Support.

   The word support has developed a whole new meaning to me in the last 3 months. Living on support is a very scary thing sometimes but I have found that it opens doors for God to work in amazing ways that leave me stunned. Through some reflection I have realized that when I was receiving paychecks it never felt like it was enough. Now that I am living off a fifth of what I was then, I can clearly see that am able to live simply and be just as happy, if not happier.

I love to feed people and provide snacks for the meetings and bible studies I lead, but sometimes that makes my overall budget tight. When I find myself stressing about my grocery budget one week, I run to God in prayer and He always delivers. Sometimes that means I get an unexpected donation, or someone invites me over for dinner. I have never gone hungry, He will always take care of me. He is building deeper trust in me through this new lifestyle.

The people that have been called to support me this year have done just that. They have shown me God's faithfulness when I was doubting or scared. By donating their hard earned finances they are telling me that they trust, and believe in the work that I am doing here. They are stepping into the roll of my employers, in my job of doing God's work daily. Often I come home from a busy days work and wish that I could have each of my supporters see exactly what I do here. I want them to know that I am working hard, and that their funds are keeping me healthy, and happy here. I do my best to update my blog with stories of what I am doing, what I am learning, and who I am meeting. The most incredible part is that my supporters don't even question my work here. They are so faithful. God has called them to give, and they have done so with no strings attached, no demands, or contingencies. I hope to learn from these amazing examples of faith and trust.

Before I embarked on this journey I was in a time of dedicated fundraising for this school year. This was a time where I experienced extreme doubt and fear. I have been on a few short term missions before and was getting tired of asking people for money. Little did I know that the Lord had plans to incorporate support based living into my life for a much longer time than I ever thought possible. I am so grateful for the new found appreciation of what a life dependent on others can look like. It is still not easy for me sometimes, but I am a work in progress. God blesses me through people daily, that is one of the main gifts fundraising can bring.

I believe that we are called to live in community, to not isolate ourselves or become so independent that we do not need each other, or the help, and love of the Lord. We can learn so much about ourselves and God from communing with others. I am continually amazed at the miracles on earth I see when I just open my eyes to them.

The past few weeks I have been feeling guilty about an aspect of my finances. When I was fundraising this summer I wasn't sure that I would reach my years goal so I kept cutting corners wherever I could. One of the main cuts was my student loans. Last year when I started paying my loans I would put $250-$300 a month toward my loan payment. Before I came here I chose to defer them for the year. 

I have spoken with other missionaries and staff members here and they have worked their loans into their fundraising and are continuing to pay them off this year. Friends here explained to me that the support we are receiving is our monthly paycheck. If I was working a job where a company was paying me I would definitely be making my student loan payments. Without college I would have never been prepared to do this work, so it is only right that I continue to pay for the education that got me here. 

This has been troubling me for a few weeks now and I decided to share it with my followers and supporters in hope that someone can help me work through this. I have been praying about staying here for a 2nd year and I am so excited about that opportunity to continue the work God has called me to here, but I can't imagine deferring my loans for anymore time than I already have. Please keep this situation in your thoughts and prayers if you can. I am definitely praying for some help, support, and answers as well. Thank you again for all the love I receive from each of you. 

Ways to give...
I have set up a PayPal account to make donations easier. If you are interested in supporting me please go to PayPal.com
1. Chose to SEND on the top toolbar
2. Enter my email (Kelseybergstrom524@pointloma.edu) and the amount.
The rest of the process should be explained, but please feel free to email me if you have questions.

Also if you are interested in a Tax Deductible donation you can give through the Universities website LCC Donation Page and fill in the Staff and Faculty section with my name in the memo box.

Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here.

      This was a wonderful week! I could feel the Holy Spirit walking with me though this week so tangibly. Every interaction, conversation, or task I encountered filled me with joy. These times are so special to me, it is not every day that I feel this connected to the spirit.

A few days ago I was chatting with my good friend Juliet from back home, telling her about my week. I told her how I had some of the best, most life-giving conversations this week about the Lord. I shared with her how awesome it was to get to share my faith, my purpose here at LCC, and the love I have for my role as an RD, with members of my new community here in Lithuania. I have come to love this place and the people in it. When I walk around campus I can feel the fellowship, and community that is fostered here, and I KNOW that the Spirit is at work in this place. I have this amazing feeling that beautiful things are on the horizon for LCC and its students.

Juliet responded by saying that she values, and misses that feeling. The feeling of sharing faith with people who don't believe, or who want to believe, but need someone to invest in them. Jules and I went to the same college, and she still lives in San Diego. When I was in college, I knew that I was surrounded by a strong Christian community. Talking about faith wasn't hard, it was second nature. One of my fears about leaving Point Loma was that I would have forgotten how to talk about my faith to non-believers, skeptics, or people who asked me to defend my faith. Juliet reminded me that spreading the gospel is a gift, as well as our duty. It brings us so much joy and life because it is what we are MADE to do! Because she still lives in such a strong Christian community she has to seek out those who need to hear God's promises, and she is doing a great job at it.

It was such a great reminder to realize that although I had feared living in a secular world (As opposed to my small Christian environment that raised me so well) this life is really the one I was made to live! I would never trade my time and experience at PLNU, it allowed me to own my faith, and then strengthen it in such a safe, and loving place. I am in love with God's plan for me, He refines me until I am ready for my next step in His Kingdom work, and not a minute sooner. 
Without my college years I would not have the faith/trust to move to a new country to do His work, or the confidence to talk to others about this mission He has me on.

