly support other people. I've learned that ministry can look all sorts of ways and it's not always what you expect, but if you're doing it with the Lord it's always worth it. I've learned to see things, people and places through God's eyes. And I have realized how passionate Our Father's love truly is. And I've learned so much more that I'm sure I don't even realize yet.

I know these may just seem like words. But to me they're not. They're things that have changed in my heart. Things that have made me different than I was before. And I wouldn't trade that for anything.

So, DTS has come to an end. I'm sitting on a plane heading home with a million emotions. I don't want these 5 months to be over. I had to say goodbye for now to these people that have come to mean the world to me. And it was so hard. I have laughed and I have cried with these people. We've had our ups and our downs together. These people, my school, my friends, they have inspired me, encouraged me and been an example to me of what it really means to follow Jesus. I have so many amazing memories I will never forget. Yes it was so hard to say goodbye, but even knowing how hard the goodbye would be, I would do it all over again. Despite the pain of saying goodbye, it was worth it.

Someone told me a Winnie the Pooh quote this week and it sums up what I'm feeling so well. "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Yeah....it was definitely so worth it!

So, back home I go. I'm not sure what God has next for me. But I know it will be good. Even though this feels like an ending, I know it's actually just a new beginning. The next chapter in my story. The story God is writing for me and I can't wait to see what He has in store.

So this is not the end of the adventure. Not at all. I'm continuing this adventure with Jesus. The One I've come to love more than anything. And honestly what could be more exciting than that!
~Rachel

Weeks 7 & 8: Coming to the End

Well outreach is coming to a close. Our plane back to Denver leaves in the morning.

We'll spend our last week of DTS back in Denver with all the other teams from our school that went out. I'm sad to leave Thailand, but I'm so excited to see everyone and be all back together again!

It seems like we've been here forever, but at the same time it feels like we just got to Thailand yesterday!

Our last week of ministry was so good! We were able to pray for and encourage many of the church members and we also got to go to their neighborhoods and perform skits there.
Our last full day of ministry was definitely a highlight. In the morning we did kids ministry. We did some games and songs and then acted out a couple Bible stories for them. It was great! The kids liked the Bible stories so much that when we asked them if they wanted to play a game or wanted us to act out another Bible story they chose the Bible story! It was a fun morning!
Then in the evening we did a program for the church with worship, a couple skits, testimonies and a sermon. It was a powerful time and to end it we got to pray for a lot of people there. It was awesome!

The last few days here we spent on an island for debrief! We spent time processing all the things that have happened over the last 2 months here in Thailand. We looked back on all the people we had met. We told stories of things God had done. It was an amazing time just realizing how much God has done during this time and that He has used us! And also it was a great time of looking back and seeing how much we've grown individually and as a team.
We really have grown so much since we first set out 2 months ago! I have grown so close to all these people and they are like family to me! Each and every one of them is so special to me and I can't imagine going on this journey with anyone else! It just wouldn't be the same! They are all a part of the memories I have that I never want to forget! I wouldn't trade this journey I've been on for the world!

Thailand has changed me. God brought me here and I will never be the same because of it. 

And honestly that's ok with me.
~Rachel

Week 6: Another year older

Ah, another crazy week has gone by. Can't believe we only have a little over of week left in Thailand.
It's a bittersweet feeling. I am excited to go back home and see everyone, but I don't want my time here to end. God has done so many amazing things since we've been here. He's worked in me in huge ways and taught me and grown me so much! And He's also worked through me, which I'm so in awe of that He would use me to touch other people!
I've also just been realizing, especially the last few days, how much I really appreciate and love my team! We have grown so much as a team, just in how we work together and support each other. I love each and every one of them and I'm going to miss them!

But anyways, what have we been up to....

We left Sila Home a week ago and headed to a church in Bangkok. It was sad to leave the kids I had grown to love. But working with the church here has been amazing!
We've done a whole bunch to different things since being here. We went to a slum community and performed skits and gave testimonies. We visited church members in their home and got to hear their testimonies and pray for them. It was so encouraging! We've done some children's ministry. And we got to be a part of a prayer meeting here at the church and part of their Sunday service. It's been a busy week!

