home for the holidays.

Home for the holidays.

What a wonderful statement that is. To be back in Canada typing on my small desk in my own room, with music as loud as I want. This post wont be long, but simply a short reflection on my last quarter, and sharing the blessing of being home. 

These last three months working in the preschool was incredible as you can imagine. Last Friday I laid on the floor of my classroom after the last student left and just looked up at the boards on the ceiling and let a few tears fall from my eyes. My head teacher came in and as we just sat there and chatted I was reminded again, that being in that classroom was truly the greatest thing that had happened to me since going to Hawaii. My first six months there I felt was laced with more bad news than good. But when I entered that class, met my beautiful 20 students, and the incredible woman I would be learning under, everything changed. Those kids brought healing to my heart, and loved me unconditionally. They taught me about true faith, child-like faith that believes even the 3 word prayer of "God heal her" has incredible results. and it did. To them it wasn't a matter of whether God will or wont heal someone, or help someone, it was just a matter that we needed to pray and everything would be better. My faith grew because of them, and my times with the Lord where that much more real as a result. 

When  I return to Hawaii in January, I wont be in the same class, which saddens me.However, I am looking forward to my new adventure in Foundation school. Foundation school is for kids whose parents are doing a YWAM School or DTS themselves. I will be working with kids age 4-6 for the three months that they are there before they prepare to go on outreach. It will be a whole new team of people, but I'm sure I will love it, and reflect upon it with the same love that I do with these Kindergarteners. 

I am currently in Langley and will be here until January 3rd, so feel free to contact me if you would like to hear more stories or what the Lords been doing over a cup of tea. 

Also, please keep praying for me and my whole team as we prepare for outreach to Fiji in a few months. We are in need of finances but also for unity and health as a team. For open doors into the community and for clear direction as we set up a preschool under the leadership of a local couple.

God bless and Merry Christmas!

blessed.

This thanksgiving is a bit different for me this year, besides it being my first American thanksgiving; it is also the first time that at first I struggled to be thankful. Now that quickly changed when I stopped and thought about it. But I woke up this morning with a hurt in my heart and a tear in my eye. At first I didn’t quite understand why I was feeling that way on a day committed to giving thanks to our great King, and when I know daily that I am blessed beyond belief but alas that pain was still throbbing in my chest. Missing a dear friend, missing home, wishing for something different.

But things began to change when I ran into my roommate and she saw my tear stained face and like a good sister, she took me and held me for a while and just prayed over me. Reminding me that is it ok to cry, it is ok to feel pain, because that pain is real and the Lord has blessed me with emotions. And without even knowing it she allowed me to realize how blessed I am, and by giving me permission to not be perfectly put together she reminded me what I have to be thankful for. My support system around me. These 8 months have been tough, and on some days that uphill struggle didn’t seem worth it. But without fail whenever I needed a friend, a hug, a reminder from home, it was there. The Lord has blessed me beyond words with the most incredible and supportive family of my dreams, as well as amazing best friends at home to pray for me and support me no matter where in the world I am. He is faithful to provide friends around me to become my family in the place I am. I have been surrounded by family and friends here that have loved me so well, and have been the hug when I needed it most. They have been the words of truth when the lies were becoming fuzzy and starting to sink into my life. They have been the laugh and adventure that I needed when a week full of studying was starting to overtake my brain. They have been the shoulder to cry on when all I knew was starting to fall apart. And most importantly they have been the reminder to turn to my best friend, my Savior in every situation and aspect of my life.

So to my friends here, whether you were here only short or have been through it all, I thank you. For being the friend I needed exactly when I needed it. For speaking the truth I needed to hear. For partnering with me in prayer. And for making me laugh and providing some of the greatest memories and experiences of my life.

To my friends at home, thank you for supporting me in prayer and financially to be here. For seeing my vision and allowing me to go and chase after it. For loving me from afar and being the great rock I needed in the constant change of YWAM.

To my family, you inspire me. You love me even at my worst times. And honestly your prayers have gotten me through so much and help transform me into who I am. Your love is felt everyday, and I am so blessed to call you my family, my supporters and my best friends.

