Followers

I don't know how people can become a follower. I don't know if they need to have a gmail account or a blogger account or what. Its kind of a silly thing to have followers anyway, but some people have asked me how to receive updates when I have updated the blog. Perhaps I will just have to email them and tell them I have updated the blog. HMMMM. Do you know how? Then please become a follower and comment!

Here's some news highlights:

• I am leaving for California in 10 days for the Chronological School of Biblical Studies at YWAM Los Angeles.

• I had a yard sale this weekend and made $300!
  

• The girls from the Hockinson Youth Group had a "Spa Night" and we did each other's nails at one of the girls' house. I love these young women and their passion for God and living life to the fullest. I also love the beach scenes on my fingernails - AMAZING!
  

• I worked at Waldorf Kennels this weekend and scooped poop. Okay, that's not a highlight, but it goes to show I am kind of willing to do any work to do my part in raising funds for the C-SBS. Even crappy jobs. Hehehe...Get it?
  

Here's a few photos from my Dad's birthday weekend (two weekends ago.) I love driving the jeep off-road. We went up to the Gorge the LONG way!!!

Jilliver's travels 2009

This year, I have had the immense privilege of doing some more traveling than normal.

I started out in Yap, Micronesia over the new year. I was leading a team of Discipleship Training School (DTS) students on a field assignment also known as an outreach. Had a great Christmas and New Years in this little island in the Western Pacific, and though we faced some challenges, as a team we saw a new level of unity among the churches of Yap and a new dedication to purity among the young people of the islands. Very cool.

After the DTS finished, I wrapped things up in Hawaii and moved my stuff back to Yacolt, Washington... yup... to Mum and Dad's. Its great, being 27 and living at home. Okay, actually, it really is. I mean, sure I still get treated like a teenager with curfews and chores, but I have a place to stay (for free!) and a car to drive... not to mention, I get to hang with my parents who are extremely cool for recently joining the ranks of 50-somethings. And... since I don't exactly have a place to call my own these days, being in good with the parents is a bonus, as I have a whole room in which I can store anything over my luggage limits! I also was in a friends' wedding and my dad happened to be a groomsmen... so guess who walked me down the aisle. NICE.

In May, I took a month-long trip to England, Greece, Kuwait, Egypt, France, and Switzerland. Random, I know... but it was a dream come true for me, and I actually was blessed with cheap airfares and people to stay with most of the time. It was not with YWAM, but I did visit some friends and locations over there. Its a long story, but here's some photos... I know I'll be back to that side of the world someday, and for a lot longer than a month, thank you! Ask me about the trip, if you want to know more!

Hazel and I at the London Tower Bridge in London, England

Diana (top), Shinae (bottom) and I in a phone booth in London

Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, Greece

Some new friends at the Women's College in Kuwait

Fatema and her father, and I sharing dinner at a marketplace in Kuwait

Amira and I at the Citadel in Alexandria, Egypt

Riding a camel at the Giza Pyramids, Egypt

Cynthia and I on Lake Geneva in Nyon, Switzerland

I visited my friends Noel and Guislaine and their two boys in France.

Here's a photo from Annecy, France

Rode cable cars to the top of Aguille du Midi... Mont Blanc, France

France/Switzerland was my last stop and after that it was "back to life, back to reality..." whatever that means. I worked with my church, Hockinson Community Church, in Washington, and also went to my family reunion and a wedding up in Canada. The roadtrip through Jasper National Park on the way up and Banff on the way down was breathtaking.

Stephanie and I at our friend Stephen's Wedding. Steph and her husband, Christian, had me stay at their place in Kelowna... such a blessing! It was a great wedding, and it was great catching up with friends from when we all lived in Townsville, Australia.

A week after returning from Canada, I helped lead the Mexico Missions Team from my church to build a house for a needy family in Vicente Guerrero, Mexico.

Now I'm home until next month... and I've just explained about what I'll be doing come September 16th in the "Coming Soon...C-SBS" Post. So.... That hopefully explains a BIT of what I've been up to in 2009. Hope you enjoyed the compilation of photos!

