An Update On The Blog

I was just going to inform everyone of an update on my blog. You may be asking yourself or wondering what the button on the side that says MAKE A DONATION is for. Well let me tell you, that button is for support money. You can hit that button and it'll bring up pay pal, where you can put in your credit card information and make a donation to my YWAM fund. That way you don't have to remember my YWAM address and take time to fill out the letter.
My techy brother Jeremy helped me out with this, he thought it may help with the convenience factor. If nothing else it'll at least be a reminder to Jeremy!! :)

Almost There

Well this fine day we're in Terra Houte, Indiana. The road here was a little iffy. The first day to Des Moines we battled fog all the way. Yesterday we were up against hardcore rain. The weather has not been nice, but the trip has been so much fun.
The funny story from today was that mom being the mom she is, packed Tash and I a little care package. So we opened it up today, and I got a Chicken Soup for the Mother and Daughter Soul book. Tash was blessed with a family sized strawberry twizzlers bag. Well on the inside of the book that I got my mom wrote a little note and verse I was suppose to read. I was driving so Tash took the liberty of looking up the verse for me. Well mom wrote the verse like this, 3 John verse 4, so Tash and I thought she wrote it wrong, chuckling to ourselves we looked it up. We looked up John 3:4. And let's just say you can look it up yourself, it was pretty hilarious. So then we finally figured it out that it really was 3 John verse 4. And that verse is like totally different from the first one we had looked up. I'll leave it to you to look them up and chuckle. But it's definitely worth it, so look into it!!!
I think tonight we'll head off towards Adams, getting closer, so we can sleep in tomorrow and take our sweet time getting there. Tomorrow the real adventure begins.

A Home Away From Home

Well yesterday we were off and running. The first part of the leg began. I can't really say that there was anything that was really funny that happened either, which was kind of sad. It was a very good trip though, GPS always helps, along with the music of I-Pods, good company, and the newness of gifts at christmas my digital camera!! Thanks mom and dad! We had a little direction barrier though with the GPS, the part of Des Moines that Laura lives in, is really new so it didn't show up on the GPS. So we drove into Des Moines and thought we found her house, it was a little house that had no lights on, Tash's mom's advice was to just go and knock on the door, but we decided that we'd waste some time and go and find the Cold Stone she was working at. We stopped at a gas station and asked for directions, and started on our way. Well we got there and she was just walking out of the Cold Stone, amazing timing!! So we started following her home and well we didn't end up where we were earlier in the night, geez so much for GPS huh?!?!? Glad this time we didn't take your advice mom #2!!! Needless to say we thought we were getting the tour of homes and Laura pulled up to this house, and I said to Tash, 'she must be picking up her car.' Wrong again Flanders, this is the Otis's new home!!! Let me just say AMAZING! So yeah in one night we went from the little house with no lights on, to a big beautiful home with all the lights on, the door open and some friendly faces awaiting. A BIG THANKS to the Otis's and their hospitality!!

Finding More And More Truth

Well ladies and gents, it's finally here. Tomorrow morning is the sending off party. Perkins with family and friends at 10:30 and then see ya later, Grand Forks. I just wanted to say goodbye to all my friends and family, thank you for all your love and support. The out pouring of love from this whole YWAM thing has been unexpected and amazing. Thank you all for everything you have done for me, the blessings have almost been too much.
Here's my address for when I'm gone:

Mail-
Dana Olimb/DTS
Youth With a Mission
P.O. Box 78219
Nashville, TN 37207

Packages-
Dana Olimb/DTS
Youth With a Mission
5801 Keysburg Rd.
Adams, TN 37010

Remember that mail is always fun to get, but packages full of cookies and goodies remind you of home!!!!
Once again thanks for everything!!! I love you all!!!

The Countdown Begins

Well people it's two days before I set off for my journey. Can you believe that two days!?!?!? I sure can't. So what will those two days have in store for me you may ask. Well it will be full of last minute get togethers, trips to Target and hopefully plenty of friends. Packing is where my main focus will be though. Talk about packing for a six month trip to a place you've never been. Pretty crazy!!

