LIONHEARTED LANDLOPER

    Spending these last few months at Trinity Bible College has been one of the best decisions I have ever made! It has been such a privilege to sit in classes that are focusing on things I deeply care about and want to learn. I have already learned a lot about ministry and how to serve in all different ways. God is constantly giving me reassurance about my passion for missions.      It is good to be home with family and friends for winter break. I live in a beautiful place, and I practically broke my nose on the window on the train as we drove through Glacier Park and I pressed my face up against the glass to see the dark silhouettes of real life mountains. I have about a month to save up, pray, and prepare my heart for the next semester coming up. I get the sense that I can live anywhere on earth but there will always be something special about Montana. I am so grateful for all the people who go through life with me.      My year is just getting started, and next semester I will

Wednesday 11-9-16 after 40 hours of poverty     That evening, we started our poverty simulation. We were allowed one hygiene item (I chose my toothbrush), a notebook, pen, sleeping bag (I brought an emergency bivvy), and one extra item (my Adventure Hat of course).     The budget of a person in poverty was explained to us, and we were given $45 in “real-fake money” to use in different parts of our simulation. We were brought to a mock thrift store and told to buy new shoes and a shirt to wear for the rest of the 40 hours. I found a raggedy shirt with lovely pockets. I actually really loved the shirt. I also found some huge pink water shoes and I was drawn to them. We set up camp in a concrete room. I slept in a homey nook with Maddie and Michelle. Thursday 11-10-16     I woke up slightly cold. It was dark, and I had no way of knowing what time it was. I wanted to stay up if it was a reasonable hour (by Beccca’s standards), but I also didn’t want to sit awake for hours on end

    We recently returned from our inner-city mission trip to Chicago and Milwaukee! We experienced so many different cultures and ministries -- and learned a lot about ourselves and God.     Here are a few highlights from my journaling of this adventure: Saturday 11-5-16     I woke up freezing cold on my air mattress in the Grace and Peace Center. It was so early that it could not even be described as “bright and early” because it wasn’t technically bright yet. The thought of a hot shower was more compelling than the thought of sleep at this point. Thus, at 5:45 AM, I rose to hop in the shower. This shower was not as hot as I had hoped, but after maybe twenty or so minutes of relentless prayer, the temperature rose (with my attitude). My day moved forth per usual. I went downstairs before anyone woke up and sat on the granite countertops in the kitchen while I did my devotions.     Chicago is an interesting place. I remember from the moment we got there it was overwhelming. N

[leaf]     We will be leaving for our next trip on Friday! We are gone from the 4th through the 13th. Please keep these cities and our team in your prayers as we are gone! We are praying for God to move in lives and reveal Himself everywhere we serve. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] (Matthew 11:28 AMPC)   

 Life can be repetitive and seem dull, but the power to break out of routine and see everything differently is all inside. Adventure is out there, but it’s also right in each day. I believe in imagination and seizing opportunities, hence I shall employ such philosophies. ~***~      “Adventure is a decision,” I thought to myself. I looked down at my toes, inching their way across the decaying log that seemed so halfheartedly strewn across that deep gap – as if nature forgot to care about the safety of lionhearted hikers such as I.      In front of me stood my adventure partner and the very rock that was my goal. We had dared to cross the unconventional log-bridge over the daunting crevasse betwixt our newfound prospects of adventure. The world was green, the color of good memories. And from giant rock to giant rock, I was determined to be bold. But really, things such as boldness are only a matter of opinion anyway.     In reality, or what is most widely accepted as reality, I

    For years, God has been cultivating a passion for lost people within me. The closer I get to God, the more my heart breaks for the people who have yet to hear of Him. Since I got to Trinity Bible College, that passion has grown substantially. I am constantly reminded of this great need for the gospel among the nations -- and challenged to act upon that very conviction daily.     God is showing me how to use this passion that I have even though (at times) I may feel secluded from opportunities.         Right now, I do not know what step I need to take after Pack Your Bags. I know I want to head toward missions, but there are many ways to get there. I have yet to figure out what degree I want, or what route I will take to get out on the mission field, but I know I need to head in that direction. I am still praying and thinking about what exactly I will do after Pack Your Bags is finished.    This is a big part of the reason I joined the program originally. I wanted (and still wan