We are all humans, we all share in life's struggles, and it is my job as a daughter of Christ to relate to all people, and tell them about the Father they have who LOVES them unconditionally. There is a spot in our lives and our hearts that will never be content with the worlds offerings. This spot can only be filled with Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides.

One of my favorite songs to meditate on...
Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here.

My God is ENOUGH.

    This past week has been an incredible time of learning, and learning how to push through with multi-tasking when all you want to do is focus on one thing at a time. Send me an AMEN if you can relate :) The week started with a visit from the Board of Directors of LCC, having them on campus was so amazing. They make such big decisions for the school, and have invested so much into this place. It's hard not to be inspired. With their visit comes many events, such as dinners, and meetings, and making sure my residents stay on good behavior for the week. 

My sister Jenna and I have been wanting to plan a trip to travel Europe a bit together this summer. Jenna and I found a great deal on flights and she wanted to buy hers before the prices went up, and that meant now. That also brought up the whole, "What will my summer look like?" question that also touched on the, "Will I be working here next year?" question. This is where the bulk of the anxiety crept in. I needed to figure out which months I was working, and some idea of whether or not I was returning to LCC next year. 

I started running to God in prayer about these issues. I needed to figure out a way to gently ask the elephant that was sitting on my chest to leave. I decided to talk to my supervisor here at LCC about all this. She informed me that my intentions for next year were not due until January, that gave me hope that I would know what I wanted to do by then. I also shared with her that since being here I have realized that I not only love being an RD, but love student development and can see myself seeking out higher positions in the student development field in the future. I love that I have been able to realize these goals and that I am confident enough in them to share them with the people I trust. Later that week Alisha, my supervisor invited me to one of the open board meetings, and took the time to introduce me to some of the board members. Later she explained that she wanted me to experience that meeting since I had expressed that I was interested in moving up in Student Life! How amazing that God placed people in my life who want to help me reach my goals!

One night this week we had a dinner with all of the Staff, Faculty, and Board Members of LCC. Before the dinner started I heard someone call my name from a table behind me. I turn around and at first didn't recognize this man who knew my name. I did a double take only to realize that this man was my NEIGHBOR from my hometown. He still lives next door to my parents! He said he has been serving on the board of LCC for 9 years! This was an incredible answer to prayer. God was showing me that this University is important, people care for it, and invest in it and the work it is doing, even people who have known me since I was 5 years old. I couldn't believe this happened!

I lead a women's bible study in my apartment every Sunday after church. This week we were squashing lies people believe about God. The one that hit me the most was "God is not Enough." It explained how people often believe that if they have God in their lives, plus a happy family life is complete. God plus a spouse that loves them, God plus friends that care, God plus a job that is life giving.....I want to strive to live a life where God is completely enough to complete me. I realize how hard that is. I have so many wants in my life, but now my goal is to make God the only thing I desire. 

While I was thinking and praying about what next year holds for me I started to think of all the reasons I shouldn't come back (Satan at his best). I will miss my friends and family too much, I need to start paying my student loans again, I miss my comfortable life, I want to start my Masters program, I want to have a salary that allows me to SAVE money, I miss my car, I will never find a husband here, I want my social life back, the list goes on. After saying these things out loud I realized how selfish all of my desires are. I also realized that God can make each of these happen if He wants to. I want God to be enough! 

This weekend I was asked to speak at the Spiritual Life retreat. Sharing my God stories is something I LOVE doing. I feel that we can all help each other out by sharing our experiences, and pointing each other closer to God. After my talk on Spiritual Burnout and Finding Sabbath we had some quiet time to take a walk, journal, or pray. I decided to take a walk through the woods surrounding the retreat house. I was talking with God, waiting for Him to speak back. I was getting short with Him thinking, "God, how can you ask me to stay here another year if I have this, and this, and this, that I need to get done? I can't do it all by myself, why would you ask me to stay here another year?" Then I looked down and saw hundreds of small pine cones, on top of thousands of pine needles under my feet. Then quietly I heard God say, "If I created each one of these pine cones, pine needles, the dirt it sits on, and the hairs on your head, how can you ask me why? How can you be worried about fundraising a few extra dollars? That is nothing for me!" I couldn't help but smile, by myself, in the woods, ha I probably looked crazy. I didn't care, I found so much freedom in that moment. 

So for now I am praying and trusting that God will guide me where He wants me, and I will not just follow because it will be good for me, or help me in my career, but because He asked me to. If you are interested, please come alongside me in prayer for next year, fundraising for this year and next, answers to questions, and the faith to have some questions go unanswered. Amen. 

Me speaking at the Spiritual Life retreat 

This is what peoples gardens look like in Lithuania, they don't mess around.

I took a walk down by a river the other day and it was breathtaking! 

 This is my RA Lasma, we had our one on one meeting at a coffee shop inside a grocery store ha

This is the most popular type of dog in Lithuania, this one was loose and almost followed me home.

This is another one of my RA's Ugis. Students at Community Day painted these tiles and we hung them to create a mural in the student lobby!

The board of directors wanted to have breakfast in the Residence halls so a few students cooked for them!

Quiet time at the Spiritual Life retreat.

Spiritual Life retreat

I took this this morning when it was 37 degrees outside!

The swans were all in a row!