Happy New Year

It's not New Year's Eve but I have the same motivation and fears of failure about this blog that our list of resolutions gives us on January 1st. 


As I've read over my past post and mourned the fact that my last entry was in February, I've chosen to jump into a new phase of blogging rather then continuing to avoid that ever present "new post" button.  


As much as I hate to admit it, I am totally freaked out by social networking. Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Skype. I have 'em all but rarely do I visit them let alone post something or talk to someone. 


I'm not sure what it is that makes me think up username after username just to neglect it out there in cyber space. Maybe it's the idea that it's new and confusing or that my life's too boring or maybe I'm just lazy. Whatever the reason, it really doesn't matter anymore. I have resolved to not be beaten by a silly computer any longer. 


So here I am, making a New Years resolution in December. I will post something on this blog twice a month. Thoughts, whats going on, photos, things that inspire me, anything as long as it's something. 


Yes, I'm still freaked out but I'm also excited to share my life with you. Give feed back, subscribe, shoot me an email. I love to hear from people and it helps me to remember I'm not talking to a wall. 


So here it is, my first post of this new year of blogging. 


Happy New Year blog readers, life's too short to not at least write some of it down for the world to see.  

Cheers, Hannah 

K Mart, Joy and April DTS

I thought I would begin this extremely over due update with a story. Yesterday, God woke me up with the idea of spending the day with Him. I liked that idea, even though I could have thought of ten other things that needed to be done and five people I would have loved to hang out with, I really wanted to hang out with God. We decided on going to the mall to buy things for my room. Due to lack of transport and boldness on my part we had to settle for walking to K mart. After enjoying a long quiet time and cold glass of Ginger Green Tea I set out on my way. Trip outfit; floral sun dress, sunnies and flip flops. Trip soundtrack; The Temper Trap. I was set. The music set a quick paced so I made it to K Mart in record timing.  Three shelves, cream curtains, 79 printed photos, two clocks, and an hour and a half later, I walked out of K Mart a proud shopper. After packing all those things and the other random items collected in a backpack, I tucked my selves under one arm and my clocks under the other and headed home. In my opinion, a one and a half mile walk up hill practically carrying my weight in home decor does not sound like good way to spend thirty minutes but, for some reason I didn't mind. As I walked I listened to upbeat music and laughed at the thought of how funny I looked. As I crossed the bridge over the train tracks I was suddenly filled with uncontainable joy. I could barely control myself and practically skipped the rest of the way up the hill.

Now, that might seem like the most anticlimactic and uneventful story ever, and it sort of is but I have a reason for sharing it. In communication I desire to be real with you. I want you to see and understand where I am coming from and what I am struggling with. This stories point is to display a struggle in my life and Gods infinite grace and glory. I have been struggling with a lack of God given joy for the past few months and this story describes the very moment I was once again filled to the top. This story is an example of the life I desire to live. One that is infused with God at every turn. One that is never lacking in miracles and God doing big things, even while running errands. I hope this will encourage you to seek God in every moment. Ask Him to show up and be expectant.

This last month has been filled with provision, excitement, home improvement, refreshment and heat. Over Christmas I was asked to pray about staffing the April DTS since I was not going to be able to staff the January school. After a week of prayer and encouraging conversation I confirmed that I would be staffing the April DTS 2011. Since then I have spent my mornings and afternoons in the office recruiting new students and pastorally caring for accepted ones. I have loved working on the school and feel such a great sense of ownership as a staff member now.

Our base celebrated Australia day together at the beach and has begun to have a BBQ in the backyard every Friday. I love the sense of family we are creating.

One of the biggest things to happen for me in January has been the completion of my room. I have been living in Lewis House for four months and two weeks ago I officially began to work on getting settled in my new home. I painted my wall with the help of two of my friends. Gray-blue and teal were my colors of choice and I love them together. I worked a whole weekend on painting my bunk bed and mirror and finding other furniture to put in my room. This last Thursday was the day that it all come together. Pictures are on the wall, clothes on hangers and furniture in place. I now love to hang out in my room and love having people over to sit on my couch and have a good conversation over tea. I feel truly settled for the first time since moving here and it is such a relief.