    Our first mission trip was a blast. The week was filled with serving in areas from kids ministry to roof repair  — and everything in between. Here are a few of the highlights from my time spent there: Thursday   Pastor Gus Craven was running out of jobs for us, but I do not think he had quite realized it. Three of us girls were assigned one very daunting task: to sit with the cats. Eventually we could try to find the lost kitten, but only if we wanted to. We found the kitten and placed the family in their assigned home. The nameless cats received names and a little bit of love that day. The mother was dubbed Marge, and her two kittens Ellenore and Rupert   ***  We sat quietly in the run down shack. There were dust-filled boxes of items from years before our time. There were intriguing stacks of letters as old as 1929. "To my dear wife..." I read out loud. It was really fascinating to explore the shadows of a time before our own.   ***  I

Maddie     Prior to my arrival, one of my biggest apprehensions was the suspense of meeting my roommate. I had so many questions. How did I know we would get along ? I'm not the kind to typically have a lot in common with... well, anyone. What would she think of my vicious looking back-scratcher?     See, I wake up around six every morning. I had this plan to hide bubble wrap on the floor just to scare her every time she stepped on it. I had no idea how she was going to be able to handle me.     But I happened to get the one girl who could handle me. Now, we hide bubble wrap under our doormat to scare everyone who walks in. We're like a team, and we feed off of the goofy child in each other.  the camo jacket door     We have the same favorite color, the same sense of humor. She will even climb trees with me! Just today, we found out that we both like to drink pickle juice. That's not a very common commonality.     Really,     Maddie is an answer to praye

    On Monday, my team will head to South Dakota to spend a week on the Pine Ridge reservation. We will be serving at a church there and doing all sorts of things -- from children's ministry to a short drama. This will be our first official mission trip, and I am getting so excited as we prepare and pack. It's approaching so quickly. Please join us in prayer this week.

84th Street     The 15th of this month was an event called Serve Our City. All classes were canceled, and the day was to be spent working on projects to help people and businesses all around Ellendale.     Three of us girls were given the opportunity to serve a woman named Margie by pulling weeds and doing yard work. We were handed a small piece of paper with a brief description of the job and the address we were to go to: A trailer on 84th Street North.     Now, 84 is a lot of Streets for a small town, and we soon discovered that walking was not going to work, and hopped in the car. Before     -- I don't know if we were suspicious of the reality of this address since the first time we typed it into the GPS, or if it was when we had to go through a different town to get there -- but I do know that our curiosity was affirmed when the robotic "in 100 feet, turn left onto 84th Street North" took us to some grass-covered tire tracks along a giant corn field in

Photo Taken by Selah Kramer     To start off the month we were able to spend a four-day weekend playing games, getting to know each other, and looking at cacti in Canada.     Oh, there was also an exciting two-day adventure involving a high ropes course and zip line. But that's beside the point.     Just kidding, it was basically the whole point.     We had a lot of fun, learned how to work together, and built up a lot of excitement for the trips we will be able to go on as a team in the future.   ***     The weekend (for me) was filled with one constant reminder from God: these people are the ones He chose for me to spend this year with -- traveling the world and all -- ever since before He told me to come here two years ago. And I need to realize that.  They aren't for me to criticize, they aren't for me to hide from, they aren't for me to impress. They are what God wants to use to build real relationships and teach me lessons and prepare me fo

    You see, life in a dorm can get kind of dull. And sometimes you have to do something to keep things exciting. Let's just say last night I was having one of those times.     It was that time of day when I am in my pajamas but it still won't be a decent bedtime for at least two more hours, so I am required to stay awake. I got all my homework finished, my roommate was gone and had been gone for awhile, and I had been sitting for way too long. You know the feeling -- it's like you need to go actually do  something because you've started to feel like one of the humans on Wall-E.     There was no one to talk to, and no one to hang out with. I wanted to go outside, but I was already in my pajamas... this left me in quite the predicament. Therefore, I decided (for obvious reasons) to turn off all the lights, shut the door, throw a blanket over my head, and walk around my room exploring in complete darkness. Because what else was I supposed to do?     After exploring ar