Merry Christmas

Well the day is here, presents, presents and more presents. You know it sure is a good feeling to get surprised and get something you've always wanted on Christmas morning, but don't you find it even more invigorating when you gave something to a family member or friend that you know they've always wanted. Gosh what an amazing holiday!!!
So I've got to let you know that Grandma never ceases to amaze me. So we do our whole opening presents and stuff from our Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas Eve. And you know how I told you the story earlier about her reading the daily quotes and story of grandparents, well last night she was showing it to my cousin Katie. Katie is like, 'oh that's cute.' And proceeds to read the first one, and goes to hand it back to Grandma, well Grandma was not going to have any of that. So she says, 'well let me read you this next one, it's really funny.' Grandma then begins to read the story over again for Chad and Katie to hear, and well out pops those swear words again. Grandma come on it's Christmas Eve, let's cut back on the swearing!!! Boy does she love that story.
Anyway, hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Blessed and full of happiness.

Merry Eve Of Christmas

MERRY EVE OF CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! I hope this short little entry for today finds you warm and happy, surrounded by family and friends. My hope also for today is that you and your family remember the true reason for the season. The presents are just icing on the cake!!! Have a good time at church, don't drink to much egg nog, sing your lungs out on those christmas carols, and try not to eat the whole ham! Grandma can't wait for that pound cake. :)

An Early Christmas Blessing

So for the past week or so, there has been a severe cut off of support coming in. Which is understandable, considering the season. At that point I still had a few hundred dollars to raise for full support, so needless to say what did I start to do?? Well I started to worry and think of other ways I would be able to put together some support myself. Instead of fully trusting that the Lord and His people would pull through. So yesterday the mail came in and out of the ordinary as of late, there were a few letters for me. Well like a kid on Christmas I tore into them, and between those two letters I reached my goal!!! Praise Jesus. The amount of money I get over my DTS (Discipleship Training School) goal, goes straight to my outreach money. So here's a BIG THANKS to all my faithful supporters, whether you have supported in money or prayers, it has been much appreciated.
Here's a funny story to leave you all with, last night we had an early Christmas with my brother and sister in law, because they were leaving this morning for Louisiana. It got to grandma to open her present and so she did, and it was a daily calendar with a funny story and/or quotes for grandma's and grandpa's. So we were like well grandma lets hear one. And so she proceeds to read the first one which was pretty funny. And Lance says, 'well I hope that there aren't any vulgar ones in there, we didn't have chance to read a lot of them.' Grandma then turns the page and says, 'oh this one isn't the greatest.' So like all curious minds, we wondered what it had to say. Grandma, bifocals tuned in, begins to read this story and in my 22 years of life, I don't believe I have ever heard this woman swear. But in the middle of our early Christmas celebration my grandma swore, because it was part of the story. It was so funny,Sarah and I looked at each other and busted out laughing, but she didn't skip a beat, and kept reading. Grandparents are so special.

Reality Sets In

Well the countdown is officially down to eight days, eight days can you believe that?!?!?!? I sure can't. All this planning started eight months ago, and was in the beginning stages. Deciding to go to YWAM, letting our lease run out, finding a new place to live and now have been here for almost eight months. My how time really does fly!!! Now when I sit down and think about it, all I have is eight days, eight, eight, eight. It's so funny because it's almost that feeling when people get there last days to live, and try to fit everything in til then, but yet it's not even that drastic. Although I find myself thinking the same thoughts, what can I get done, who can I see, where do I have to eat before we leave, am I going to forget anything, and then on top of that planning the route that we're going to take. Here's kind of a first draft of our thoughts with that, head to Des Moines the first day, and hopefully crash at my best friends parents house for a day. Then the second day head off to Indianapolis, and bunk in with one of Tash's best friends parents. Plans for the third day are maybe taking a short trip to Louisville, and taking a look around while hanging out with my cousin and her husband. But we're up for anything, so if we find anything fun or interesting in between there, or while we're at those places we're all over it!!! If anyone has been to any of these places and knows of something fun to see or do, let me know!!!
The other day I had to say another goodbye to one of my friends, and it's just weird because goodbyes never seem real to me. I don't know why, but they just don't. I can't even really explain why. Maybe it's because with me it's all about I'll see ya when I see ya kind of thing. So I guess if that means six months then I'll see ya in six months. Man maybe I'm just weird. Don't get me wrong while I'm involved in a goodbye they're sad and what not, and it makes me sad that I won't be able to hang out and see them whenever I want to. But I'll be able to talk to them on the phone and email all I want to. I guess I'll just have to get over the fact that I really dislike talking on the phone.