February and March are a bit of a mystery right now. Other then recruiting students I do not know what they are going to hold and I am excited to find out. Please pray for wisdom as I plan for the school and prepare for the students to come. I am so excited and scared out of my mind at the same time.

I will be posting pictures of my room and happenings over the last month on my blog. I would love you to check them out. http://hannahgreywilliams.blogspot.com/

Blessings until later,

Hannah 

Photos

6 people+ two weeks of luggage+one train seat= loads of fun

STS Lunch

Phase1, such a crazy amazing gourp

Working at the office! Yay office work! 

Learning how to do a one-on-one

Train into Sydney 

The one and only, Starbucks! 

Youth Street Christmas 

Dance Rehearsals

Camping! 

Cooling off in the lake! 

Christmas Morning Breakfast 

Walking to Church

Home Alone, sugar cookies, and friends-best

Christmas Eve BBQ

Slip-n-slide! 

CRAZY! 

Santa paid a visit, he was from Hawaii.

Christmas Dinner

Beach Day for Boxing Day! So fun! 

Merry Christmas From YWAM Newie! 

Learning, Camping, Dancing and Christmas

                                                                                                                   December, 25, 2010

I have been back in Australia for almost three months and, even though my room does not show it, I have settled to the fact that Australia is now my second home. I can't believe that my second home is going to be without snow and cold weather on Christmas day. I also can't believe that my Christmas will be spent enjoying a BBQ, slip-n-slide, and day at the beach; but it will and I am excited. I'm going to miss everything about Christmas in North Carolina and I have to admit, I have shed a few tears over that fact. 

The past few weeks have been such a whirl wind. After I finished my Staff Training School I spent a week getting back into working in the kitchen in the mornings and working in the Registrar Team at the office in the afternoons. With time I became more comfortable with the jobs I was placed in and for that week I was able to walk out in confidence in my roles. At the end of that week, me and four other staff members from my base left for Sydney to do a Phase 1. Phase 1 is a two week training program that equips you to staff a DTS in YWAM. So, for two weeks I lived at a different base in a room with nine other girls. I went to class every morning and afternoon and each evening my time was filled with homework for the next day. I was able to get to know people from four other YWAM bases and become better acquainted with the staff from mine. The lectures were stretching and full of information I had never heard before. I have learned so much about how a DTS functions and the purposes behind everything we did on my school. I learned the importance of being intentional, how to teach a skill and assess a student on that skill, and how to properly do a one-on-one. I learned the importance of learning styles and ways to helps each person preform their best by simply providing snacks or short breaks and setting the room up right. So, while all of this was being mentally processed God was also speaking to me a lot. He was speaking about my value and His heart for me here in Newcastle. He was speaking to me about honoring leaders and being qualified for a task simply because He has chosen me. He spoke to me about sacrifice and becoming settled where He has me. Between God and Judith Knight, our teacher, I was barely able to keep up. 

When those amazing and hard two weeks came to an end we went back to a house full of excited DTSers who had just come back from outreach. The next day I was apart of a Christmas concert put on by our youth ministry, Youth Street. I am still apart of the Dance Team and our team preformed two dances during the evening. That whole day was spent getting ready, having rehearsals, making food, working in the Cafe and preforming. It was an incredibly rewarding day but beyond exhausting. I am so proud of the Crew or teens that really stepped up and preformed to the best of their ability no matter how silly they might have felt. I love seeing Crew given an opportunity to show off their amazing skills and going for it. 

The day after the Christmas Concert was Base Retreat. Base Retreat is a four day camping trip that our entire base goes on. We all pack ourselves into vans and head to the same beautiful camping grounds I camped at on my DTS. For fours days we live together in tents and eat our meals out of tin plates and listen to amazing lectures and cool off in the refreshing lake. For four days we are given the opportunity to relate to one another and God in a unique way. Away from the distractions of the world we are able to value one another and intimately hang out with our creator and Dad. We had a speaker from the Townsville base named Ken Mulligan who spoke every morning and a few of the evenings. He spoke on being a servant and following God through anything and not becoming and remaining offended easily and much more. Everything that Ken spoke on was exactly what I needed and it caused me to become so uncomfortable that I had to act on what I heard. I love that kind of teaching, the kind that not only inspires me but also motivates me into action. During those four day God once again began to speak to me about things I didn't really want to address. He continued to poke me until he gained my attention and I allowed Him to work on me. 