 And here arrive the days I have been talking about for so long.     I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported me this far -- financially, emotionally, whatever it may be -- without you in my life I would not be able to be here. I wouldn't have the funds, the gumption, even the desire. So many people have poured into me, prayed for me, encouraged me, and given to me. And I cannot say thank you enough. I know I am where God wants me to be, and there is no sufficient way to express how much peace that fact holds in one's life.      It does not matter where or what circumstances you are in. It is whether or not you are in the will of God. And that is exactly the calling I feel placed on my life that brought me to this program.    The burning passion inside to go where God goes and do what God says whether I live out of a backpack, have little sense of financial security, am disliked, or simply humble enough to serve where no one sees. It does not matter the

It is August, the month of adventure (as it tends to be in my experience).     And as the days count down to my leaving date, the details of leaving present themselves more pertinent. Things such as "how is this fitting in the car?" and "Who is going to take care of my goldfish?"     I like my goldfish, but honestly, I was not expecting him to survive long enough for me to have to worry about it.     And now we put petty things aside.    I have never been lead by God to do something as bold as to leave everything and everyone I know and obey Him, and that excites me. I may joke about spending my days in North Dakota alone and staring at the mountainless landscape, but I really am excited. and I do think it will be a great season of life and I will learn a lot. God could call me anywhere to do anything and it would be exciting solely by the fact that God called me. So please pray with me as I go -- For provision and moments with God, for the people I will

"Stanton Lake" by Becca Brander Sometimes it feels as if I have  eight hundred trillion and twelve  things on my to-do list, and only  fourteen seconds  to get them done. But, then I realize I'm exaggerating and there's only like twenty-something things to do and I have two months or so. Which can still be overwhelming, but it's a lot less daunting than eight hundred trillion and twelve.   The other day, I decided to finish getting my passport   -- because it seems like a good idea to have a passport when I'm planning on traveling to Africa and such this next year.  You see, I had already filled out my passport application and gone to the courthouse, but the lady and her desk informed me that my birth certificate was not chill and my driver's license was an insufficient photo ID. So I grabbed my better birth certificate, and (because I do not have any other photo ID) headed back to the courthouse a couple days later to figure this thing out.

I started to let myself worry that I would show up in August to Ellendale, and spend the next 8 months essentially staring blankly at empty fields and missing home. I thought that perhaps this "year of adventure" would turn out to be a year of humdrum, all the while my close friends would be going off doing something actually dauntless and worthwhile. So this morning, I wallowed in my dismal pajamas. That is until I was kindly told "do your devotions." by my best friend. So I did. And the Lord (being the Lord), knew exactly what He wanted to tell me. "What good is a girl with a funny hat in the empty fields of North Dakota?" I asked God. I thought my feelings were justified. But no sooner than I could come up with another gloomy remark -- He comforted me with the warmest reassurance. I realized that it is better to sit silently in the will of God than it is to travel across the planet on my own. Not only that, but I would much rather stand in a field

    My name is Beccca Brander and I was born in Polson, MT in the summer of 1997. I lived in a trailer house for nine years on the side of a mountain with my mom, dad, sister, various cats and dogs, some goldfish, a goose, chickens, that one random salamander, and our two goats. Our goats liked to sit on the couch when we weren't home.        We eventually moved to the bigger town of Kalispell, MT and lived in a  number of houses and apartments in that area. During this time, my sister moved out, my parents split up, and I learned how to speak Pig-Latin. The latter fact being of the least importance, yet still very vital information regarding the development of my personality.        It was in the midst of all these struggles and changes in my life that God became more real and personal to me. This growing relationship with the Creator of the universe began to shape how I thought and lived. You see, the more I get to know Him and follow His leading, the more I develop a heart f