And to my Papa in heaven, you are my King, my Rock, my best friend, my everything. The way you love me amazes me. I am so unworthy but you take me and make me into a greater person than I could ever be alone. You have been with me through everything and you have enabled me. Thank you Jesus, for all the blessings you have provided me with. For the places you have taken me, and for the plans you still have that are far beyond my imagination. I owe you all. I stand in awe of your majesty, I don’t have much, but I give everything. I love you papa.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

Much love.

part 2

So as many of you know this journey here is composed of 12 months in Hawaii and 3 months in another country doing missions work there. Well, I can now proudly say that after 8 months of waiting I know where I will be going...

FIJI!

I am super excited about this adventure, and never would have guessed it was coming. This time, unlike my DTS I had no say in where I would be going for outreach we were simply told. However, I am fully excited for this and know that the Lord is going to bless us abundantly while we are there, and will use us in that nation. 

We will be working mainly in Suva with a couple that live there that have pioneered 2 preschools in the area. We will be doing work to help update and maintain the preschool as well as we are hoping to pioneer a preschool of our own in Nadi.We are also hoping to do some work in the communities around us. Fiji and the work we do there will hopefully act as a sort of hub for the islands in the south pacific to train up their own teachers and biblical based preschools. There is a huge need in Palau for preschools and we are hoping by pouring into Fiji it will equip them to pour into neighboring islands. 

I will be leaving for Fiji in the beginning of April 2013 and will be there for 3 months. I am also in need of raising around $5500 for my own costs and to aid the preschool there. If you are interested in helping please contact me. Besides finances we have a great need for prayer. 

Prayer for these next 4 months as we finish working in the preschool here and prepare to go. For unity amongst the 8 of us girls who will be going, for health and safety. As well as please pray for a well equipped leader to take us, as we don't have an outreach leader at this point.

 

Bula!  

long overdue

I realize every once and a while how bad I am at blogging. How many times I start these posts with apologies for being so overdue. However, I write a lot of posts in my mind, so you all should subscribe to that and maybe you would hear more about this crazy life of mine. 

All that being said, and that fact that you can't actually subscribe to my mind it is probably time for a bit of an update on my life here. Well I am now a full time intern here at the preschool for a month and I am loving it. I teach kindergarten, and my kids are incredible. At only 5 years old they know the Lord, and love listening to God our Father. Some of the quite times I have had with them they hear and see the most beautiful things from the Lord. They are learning their alphabet and numbers as most 5 years olds, but are incredibly smart and are excelling. I know I am biased, but they are the best kindergarten class ever. For the first time in my life getting up at 5:30 am everyday is worth it to spend time with those kiddos. 

The Lord has been challenging me and growing me so much throughout this time as well. I am working lots at least 10 and a half hours a day 5 or 6 days a week.but as a result I have learned time management, perseverance, and diligence in my work. I have learned you can never prep too much, but you definitely can be way less prepared than you think you are. I learned how valuable these children are and how that makes me want to be a better teacher to give them what they deserve and more. I have learned patience, when I have explained something 5 times and they still do the exact opposite that you say. And I have learned that is what I do to the Lord so often. He tells me something again and again, but I just continue to fail. Yet His grace is never ending, so I as a teacher as role model must act in the same spirit. 
I have learned the beauty in innocence, as my little girls hide behind me when we watched Stuart Little, because they didn't want to see Stuart get lost. I have learned immense creativity when they can make up elaborate games with simply a stick.

this post is short and I promise to write another one soon hopefully with some funny stories from class, because I have so many of them. However, for now I just wanted to simply post saying I am so happy and loving what I am doing.  Life is good, exciting, busy, and splendid. Thank you for the prayers, and please keep them coming. See you in a month and a half Langley!

"take, take what you need, not what you want, but all in between
live, live like the sea, you can be you, and i will be me
for all this time, but still my mind is on...

love."