I have been home for a week now and it has been one of the hardest weeks of my YWAM career. This week has been filled with inward struggles and the taking on of new task. The fact that I will not be home for Christmas began to sink in and I had no intention of missing the holiday season so much. Everything, from hearing Christmas music to smelling a pine tree make me tear up and miss being home even more. More then anything I want to be in my house with the Christmas tree lit up getting ready to bundle up and go pick out a Christmas tree to bring home and decorate. The beautiful thing about living life with Jesus is that He becomes everything you need, even holiday spirit. Even though I miss everything so much I have such a peace in the fact that I am exactly where I need to be and that God is right along side me.

 I pray that your Christmas will be filled with joy and laughter and family and blessings. Choose to cherish every moment , even through the stress. Thank you so much for being apart of my life. It is such a blessing to have you as apart of my extended family making me feel so loved and supported from the other side of the world. 

Merry Christmas, 

Hannah 

Prayer Request: 

My Working Holiday Visa expires on the 11th of January. I have made a mad dash to get everything done and sent off. If you could please pray that my application ends up in the right hands and gains a swift approval that would be great . 

That I will hear God clearly on what His vision is for me in this next season. 

My roommate, Ashley Swinney, is still in the States due to lack of funds. Please pray for breakthrough in finances so she can come join me in our room. 

Financial needs: 

$100 for a small air cooler to lessen the unbarable heat this summer.

Monthly Support for:

Laundry-$16 a month 

Food-$40 a month

Clothing-$40 a month

I now have a pay pal account. It is a quick and easy way to donate right to my personal account. www.paypal.com 

1. Go to the web site

2. Click on Send Money 

3. Click Send Money Online 

4. There are directions from there

Feel free to ask me any questions you have about this and anything else.

Cake, Christmas and Everything Between

A week ago today was my birthday. I am now nineteen years old, and no I do not feel any older yet, unless waking up with a crick in my neck means something.
My day was spent being celebrated by my friends here in Australia and in America. I ate cheesecake twice and had an amazing ice cream cake that left me feeling very happy and way to full of sugar for my own good. This year was the first in eighteen years that I have not been at home to celebrate my day of birth. This year I did not wake up to my family charging into my room with breakfast and presents at an ungodly time, I did not get to have birthday hugs from my family, and I did not get to do my favorite thing in the world-eat dinner with my family and simply be loved on. As much as I hated the fact that life is changing so much I also got a chance to embrace the change in my life. I got to be sang to and hugged by Candace Braaten as I sat and ate an orange for breakfast, I got to be in the middle of my STS as they huddled around me and prayed blessing over me, I got to eat dinner with a whole house full of people that I love and treasure, now more then ever. Change is good, no matter how much it may hurt. I hate the hurt but I love the adventure and freedom of changing with God.
Oh Christmas. As it comes racing towards us, I simple can't get into the Christmas spirit. Last week I sat in the office and took a moment to listen to Michael Buble sing, I'll Be Home For Christmas. I turned it off as soon as I started to tear up, I have lost all desire to "get in the spirit". The house is slowly putting on it's Christmas outfit one sting of lights at a time. I'm not sure how I feel about sweating on Christmas, I don't think I like it but I'll let you know when the day comes. Speaking of Holiday's, how could I forget to mention Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday of the American holiday calender. Tomorrow will be Thanksgiving for my family and friends back home and I am determined not to let the day pass without some form of a Thanksgiving meal and finding a few people to share it with. Oh to have Turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes...I really need to stop thinking about it.

Financial Information

Finances
This time around my finances are going to work like this. In order to enable my supporters gifts to be tax-deductible I have set up an account with a YWAM base in Tyler, TX. This base receives my donations and transfers them to my account.  In order for you to make a donation you have a few different options.  

1. Mailed Check. You can send a check made out to YWAM to Accounting Department, PO Box 3000, Garden Valley, TX 75771-3000. Note: It is very important that my name is nowhere on the check. Accounts can not process them if it is so simply put a separate note stating that the founds are going to Hannah Grey Williams in the envelope.