Scuba diving

I love sharks. Here's one of the ones I saw in Yap (Micronesia.)

What you can't tell here is that I was hanging on for dear life...
the current was FREAKING strong in Yap.

I wish you could see the sharks in the background...
but remembering how to smile underwater is nice, too.

Its been about 6 months since I went diving. These photos are old. But... well, I'm missing the ocean, and thought I'd post some fun photos in memory of my scuba diving brother, Jeff!

I bet there's some great diving in heaven! Maybe you don't even need a reg!

Coming soon... C-SBS

C-SBS = Chronological School of Biblical Studies. Yes, I'm going back to school. I have been serving in Christian Missions for over 6 years now, and the C-SBS is what I feel God has challenged me to do next. I believe this is so I might know Him better, understand His Word more fully, and be able to teach others to study the Bible for themselves.

I'm starting the school in about a month in Los Angeles. There are Schools of Biblical Studies at many Youth With A Mission locations around the world, but I was drawn to the school in Los Angeles because of the Chronilogical order and because its close enough to Washington so I can visit family at Christmastime. This is something that is important to me since I was overseas last Christmas.

The course begins on September 16th and until then I am in Washington State working a few odd jobs and saving for my course costs. And, of course, I'm hanging out with friends and family whenever I can!

Here's some information about the C-SBS from the YWAM LA website http://www.ywamla.org/ if you are interested in what exactly I'm going to be doing for 9 whole months.

Foundations for Life and Ministry
The Chronological School of Biblical Studies (C-SBS) is a nine-month course in which students study all 66 book of the Bible in chronological order, in effect reading the Bible through 5 times. This school takes an inductive approach, encouraging its students to observe what the text says, and allowing God's Word to shape their beliefs. C-SBS allows the Gospel story to unfold step-by-step, life-by life, as God revealed it to His people.

1st Quarter - September to December 2009:
Part 1: The beginning of Creation; the Fall of Humanity; the Call, Redemption, and Salvation of His people; the Birth of an earthly Kingdom. (Genesis - Samuel)
Part 2: The Heart of the King's Wisdom. (Job, Psalms...)

2nd Quarter - January to March 2010:
Part 1: Merciful Warnings of Judgment to a Stubborn Regime, Promises of Salvation to a Repentant Remnant, and the Downfall of a Kingdom. (Joel - Jeremiah)
Part 2: Rebirth of an International People, awaiting Messiah. (Ezekiel, Daniel... - Malachi)

3rd Quarter - April - June 2010
Part 1: Messiah arrives and defeats death; fills His special people with His Spirit to redeem all peoples into His Kingdom. (Matthew, Luke/Acts, James, Galatians... - 2 Corinthians)
Part 2: Messiah's people worldwide endure suffering as His Kingdom of Grace spreads to all nations. (Mark, Prison Epistles... - John's books)

Outreach: June - August 2010
The final phase of C-SBS offers the students an opportunity to pass on Bible Study tools to others. A three to eight week outreach follows one to two weeks of training after the lecture phase. C-SBS students will have their own collection of Bible stories collected and practiced throughout the 9-months to use in evangelism and teaching.

That's all for now. I'm still figuring out how to add things to this bloggy blog blog, I might even add a video here and there! How very schnazzy.

I am that cool.

I now have a blog. I've officially decided I am that cool.... that people want to read about me and possibly comment on how cool I am... well, I suppose I already knew I was that cool, but now I've said it. Its out there. Comment away.

Actually, I will try and keep this page updated and will use it mainly to share about what I am doing in missions with YWAM (Youth With A Mission.) I do have facebook and myspace, but this will be a bit easier to read, have less advertisements, and will be accessible for anyone.

And... it looks oh-so-grown-up, don't you think?



I'll write more soon, this is just an introduction. Hello. I'm Jillian Esther Wellman. I'm a lover, follower, missionary, and friend of Jesus Christ. And I have a blog.