Noah Gunderson- The First Song

           The lyrics to this song have been on my mind a lot lately, and it has just got me thinking about what we need in life, and what we want. What rights do we really have and what have we allowed our selfish society to influence into believing is our right. I live in a room with 7 other people, sharing one space, one bathroom, one fridge. My own desires or "rights" are faced head on when I have to wait an hour to have a shower, or my food gets moved around and is no longer in the exact order I like it. But isn't it my right to my stuff the way I want it. Isn't it my right to shower when I need as long as I need, and isn't it my right to be totally alone with no one talking to me when I've had a bad day? Suffice it to say I have had to die to a lot of rights lately. But probably one of the largest rights I have had to die to didn't come up in the room. We were challenged about a month ago to ask the Lord what rights He needed us to die to in order to better work as a team with my fellow classmates, soon to be interns. What the Lord revealed to me what a shock and a challenge for me, that has certainly been playing out in my life in more ways than I realize. The right that I had allowed myself to believe was mine, was my right to my opinion. Now you may be thinking, of course you can have an opinion everyone has them. Which in theory is true. But I'm talking more so about my opinion being heard, making a difference or really even mattering at all. You see, I have always wanted to be heard, and I have always wanted to state my case, or my opinion on different matters. I believe that I am a fairly intelligent person with adequate reasoning skills and ideas and that people should listen to me. It's not even that I have to be right with what I'm saying, but I simply need to get it out there. Well the Lord challenged me with that. Sometimes there wont be a place for me to state my opinion, as valid as it is. Even further, sometimes I may know better in situations, or I may be affected by a situation that I have absolutely no say in, and that is how it has to be. Surrendering the right to be heard, and to express myself has been a great challenge for me, but I do believe it is something that is really good for me to learn. 

        As far as an update on me, I am doing really well. This quarter is coming to an end quickly and on Wednesday I will officially be finished all of my hours learning solely in the classroom. I get a 9 day break, in which my mom will be joining me for 7 of those days, and then I will be an intern in the preschool! I'm so excited to finally be getting in the class, hands on teaching and learning. I will be in the kindergarten class, interning under one of the most incredible teachers I have ever had the privilege of meeting. She is an incredible woman of God, who is a prayer warrior, highly prophetic, and just so loving. I'm eagerly anticipating being poured into and being able to soak up just a fraction of her amazing wisdom. 

I have been living in Hawaii for almost 6 months now, and I have 9 more months of this program. Please pray for continued perseverance on those long days of lesson planning, and temper mental children.  The I would have more of the Lords eyes for these kids, and I would continue to grow and learn all the time.

Please also pray for my finances, life in Hawaii is expensive and I'm praying for more monthly supporters to come along side of me and help me out. If you feel lead to give, any amount would be greatly appreciated. 

I'll leave you with a photo my friend took one night as we sat on the beach and talked about God's goodness.

God bless.

Calico sunsets

Well I'm relaxing on my bed on freshly washed sheets (which doesn't happen as often as it should for this broke student) after a long day of teaching, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball reflecting on the greatness of our Lord.  There are a lot of ways that the Lords speaks to me, but one of the consistent ways throughout my life is through nature. When I get a chance to get out into the fresh air, trees, mountains of the ocean around me, and God's splendor on display. He has immaculately displayed His power, creativity, and attention to detail through all that surrounds us. The sunsets here are always phenomenal, but sadly, I noticed the other day that sometimes people can too easily get used to beauty. I've learned to just slow down sometimes and take in moments. Take a deep breath, smile, and really soak in all that is around you. Whether it is the beauty of the people you are with, the multicolored sunset over the ocean, or a bee on a flower. There is so much around us that if we slow down and soak them in, can bring life and joy to us. They point out God's character, and how much He loves us and has lavished good gifts upon us.

This last week we have been teaching the kids in the preschool about the uniqueness of our bodies. How we are all made in God's image but that we are all different, and special in the way we are made. Today I got to teach a lesson by myself. It was a wonderful experience, that had a couple bumps, but that is part of the fun of dealing with 4 year olds. I was teaching about how God is with us everywhere we go and that He knows our names. To me, getting to see the little spark in their eyes when they make the connection that God knows who they are and knows their names and loves them is like honey to a bee. It what I constantly work for, it makes the hours of lesson planning worth it. Knowing that those kids will go home and have even a tiny bit more of understanding of who God is, and knowing I get to be just a small part of that journey is a blessing and honor to me as a teacher in training. 