2. Bill Pay. A bill pay service is often provided by your bank and you can have them automatically send a check from your bank account to Tyler. In order to do this just contact your bank and find out that procedure. Note: You MUST put your full name and address on the check as well as put my name in the memo section.

3. Automatic Withdrawal/Credit Card Donation. To do either of these you can contact Julie Sinke at julie.sinke@ywamtyler.org and ask for the appropriate form to fill out.

Once again thank you so much for your support. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me!

November 11, 2010

 

Here is a bit of an update from this last crazy month. On the 28th of September, once again, I left my parents and sister Maggie standing in an airport terminal as I tearfully walked to an airplane. Leaving never gets easier and this time was just as hard as the last. From North Carolina I flew to Seattle Washington where I stayed for a week with my dear friend from DTS, Nicole. We spent the week catching up, eating great food, visiting with mutual friends and experiencing Seattle. Along with the Space Needle we visited Pike Place market, the very first Starbucks, saw the Seattle skyline by night and never stopped eating. After five days of tourist bliss I left for Newcastle, Australia. Twenty-four hours later I was, once again, ushered into my second home, Lewis House. I was greeted with familiar faces and hugs and laughter and was filled with a sense of peace. From the moment I walked back into my DTS home I new I was where God wanted me to be. The four months of questioning God's call were quickly forgotten as I found my way to my old DTS room (now my permanent staff room) and let out a sigh of relief.
My first week on base was a week of relaxing and getting settled. Because everyone on base was working or in class during the day I was able to spend most of my time with God. We went to the beach and on coffee dates and  He continued to stir my passion for teaching and discipline young people. By the end of the week I was itching for a job to do, something to keep me busy, and was put in charge of cooking lunch in the mornings and working in Training in the afternoons. In the mornings I would go to whatever meeting was being held and then, with my two fabulous helpers, proceeded to cook lunch for 70-80 people. In the afternoons I would go down to the office and work alongside the head of Registrar in the Training Department. Registrar is the part of the department that deals with new and potential students. We communicate through phone and email about DTS information, visa directions, travel details, and everything else that falls in between. I have loved learning how the system works and have also enjoyed the fact that we do not just hand out templates of information, we give pastoral care, pray for students, genuinely care for the people on the other end of the phone or email. It has changed my whole view of what an office job can look like and how we are able to bring God into everything we do. For three weeks I spent my time like this, along with reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones. Last week my Staff Training School began. This is a three week school of learning about our base, ourselves and how we fit here. We have leaders of our base speaking on work ethic, mentoring, and much more. We have also learned how to use our bases data base and took a strength finders test. We have two more weeks of lectures and other events which I am looking forward to.
When my Staff Training School ends I will start my three month provisional staff positions. During this time I will get the chance to work in two different ministries and choose the one I fit best in. God has been speaking to me about staffing a DTS in the near future so in order to be prepared for that task I will be attending a Phase 1 at the end of November. Phase 1 is a two week training program that is taking place in Sydney this year. It will train me in the things needed to staff a DTS as well as other leadership qualities. I am really excited to see what God does during those two weeks and to become better equipped to do what God called me to Australia for. The future, after all this, is looking pretty unclear at the moment, but God has been speaking to me from Deuteronomy 4 in the last few days. In that chapter God is talking to Israel about taking the land that he has prepared for them. God has been inviting me to move into the land he has prepared for me and I am mustering my courage to move forward and face the giants. I am very excited to see what God has for me in these upcoming months but I also love living in the moments that are flying by.
Every aspect of this last month has been stretching and, as hard as it is, I love it. From relationships and missing home, to purpose and finances, God has been calling me to a place of reckless abandonment and unnatural trust. Please continue to pray for peace and provision in these next months, they are greatly needed and I love having that form of support.

Until later (goodbye in Registrar language)

Hannah

Pray Request
My visa will go through quickly and be granted as soon as possible
That my faith in God's provision of my finances would not falter
That I will hear clearly from God the ministry I need to work with during my time here

Financial needs
Phase 1- $300 for transportation, training, housing, and food
Monthly support- I am still in need of consistent monthly support of $500.

Thank you so much for being apart of my God's ministry through me.