becoming a Californian

I can’t believe I’ve now lived in California for over two months. I’m practically a Californian.

Mom and Dad helped me drive my car out here in late July. We made a road trip out of it, stopping by the Badlands, Yellowstone, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Boise, Idaho (to visit my boyfriend Ryan’s family), and Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.

Mom and Dad then stayed in California with me for a week. We took one coastal trip to Trinidad Beach and Redwoods National Park, but otherwise we stayed in Redding and they helped me out by doing things like Dad oiling our squeaky doors and Mom ironing all my clothes crumpled from the move. They also visited Bethel Church with me and absolutely loved it as much as I do.

Once they left, to be honest, settling in was hard. The Lord provided an awesome roommate for me who I already knew from Kingdom Life, the church I attended in college, and she “just happened” to arrive to Redding the same day as me! (God totally knew I had no idea how lonely I’d be and that I needed at least one familiar friend!). But I still felt the reality of starting over - in friendships, job searching, a new church community, an entirely new city, and the first few weeks were rough. Though somehow, I never questioned whether I should be there.

My other two roommates are from Sweden. I connected with them on Facebook back in May, we Skyped, loved each other, and decided to be roommates! I feel so connected to them already it can only be because God put us together. I’m so thankful!

Me and my Swedes, Victoria and Jennie, first day of classes

For all the applications I did, the only place I got an interview I also got hired on the spot, for a Starbucks in a Target store. When asked if I like it, I reply with something like, “I’m thankful to have a job.” It’s not The Bridge Café I worked at in Upland, but jobs here are really hard to come by and I’m truly so grateful I was able to get one so quickly. I’m working about 20 hours a week.

I love Bethel Church. I love it. It is incredible to be in a community of believers, many of whom moved here specifically for this church. It’s unreal to be led in worship by leaders such as Jeremy Riddle, Brian and Jenn Johnson, and Kalley Heiligenthal on a regular basis, who lead with such excellence that it’s not about them at all, but they help lead us straight into connection with the Father. I’ve been listening to Bethel podcasts for a couple of years, and yet actually hearing Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton, and Eric Johnson preach as a member of the congregation brings an even greater level of impact for sure.

Praying for healing is a very regular part of church here, and people are healed at almost every single service. At services I’ve attended there have been healings of everything from eczema vanishing, to bones that stuck out going back in place, to perpetual pain experienced for decades leaving in an instant, to full movement being restored to limbs. Leaders have also shared testimonies of even more drastic healings taking place, like a child healed of autism and a quadriplegic receiving full restoration of movement and running around. While I know God can do anything, I’m being so challenged to believe he actually wants to do extravagant things for us, to demonstrate his love! There is no limit to what Father God will do for his children when they cultivate an environment of extreme faith and power in the Holy Spirit!

This is a place where the Word is preached, but not just for the sake of gaining head knowledge. We are continually challenged to activate our faith, even during services. Almost every service we are led in going after breakthrough in specific areas, taking a stand to demonstrate our intention to change (whether it’s to stop believing a lie, stop living in shame or sin, to step out in faith in a specific area, or embrace a truth or opportunity), and surrounding those who are standing for change in order to lay hands on them and pray for them (whether we know them or not). Ministry team members and church leaders continually make themselves available to pray with congregation members, as well.

So after a couple of weeks of working and a visit from Ryan, school started in early September. We’ve had class Monday-Thursday from 12:30pm-5:45pm for four weeks now! We have revival group once a week, which is like a home group. Each group has a pastor, and mine is an Australian dad in his 30s (I’m guessing) who carries the love of the Father so strongly that I sometimes want to cry just from his hugs. I’ll also have a small group and one-on-ones with third year student interns. This year 47% of first year students (in total around 1100) are internationals, the biggest percentage they've ever had! Pretty awesome. I have neighbors from Norway, the UK, Germany, South Africa, Portugal, and of course the USA.

School has been amazing. It’s stretching, definitely not comfortable all the time, stuff God wants to work on and heal in my life is being stirred up, but I’m learning so much. Really, even just spending an hour a day in worship is bound to change you! We’ve already read two of Bill Johnson’s books and have Bible reading assignments each day as well. (I'd highly recommend both of Bill's books, When Heaven Invades Earth and Hosting the Presence.) I’m really looking forward to beginning our elective classes and city service projects next month. It's such an empowering and loving culture, from registration day our interns and pastors have been praying over us and prophesying over us, unafraid to believe the Father has huge things in store for our futures. They want us to be our absolute best, to become more and more who we were created to be, and their sole purpose as pastors and interns is to help us become that! It's pretty amazing.

I already have a lot of notes from teachings that I want to share, but I wanted to get this blog out first just to give an overall summary of where I’m at.

Stay tuned!