I want to leave you with a final little video to make you smile. Don't forget to slow down, enjoy life, and even look at the world as if you were 4 again. Innocent and full of wonder. 
http://youtu.be/to7uIG8KYhg

intimacy.

take a listen to this song, and really let it speak to your soul. 

http://youtu.be/74VBbjq3GD4

Lately, the Lord has been teaching me a lot about intimacy.  and deepening my relationship with Him. He has been reminding me that even as there is so much uncertainty, and that sometimes I don't know what it is going on, or what is my nest step, that I can rely on Him, and the truths of His word. That He will always love me, and that will never fail. He is always there, even when I can't see Him or feel Him, because I relationship with Christ isn't always about a feeling, but rather it is about grounding myself, and allowing my roots to grow deep in who He is and who He says I am. Col. 2:7 "Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."

These past two weeks have been filled with many amazing encounters with the Lord. Some fierce spiritual warfare, a lot of tears, and a lot of love in my classroom. Us 10 girls, and 2 staff have really been through a lot lately, and have been bonding together to have deeper intimacy with the Lord, and to seek Him out everyday.  Last week we had a time of response to the Lord that was so beautiful and God really challenged me to surrender my perfect plan back to Him, and to trust the greatness of His plan. That it is far better than mine, and that His timing is perfect. That for now He may be having to take out good things in my life, only to make way for better things. He promised that if I lean on Him in this desert season, that it wont last forever, but that we will make it out together. Song of Solomon 8:5 "Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?"

May the Lord meet you and bless you this week. Below are a few very special photos from these past couple weeks.

Michicant

Well, I have now officially finished the first part of my quarter of methods, and I'm still not entirely sure I have words to describe these last 4 weeks. I felt like I needed to write something though. My days consisted of class beginning at 8am and going until around 7:30 pm, with approximately 2 hours off for meals. and then doing more homework in the evenings or trying to maintain the somewhat of a social life I had. Every Friday I would have 2 tests, followed by 7 write ups and an essay due. 

Oh, and I forgot to mention that it was actually the Montessori methods that I learned, so if anyone knows those, they are pretty intense. Needless to say, by the end of the week I was exhausted. I'm still so thankful to the Lord for weekends off, and a great friend who would buy me ice cream when my brain felt like it was going to explode. These four weeks have been extremely challenging, but incredibly rewarding. I had never viewed education quite like it was presented before. Allowing the child such freedom in what they learn, but also presenting it in a manner with a lot of order. It can be pretty difficult to explain, and I'm pretty tired so I wont go into much detail, but I really learned a lot. 

Today was the beginning of part II. Biblical curriculum. I'm so excited and blessed to be learning this. This curriculum is clearly anointed, and has endless potential. I mean how often do you get to teach 3 year olds how to hear the voice of God, and the creation story? Incredible. I know that the Lord is going to be doing some serious heart work on me through it all as He has already begun. However, through the stretching and pain I constantly remind myself the end result is so worth it. 
As many of you know these past 4 months have been filled with many challenges for me. These challenges have been continuing as I'm currently working through a new thing with the Lord, and trusting for His peace and comfort. But I heard a great quote today, "An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it's going to launch you into something great."
So I'm trusting that God is taking a great big windup for something amazing.

I could really use your prayer though. The days can be tough, and sometimes trusting God's plan is a little like Langley weather, you don't really know what's going to happen, and you can go from sun to rain in a matter of seconds. Please pray for peace, comfort, energy, and especially direction. Keep praying for the Lord to release finances because those are certainly tight, and most importantly just pray that God continues to meet me, and I can hear Him and experience Him. 
Many blessings. 

Starting quarter two

I would first like to apologize to all that I promised I would update this blog, because it never happened. Here are a few notes about my life over the past three months. life is going well here, I am increasingly busy all the time. Writing papers, and journals, and other projects. But I am still loving it all. I am learning lots, and God has really been teaching me what it means to be emotionally mature. I feel like I've been mature for my age most of my life, however I have always been a person who feels everything, and basis a lot of my decisions on what I feel, because I feel so deeply. Which isn't always a bad thing, but He has been teaching me to find my source in what I know is true and not just how I feel. It is a tough but really important lesson especially in being a teacher when there are times emotions will be really high and I can't just react on how I feel but rather on what I know I need to do and how to act.