Blessed By Friends

So everyone pretty much knows I'm leaving in like two weeks, and as you would think I have a lot on my mind to get done. Getting things packed, planning the route, finding people to stay with, writing thank you's, and getting money in order. And although all these things are on my mind, and play a significant part in my thinking everyday, it is not these things that over take my thoughts. It is not any of these at all, thoughts of my friends take over my mind. It is my friends I think of daily, thoughts of when we can hang out, how long we can hang out, is this going to be the last time I see them, so do I have to say goodbye, and just keeping tabs on who I have seen and who I need to see still. These are the people that have helped shape who I am, my personality, and my character. I was blessed today because I had the opportunity to hang out with a couple of my close friends, Cara and Laura(the pic on the side is not of Cara and Laura). They both truly have been a blessing to my life. I think by moving that these get togethers are the things and moments I will miss most about being away.

• In the photo to the right is Heidi, Mandy, Judy and I, these are some of my track girls.

Narnia

So I finally got to The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe today!! I went with Tash, and her nanny kids, Emily and Jake. The movie was really good. It was funny sitting there watching this movie though, because I remember watching it as a kid. So the whole time I kept trying to remember what was going to happen and half the time I really couldn't, which was good and bad I guess. Here's the best part though, after the movie Jake was sitting by me and he looks at me and says, "Dana, so was the guy Lucy knew, the Wardrum?" And I was like, "the who?" "You know the Wardrum." "Jake I don't know what a Wardrum is." And he replies, "You know The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrum!" So I proceeded to chuckle and then explain to him that it was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
It was funny sitting there watching that movie, and all the parallels it has with Christ. It's so fun to be in the know though and to watch it with an understanding some don't have. I don't know if this is a sad thing or a good thing, and for all you people who don't know the story of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, don't read this next part, but I was almost brought to tears when Asland was killed. And here's where the bad memory kicked in because I couldn't remember if Lucy cured him or not, so that made it even more sad. It's so great to know though that our Lord is never dead!!!

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
C. S. Lewis


An update on support:

• the Lord is still providing
• letters are still coming in
• thank you's still going out

The countdown til leaving approximately 15 days!!!

When I Asked God

It's a funny thing, this thing we call prayer. Have you ever had something in your life, pretty small, but big to you at that certain time. Like for instance, since I live in North Dakota I will use a couple of circumstances that I believe happens around here more often than not. First off, the one where your sitting in your car and your car is doing this sound, rrrrrRRRRrrrrRRRRRrrrr, when you turn the key, in the middle of winter, and nothing. Then out of nowhere you say, "Lord please start my car." And looky there the car starts, and you think nothing of it. Or take the second circumstance, your stuck going to Target, in the dead of winter, where the only place on this day you would like to be is on the couch underneath a blanket, reading a book and sipping hot chocolate. And you decided to shoot off a little prayer, "Lord please a close parking spot is all I ask," and out of nowhere the car in the front spot backs out. Unreal, huh!??! And don't tell me you haven't done it, I know we all do, and then just go about our days. Crazy how that works.
Well I am going to tell you a little story about something pretty close to one of those examples, that happened to me awhile ago. But unlike these examples this decision was one of the biggest I had made in my life up to that point. It was in between my freshman and sophomore year of school, and I was put in a spot where I needed to decided on whether or not I was going to give up basketball and participate in track fulltime. Well this was something that had taken it's toll on me and I had been pondering for some time now. I talked to everyone I knew about it and ask their opinions and what they would do. And no one could give me a for sure yes or no answer. So I was on my way home one night late, and as I pulled into my drive-way I said a short little prayer that went like this, "Lord if you want me to give up basketball, then let me see a shooting star," and well what do you think I saw when I got out of the car???? Well what, what do you think I saw!!!! I took a step out of the car, and slowly looked up, my eyes falling upon the stars, and...............nothing. Just shiny stars, that's all. Funny how we need signs, to know He's there. So I just smiled and walked inside telling myself what were you thinking. Now the next part of this story you can't tell anyone if you read this. So pinky swear right now!!! Well earlier that day I had been watching The Lion King and well I wasn't really tired, so I decided I might finish it before I went to bed. (Yes I was watching The Lion King, I admit it.) And what do you know, it was at the scene where Simba sees his dad in the sky and looky there, tons and tons and tons of falling stars. Imagine how my jaw dropped, and a single tear ran down my cheek. Amazing!!! Isn't it???? As simple as that.

Here's something I found in a book I thought was interesting it's called:

When I Asked God

I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I had asked for,
But everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my prayers were answered;
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.
-prayer of an unknown conferderate soldier

Funny the things we think we need. When in full all we need is the Lord.