Wednesday morning, 6:30 A.M. my roommate's alarm clock went off.

I'd been up late talking to my mentor but felt prompted to go spend some time with the Lord. Then our door opens and I distantly hear "Kensy, Kensy, you come exercise?" Susanna! I stumbled out of bed and a few minutes later we ventured out into the dim outdoors, greeted by a rush of cool, fresh fall air. My eyes were still struggling to open, but I eagerly took in the beautiful full moon making it's way west and the first gleams of dawn. Radiantly turning leaves lined the pathway and a soft mist covered the green grass as we ran on. Susanna bursted out with the most delightful laughter as her young heart reveled in the morning, silky black hair dancing back and forth to her pace. "Goodmorning Jesus!"

I have enjoyed this sister SO much! We've started a tradition of running and communing with the Lord as we exercise. I love to hear Susanna pray and it is so good to give the Lord the day and to offer up all my needs, desires, worries, concerns, and PRAISES! My heart is continually filled with gratefulness as God provides for ALL my needs and continues to answer prayers, some that I recall offering as far back as 10 years old. His ways are perfect.

This morning we had our "Power of the Cross" class taught by an incredible local pastor. Today it was about Lordship and we had the opportunity to go before the Lord and repent and ask for His Lordship in the many detailed areas of our lives. I love how God ties things together in our lives! I had a conversation at dinner yesterday about this very topic and then last night my mentor and I went through some "surrender" issues. God is so good to prepare us and to bring consistency in our lives. He brings things up in His perfect timing and provides for all that is necessary to bring the hurts, fears, and desires into His restoration and sanctification. He is so good!

After the class we went back to our dorms for our "cell groups." These consist of about 8 students and 1 mentor and 1 advisor who all live on the same side of the hall. Every Wednesday we come together and do different things. I look forward to posting some pictures of my group and I'm sure I will be sharing more about them- what an incredible group of women! Today we had an incredible time of being vulnerable with one another, praying and encouraging each other. I have experienced this before, but not at this level! My heart is so full of thankfullness because of the trust, safety, love, and focus on Jesus in this group. Today we TRULY experienced the power of confession, repentance, healing, love, and accountability! What a powerful thing the body of Christ can be!!!

This weekend all the students at Bethany will be participating in the One Thing conference here in Minneapolis. We'd appreciate your prayers for unity and that we would each encounter our Living God and truly be a people of ONE THING!

I pray you all are doing well! Grace and peace to you in abundance today and thank you for all of your love and prayers.

--McKenzie :)

Entering His Rest

Wow. I can't get over how incredible and divine God is! Daily and in more and more ways (various ways, detailed ways, simple ways, profound ways :) God ushers my soul deeper into His rest.

I found out today that "Bethany" was the town Jesus went to for rest. How beautiful! Tonight I had the pleasure of spending some time with this vibrant woman of God:


Her name is Susanna, and she has such a free spirit and a beautiful passion for God! Her delight for the Lord it contagious. :) Tonight we were talking and we were led to pray for one of our classmates, which turned into prayer for many things! What a refreshing time. I again was struck with gratitude for the many ways God has provided. I can go just feet from my room and enter the presence of God with others.

This is another beautiful woman of God who has already ministered so deeply to me!

Her name is Emily and she has such a gentle spirit and is a profound listener! God has really been making my heart tender this week, and God has used Emily to help lead me into that. Thank you Jesus for Jesus-loving and abiding friends who lay down their lives for others!

Emily and I also took a trip to the "Sally Ann" today (it's a type of thrift store that we have here on campus, except everthing's FREE!) and recruited quite a few old books, frames, lampshades, and a big hope chest, among an assortment of other things to use to CREATE! Emily shares my passion for art and creativity, so we're both excited to take these old things and make them new.

This week is the last week for our Old Testament Survey class. I've loved it!! I wish it went on throughout the whole year. We always start out the class singing a hymn or song accapella and then our teacher leads us in genuine prayer. It's moving to study the text in an environment of teachability, openness and hunger-- the Word of God is so alive! It's so powerful to go through the Old Testament in detail and discover the cultural keys that shine light on the stories I've heard my whole life. Every day my jaw drops at the beautiful typology of Jesus that fills the Old Testament! How intracite and purposeful our God is! This class has definitely whetted my appetite to go after this more.

I'm loving my practical training! This week I've been answering phone calls (sometimes accidentally picking up the receiver and saying, "Hi, this is McKenzie with Global Expeditions!"... after doing that day in and day out last year I think it's ingrained in me!), setting up some campus visits for students who want to visit Bethany, and I've given two tours! Who hoo. :) I'm really enjoying it. I've also been able to learn a little photoshop thanks to an amazing computer whiz that works in the office. Fun stuff. :) The Director of Admissions is an awesome guy named Richee Parks, and he's all about loving Jesus and loving people! I get so energized from being in the office and I really feel free to run after my job and create.

Thank you Jesus!

The goodness of God

"Surely I will taste the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

Who knew?! Who knew that you could actually experience the goodness of God?! Well, that sounds kindn of slanderous, but honestly I don't think I did! Admist the dry and arid times of forming and growing and learning these past few years (or even my entire life), I wondered if I'd ever find what I was looking for, if God would ever answer my prayers, if my soul would ever find rest. I may be young, but those years seemed to take forever! Forever of crying out for God, of disciplining myself, of seeking the Truth, and of clinging to the hope that God's promises would turn into reality. And tonight, I realized,

I'm living in the reality of answered prayers.

I'm living in the reality of answered prayers!!!! I was writing in my journal tonight and I went on for three pages of "counting my blessings"... and I'm not even half done! After God spent these past years tilling the soil in my life, pulling the weeds (some had really deep roots and that hurt!), and establishing a foundation, these past couple of weeks I've been finding little green buds emerging from the fresh earth! I really do believe God has brought me to Bloomington to Bloom!!! Let me share with you just a taste of the goodness God has blessed me with!

This is the incredibly comfy chair that resides in the lovely and peaceful room that I share with an amazingly considerate, peacable, Jesus-loving roommate named Heather. :) I like to read for my Old Testament class here and talk on the phone.

Well...I'm out of time, but I'll post more of my blessings soon!

Hello All!

I'm excited to give more frequent updates on this for your enjoyment. :)

I've just finished my first week here at Bethany College of Missions! In this photo is myself and my lovely roommate, Heather. We're excited to be here! I find this campus incredibly peaceful with amazing staff and students. All of the Directors, Teachers, and Leaders here are obvious Jesus-Lovers and they are so friendly, kind, humble, and they genuinely care about not only us as students, but everyone they encounter! There's definitely a family atmosphere here, especially as this place was founded by 5 families who sold everything they owned, moved in together, and after seeking the Lord, began a place to train missionaries. The more I'm here and the more I learn about this college and its history, the more grateful and excited I am to be here. The teachers that I will be learning from have a vast amount of experience already on the mission field, so they aren't just teaching out of a textbook, but out of real life experience and from their hearts. I am quite confident that after my time here I will not only know the Lord so much better, but also be adequately equipped and prepared for a future in missions!

This weekend I've been starting homework from our first class, (we have a module schedule, so we'll be taking only one class for 3 weeks at a time) Old Testament Survey. In addition we will be reading through the entire Bible during our time this year, so it's cool how they correlate together.

If you could be praying for an UNDIVIDED HEART for me. My greatest desire is to know Jesus Christ and for my heart to be completely His.

Thanks for all your love and support! More to come... :)