God has also taught me a lot about what it means to have Him as my best friend and my comforter. There has been a lot of pain and trials in life over these three months, but He has never ceased to amaze me. A tough thing about living in YWAM is the constant change of people around you. People always come and go. You get to meet a lot of amazing people, but you also say good bye to a lot of them often. The girls in my school have changed only a little. 4 left, 2 came in. But a lot of my other friends are now gone. Great to hear their stories, but sad to see them go.


This next quarter, the focus is methods. So I learn the Montessori teaching methods, a biblical curriculum methods, as well as the importance of play in Early Childhood Education. It will be a very full and very busy quarter, but I am so excited to really get the teachings of being a teacher.
Some of the fun things I have done these three months, are going to different beaches, going stand up paddle boarding, swimming with dolphins, seeing sea turtles, and cliff jumping.
Hawaii is beautiful, and I thank God often for how incredible His creation is.


I am much better at getting back to emails. So if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at beckydklassen@gmail.com and I will probably get back to you sooner than I update my blog.


but here are a few photos from my time here.

 many amazing sunsets

 Kindergarten graduation

 class dress up party, wall-e and eva

 4th of July fireworks

 two Canadians celebrating Independence day

 cliff jumping

 I went off a smaller one

 class dinner

my roommates


ps. my address has slightly changed, instead of foundations in education, simply write early childhood education, or ECE.
but I still love mail!

aloha!

Aloha.

Well I have now officially been in Kona for a week, and I can't believe that is all. This has been one of the longest, hardest, and craziest weeks, but allow me to start at the beginning.

So I flew into Kona last Tuesday night, and was picked up by my dear friend Stephen who I met on my dts in New Zealand, and lives here in Kona. He had a couple friends with him from the base and it was awesome to meet them right away. I connected with them quickly and they are still the girls I am closest with so far. 

The next day a bunch of us went on a hike on the north of the island. We hiked down into this valley where there was a black sand beach on one side and a river and rainforest on the other. The scenery here is really unique, you will be driving along and it will be very tropical and then the next there is just black rock like desert everywhere. Then you drive a little bit more and there is rainforest. It is all very pretty, just very diverse. 

My first day on base was Thursday and it was mainly getting settled into my room, of 8 girls, and unpacking. My room is nice and there is a kitchen and common room with the room beside me, it is just a little squishy having 8 girls in one room, and not enough bathroom space.

Orientation on Friday was really cool as the Hawaiians welcomed us in with a traditional dance followed by a haka. A haka for those who don't know is a dance that originates from the Maori people of New Zealand. We had a bit of a good Friday service after and got to listen to Loren Cunningham (the founder of YWAM) speak. Friday and Saturday were pretty laid back just trying to meet people and get settled. My closest friends, who aren't on my school, actually have an apartment about 2 min walk from the base, so we spend a lot of time there. Base is very large compared to Oxford, but its really pretty. We got to see our classroom, which has a wonderful ocean view and great breeze. There are 12 people in my program. 1 guy and 11 girls. and we are all very international, Canadian, American, Samoan, Australian, Korean, Kiwi, and African. 

On Monday morning we got to meet the preschoolers and were welcomed in with song and were each given a lei. These kids are so special. Tomorrow morning we get to do worship with them and get to know them more. We wont actually be doing any work with them this quarter, but will get to know them a bit. We also got our course outline today, and I got very excited as one of my projects includes Play-dough! My course load will keep me pretty busy, but I think it will be excellent.

Now all of this was the good stuff of my week, but there has been some really not good stuff as well. On Saturday night I found out that one of my best friends from my dts died in a climbing accident in Colorado. This news hit me really hard and it has been tough trying to grieve and process all of this being away from home and with new people. Ryan was one of the greatest guys I've ever know. He had a contagious joy and overflowing passion for the Lord. He was one of the worship leaders in my school and was so fun to be around. He challenged and encouraged me in my walk and always wanted more of the Lord. Losing him is a really hard thing to deal with and all of the students on my DTS are hurting. Please be in prayer for me and my friends and especially his family during this time. 

