EXODUS

So I am about a week into my DTS and let me tell you its been crazy!!
First I got here to find out I share a room with 18 other girls, but the awesome thing about it, is that they will all become my new family in a short six months,
The first two days I was here I spent it with four amazing girls going around the island exploring, trying to see everything that we could!
Then Saturday night our banquet came and we all got introduced to all of our staff and the other SBMF School.
It was just an awesome time to get to know everyone and see where they all came from.

Then the “FUN” began. We were doing an EXODIST out of Hiku, the town we live in.
To a different part of the island!
Our leaders gave us a list ..
1 pair of pants
1 pair of shorts
a tank top
a shirt
sleeping bag
swim suit and bible

NOTHING ELSE!!!!

NO SOAP TOOTHPASTE HAIR BUSH nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well you can about imagine how I reacted I was soooo up set. I didn’t know where we going what we were going to do and for how long we were going to be doing all this stuff.

They first drop us off at this park and we had to divide up into teams and those were going to be the people we REALLY got to know on this lil outing. We had to come up with a cheer for our team and we would be given points on how well our cheer was, WELL my team got last.. which ment!!!!
FARTHEST DROPED OFF!
So then they told us we had a scavenger hunt all they gave us was a list of all the places we had to go.
With know map and no way of knowing where we were going.
WE HAD TO guess and hitch rides with ppl
All we knew was we has TONS of places to go and in only 3 hours.
And to make matters worse we weren’t allowed a clock so we had to always ask around!!
Well thank god this one man picked me and my team up and took us all around the island to all the places we needed to be!!! MAJOR BLESSING since my team came in last in our lil cheer!!

So my team got finished first and we got to this beautiful mountain park and we all finally met up there, all the teams and all our leaders and had lunch. Then they loaded us all up and wouldn’t tell us the time or were we were going!

After two hours of driving and ROCKY STEEP HILL we made it to our new home.

A BARE CAMPSITE.
Were our meals would consist of ramen noodles and raw oat meal!!!

Joy joy!

They wouldn’t tell us how long we were there for or even what in the WORLD we were doing there!!

So for two nights I slept in a SLEEPING bag out on the raw dirt ground and to make matters worse it RAINED ON US ALL NIGHT LONG!

You can see were I am going with this I was NOT A HAPPY PERSON TO BE AROUND!!!!

I was crabby and I was sooo frustrated that I was seriously contemplating going home!!!

I am not one to cry a lot or want to give up by any means but this was just T-ing me off BIG TIME

So after not really eating for two days I was pretty empty in the tummy and just wanted to leave.
I remember crying the first nightg and just asking the lord WHY!!

Why in the world is this happening!! I just don’t want to be here. I HATE CAMPING specially when its like hard core camping and when I’m here with a bunch of people I dont even know. With no way of getting a hold of anyone back home.

But that night god just said “Ashley just wait. It will get better”

So I said well it better because I’m getting really up set that I cant change clothes and I’m dirty and I cant brush my teeth and I am sharing my bed with BUGS!!!!!!!!!

So our last day came and it was a little better we played some games were we ALL just got dirty our hair and body were just WET from a game water game we played and the , they though it would be funny to have us make “cookies” but with our hands and bodies!!
Well you can about imagine what we all looked like

GROSS wet and covered in cooking supplies.

So after being there Sunday and Monday night Tuesdays came and they told us we were off to another camp site for the night, GOODIE!!!

Well at that time you could just sense every ones crabby and just wants to go home.

So we stop off at a park and do some running around since we were all so sluggish,

And finally they tell us we have another meal and to bring our cup and chop sticks, which we haven been eating with the whole time.

So we all go and we are like PLASE GOD LET US GO BACK HOME..

So we end up at a little blue church at a top of a little hill.

We didn’t think anything of it so we all line up to go in.
As we turn the corner to enter into the foyer we just see ppl and they are all clapping and cheering for us.

I walk in and see A BEAUTIFUL setting of table were and a FEAST OF FOOD!!!

I was like WHAT IS GOING ON!!

We all sit down and eat and eat some more since we didn’t really eat for two days and finally we were all done and our base director goes to the stage and tell us the story of when

Jesus washed his disciples feet. And all of the sudden the lights turn low and worship music starts we are all looking at each other thinking what is going on

All of our staff and leaders come us with water buckets and towels and being to wash all of our feet.

Let me tell you one thing I never have become soooooooooo humble in my life.

To know for three whole days we were miserable not only physically but also spiritually and to think that they would wash our feet was so over whelming I couldn’t really handle it.
I broke down into tears but at the very same I never felt so close to god as I did in that moment. To know these next six months he is going to turn me into the person who washed others feet and use me to carry out his work that he left for us.