Saturday, August 28, 2010

Arriving in Scotland

I GOT MY VISA FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DIDN’T KNOW!

I’ve finally made it back to Scotland! After three flights and 16+ hours of traveling I have made it to the Seamill Base. Right away I was welcomed with a big sign, biscuits (cookies) , and a friend jumping up and down, completely excited to pick me up from the airport. How wonderful it’s going to be calling this beautiful place my home for the next year! On the drive home I was greeted with the rolling vibrant green hills, grazing cows and sheep, twisting tiny roads, raindrops followed by bright sunlight, and finally the steep drive up to the base. I was assigned a room in the girls staff wing with a view that over looks the ocean and the Isle of Arran. I can’t wait for the spectacular sunsets I’m going to have the priviledge to see! I woke up early this morning, pulling back my curtains to find a perfect rainbow and a light down poor of rain. What a way to start off the day!

This is a quite weekend, only 5 other individuals in the base beside me. Everyone’s on Holiday and visiting their families. Work for me starts on Monday! That’s when I will find out my duties here on base and get acquainted with everything. The information I’ve been given so far is: about 20 students are signed up to come onto the October DTS school that I will be working on and about 7 staff members? This week our Seamill base will be the host of the annual YWAM Scotland staff meeting, so the whole castle will be filled up with new faces and returning friends. I’m so excited to hear what God has been doing in my friends lives these past four months and catch up on where they are now. I’m finally going to be “in the know”. At the end of the month the whole Seamill base will be traveling down to England for a 50 year YWAM celebration. Hundreds will gather from all around the world to reunite after years of separation, share their lives, and encourage one another with their ministry. It will be a time for teachings from Loren Cunningham (ywam founder) and fellowship between YWAMer’s from every kind of culture.

I just wanted to give you guys a quick update on where I am and how things are starting off. At the end of each month I will write an update on what God is doing all around me and in me.

As always, could you keep me in prayer as I am on this journey with the Lord to walk in obedience to the calling He has put on my life. Thank you guys! Miss you!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Ready to Fly the Coop!

One week and counting until I head back to Scotland to join Youth With A Mission in my staff position! Time has flown by being here at home, but I'm ready to get back in action and continue my work with the Scottish people and the new students that come to the Seamill Base.

These past two weeks have been so amazing by watching and enjoying what God is doing in my own home town. I've had a ton of great conversations about my plans with friends and family, and I'm really starting to see a blossoming relationship with so many people. It really seems like when your ready to leave a place for some time people can't get enough of you and want all your attention, but when you're at home for MONTHS everybody is busy!! :)

It's definitely sad leaving home, family, friends, and our dog Ziggy ;), but I know without a doubt Scotland is THE place I'm supposed to be in this next year. I'm ready to once again call myself a missionary for the Lord and dive into a culture that needs God in their lives. That's right, the Scots need God, no matter how Westernized they seem every country needs to know about Jesus and the relationship He is crying out for us to have with Him! So...for me to do this and follow the calling God has given me I really need your prayers right now! I am still waiting for my visa to come in the mail. The British Consulate has received a lot of visa applications this summer and it's taking awhile for them to process them all. My flight leaves out on Wed August 25th at 3:35. Before that time and date comes up I need my friends and family to keep praying for me that my visa WILL show up in this next week. I need it to come by Tuesday the 24th so I don't have to pose pone my flight and go through a big headache with the airlines.

Now I truly believe that the power of prayer works, and if we all say a quick one anytime I pop into your mind, that will just keep jumping me up in front of the visa line! I'm also still in the process of raising monthly financial support so I can continue to be involved in my ministry in Scotland. I would love for you guys to pray about this and think of partnering with me and what God is doing in and through me in my ministry overseas. I am covered on my plane flight and visa fee but I still need to raise $450 a month to stay in Scotland and be a staff member. If you feel led to help me you can donate money straight into my Paypal account or send a check to my home address.

If anyone wants to be pen pals and I don't have your address let me know (katienbeck@yahoo.com). I would love to stay in contact with you through snail mail (you feel so much more special when you get something hand written in the mail, you know)?

My Scottish address is:
Katie Beck
YWAM Scotland
9 Glenbryde Road
West Kilbride, Scotland
KA23 9NJ