Next, is my sweet friend Jessica. She was admitted to the hospital almost a week ago with pneumonia in both of her lungs. It continued getting worse to the point where they were forced to put her into an induced coma and put her on ventilators and life support. The anti-biotics haven't been working and now they decided to give her constant paralytic dosage. This means she won't be able to fight the respirator which will spend less of her precious energy, but is also sad as her families touch on her arm or hand is definitely not felt; her body is totally numb. So my heart is breaking for that family. Please be in prayer for them and for Jessica to be healed.

Another one of my friends had appendicitis the other day as well. So needless to say my heart has been breaking for all my dear friends at home making it really hard for me to be here. But I have been so blessed by the people around me and my school praying for me and encouraging me and walking with me through it all. I know that things aren't going to be easy, but the Lord is so faithful to provide and help me through.

Please continue to pray for me to further connect with the girls in my program and to really begin to feel like Kona is home. 

here is a few photos I have taken so far.

 

much love.
ps. many of you have asked me for my address here, because I love getting mail. it is:
Becky Klassen
Foundations in Education
University of the Nations
75-5851 Kuakini Hway. #251
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

you won't relent

Well, it's the night before I leave and it is hard to believe that it is actually here. I first found out about this program over a year ago, and now it is actually happening. It's a little bit scary to think that this time I'm not just coming back in 6 months and then going from there. But this time it's the big leagues. 15 months, and a degree. I know that this is for sure a stepping stone as to what the Lord will use me for in my life, and to fulfill my calling. That in and of itself is pretty overwhelming, not to mention thinking about what all my calling in tales and all the places it will take me. Guess it's time to get over this fear of planes eh?
But in all seriousness I'm so excited to see what the Lord will do through me and in me over the next year and a bit, and also a bit scared. I'm thankful that God is the Prince of Peace, and will provide me just that. Peace.
This time tomorrow I will be in Hawaii, and I'm kind of ready for the next 24 hours to be over. The good byes to end and onto the hellos to begin.
ok, I feel like I'm starting to ramble. It's late and I should try and sleep some tonight.
Blessings.

Here we go again

Well, the Lord has called me away once again! As many of you know in 2010 I spent six months in New Zealand/Thailand with YWAM doing missions, growing and learning more about the Lord. During that time I fell in love with missions, and with the vision of YWAM. So I’m very excited to share with everyone that I will be going back with YWAM, to their University of Nations, in Kona, Hawaii! There, I will be a part of the Early Childhood Education program. Through UofN, I will receive my ECE degree, and be able to go on and do missions in other countries, working with kids.

 I will be leaving on April 3^rd, and will be in Kona for 12 months. Six months in class, then a six month internship at the pre-school on site. After that I will be headed to another country for 3 months of doing missions and working in a pre-school there. I won’t know what country until closer to the time. Working with kids, and especially less fortunate kids is something that is huge on my heart. I feel as though the Lord has gifted me to work with young children and placed a huge desire in my heart to show them love, and teach and take care of them.

This adventure is going to be an amazing, challenging and a faith testing time, and I will need your support. First and foremost, I need your prayers. I’m not going to be able to do any of this on my own. The Lord is my strength and my provider, and I need to trust in Him. Pray for growth, understanding, a greater ability to love as God loves, for health, safety, and for the Lord’s vision to be my vision. Next, I would ask you to pray whether or not the Lord has placed it on your heart to support me financially in this. Not everyone is called to give, and I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you to find out what the Lord wants from you; to give, how much, monthly, one time gift. He has it all crafted together to provide me the funds I need, because this is expensive, and I don’t have the money. Lucky for me, my God is bigger than money. So please be in prayer about that.

If you would like to give a cheque directly to me, and I can transfer it on to my account at UofN.

Or you can pay on line with your credit card by going to this link:
https://apply.uofn.edu/OnlineAppDocs/OnlinePayment.cfm  (just be mindful, you must type, Rebecca Klassen , July 5 1992, school of early childhood education, April 2012, student tuition)

While I’m there I’m going to do my best to update this blog, or send monthly emails. If you would like to receive updates, please email me at b__klassen@hotmail.com (2underscores) and I will add you to my list. Thank you for taking this time to read about what is next for me, and for all your prayers and support. I greatly appreciate it.

In Christ,
Becky