But the highlight of my week was definitely my birthday! Which was on Friday. It was an awesome day! We went to a Bible Seminary and got to perform skits and give testimonies and just encourage the students. And, I had the amazing privilege of giving a short sermon to them about Joy. How awesome is that, that I gave a sermon, on my birthday, in Thailand!?!?! God amazes me! But also, throughout the day the Lord was just reminding me of His amazing, passionate love for me. I was a little sad not being home for my birthday, but all day my team kept encouraging me, singing to me and reminding me it was my birthday. I was showered with love and made to feel so special! I love my team and I was so blessed by them! God just reminded me that no matter where I am I am important to Him and He loves me so much! It was really just such a special day!

So, we have just a few short days left here now and I don't want to miss a moment of it! I want to make the most of this time here. I'm so excited for what God has in store for us these last few days!
I know it will be amazing! Because with God it always is!
Rachel

Speaking at the Seminary

Week 5: Here at the Orphanage

Well we have now been at the orphanage here for almost 2 weeks! It's been amazing here and we've gotten to do a lot while we've been here!

We worked on spreading dirt for a new soccer field so that it will be level and not flood when it rains.
We've done various little odd jobs and stuff around the orphanage to help out here.

We went and taught English at a nearby school. We also had an opportunity to perform some of our skits and dramas and give testimonies at the school. It was so cool to have the opportunity to tell them about the Lord and His love for them!

We have also been able to plan a few activities here at the orphanage for the kids. We've had worship times with them, done dramas and shared testimonies, played games and one day we had a sort of carnival type thing with them.

But so far my favorite activity time here was a couple nights ago. We felt that God wanted us to teach them about hearing God's voice. So we had worship. Then we gave a teaching about how to hear the voice of the Lord, that He speaks to all of us, that we just have to listen. It's not hard! Then we gave them an opportunity to practice. We played worship music and then had everyone pray in silence and ask the Lord the question, "What do you think about me?" We gave them each a piece of paper to write down what the Lord told them. It was so cool to see all those kids listening to and hearing from the Lord! It was a powerful time!

We've also continued to grow as a team and individually while we've been here! It's cool to continue to learn how we all fit together as a team. We each bring something special to this team and we balance each other out.
 

I love and appreciate each and every one of my teammates so much!

We are only here a few more days here then we head to a church in Bangkok for our last couple weeks in Thailand.
 

But until then, I am excited to spend a few more days with the kids here!

Rachel

Working on the soccer field

Doing skits at the school

Weeks 3 & 4: Ends and Beginnings

We have now been in Thailand for 4 weeks! Outreach is already half way over. Our time has gone by so fast!

These past couple weeks have had a few endings and beginnings.

First we celebrated the new year by setting off floating lanterns! That was so cool! I felt a little like I was in the movie Tangled! It was a perfect way to end the year and start 2015!

Then Saturday was our last day at Lighthouse in Action (the ministry we were working with in Chiang Mai). Our time there was so good! We got to do alot of different ministry things while there: working in the slums, street ministry, prayer walks and helping in the Café.

Our team also grew a lot while there. We really learned to listen to the Lord and to follow where He directed, even if it was not how we expected things to go or not we what we thought they would look like. God also taught me a lot about relying on Him every moment. That when I choose to walk with Him throughout my day, He will direct me. And that there is blessing in trusting and listening to Him.

Sunday we left Lighthouse for our next location. It was hard to say goodbye, especially to the Thai girls who work in the café that I met and grew to love. But I will always have the amazing memories and I am so thankful for everything God did in and through me and my team while we were there!

So, we left and had a 3-hour drive north in song tauws (a truck sort of thing) to Sila Home, the orphanage we are working at for the next couple weeks. We pulled in and I knew I was going to love it here! It's in the mountains and it is so beautiful and peaceful here!

I have been looking forward to working here at the orphanage. And it has been great so far! We've done a lot of work around orphange and the kids are so much fun! I'm so excited to spend a couple weeks here!

It's amazing to see the Lord working in so many different ways here. And I am so glad and feel so blessed to be a part of that!

Rachel

"Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I AM Going to do Something in your days that would Not Believe You, Even IF You were told. "
Habakkuk 1: 5

Lighthouse in Action Café

Sending off lanterns on New Year's Eve

Sila Home - the orphanage