Back In Hawaii

I can't believe this is the third day being in Hawaii. Traveling home took 24 hours with driving, flights, and layovers. And with how freezing the airplanes and airports were, I didn't get an ounce of sleep. It is so amazing. The end of the 21 days happened, and I am officially healed from all my sickness, and after walking over 3 miles yesterday and walking up a huge hill, I have complete energy and I know God has and is continually restoring my body, and it is amazing me. The last part of outreach was so difficult being sick still and the team still being whatever, but we pushed through it, we are back in Hawaii, and we are already reaping the rewards. God is so good and is so faithful. Landing back in Hawaii and getting off the airplane, finally seeing our to us..home, was such an amazing feeling. We were all so blessed to get the chance to live here. Getting to see all my friends again after being separated for 3 months was such a blessing. Also, getting to sit down and finally worship with all my DTS friends again and get to watch videos/slideshows/pictures from all the different teams who went to central america, india, and phillipines, it was so wonderful to get to see all the different experiences all my good friends went through. These next 4 days willl be truly amaizng days. I will be getting to share my testimony in front of the entire DTS, we will get to worhsip togehter every morning, getting to share memories and stories, everything, we are all so blessed. And in a short 4 days, I will be heading back to Boise, ID, getting to see my friends, family, and boyfriend, after a long 6 month seperateion. I can't wait for people to see the person I have become and get to share my testimony with everyone. God is so good, so faithful, and my very best friend. These past 6 month have truly been the best 6 months of my life, and I will never forget the memoires I had here, Thank You Jesus.

September 10th 2010

It is only 5 more days till we get back on the plane heading back to Hawaii to end our time being a "DTS student". I'm still getting over being sick, so i still havent done ministry since we hvae been back in the Dominican Repbublic, but God is still each and every day brining up more stuff in my life that needs to be dealt with, learning more about my relationship with God, how to submit to authority, how to love people, how to show leadership through loving not controlling, and how to soften your heart. I am truly becoming a totally different person, all through sitting in a house for a month. Sometimes the ways God does things isn't what we planned, or wanted for the least. I can't even describe to you how boring it has been to be here at this house, for over 3 weeks now, every single day, all day. I think once we get back to America, it will be culture shock x10 for me. To be back in America, and to be back out interacting with life. But I truly know in my heart God allowed all this to happen for a purpose and a reason, and I am graudually seeing more and more of the fruit as each day goes by. Every single day here brings its ups and downs, its challeneges, some that have led me looking into airplane tickets to come home early. But God didnt allow that. He knew i was strong enough to push through this, push through eveything. And I have, and I do not regret any of it. I am SO glad I stayed here, and I am so at peace with the person God is shaping me into more and more as time goes by. It seriously hasn't phased me yet how fast outreach has gone by, probably becuase while I am in each day, it seems like its going by so slow. But in 5 short days we will be back in America, with all of our friends doing debrief, then in 12 dyas I will be back in Idaho. God has allowed me to go through more I ever have gone through in my life and more than I thought I could ever handle, but pushing through everyhting, with God, has created somehting so strong and wonderful inside of me, knowing that anything is possible with God. Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I am still getting over my sickness and I hope to see you soon! :-)

-Emily

September 4, 2010

I cannot believe that we only have 11 days left until we are back on the airplane heading back to America, Kona, Hawaii :) God has been continually doing so many things in my life through this sickness. He is really showing me how to spend quiet time with him daily, to truly dig into his word and STUDY scriptures.. not just read them once; He is teaching me how to communicate with Him throughout the day, giving Him all my worries, fears, desires, and questions. God has been restoring relationships with other members on my team that I have had difficulty with, and it has been a true blessing. God is teaching me... "Be still, and know that I am God." Another silly thing God is teaching me is how to cook! I have never really learned or wanted to learn how to cook in my life, and with the sickness and only being able to eat fruits and vegetables, I have learned a bariety of ways to cook with different things, different ways, and healthy. With marriage in my near future, this was truly a blessing ;)

With these next 11 days, I know God will be continually working in my life, although my sickness is still in my body. I am submitted to the Lord and His will for me, and becoming more and more of the woman of God He intended me to be everyday. Can't wait to see all of you!!

-Emily Williamson