Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing to you all to explain some things that are going on with me here at YWAM San Francisco. In February it will be two years since I have been on staff here in San Francisco and I couldn’t of asked for a better time here. There have been times where it has been a big struggle for me and I wanted to just give up and go home. But with the strength of the Lord I’ve been able to stick it out. 

As most of you may know, finances have been a big hardship for me. My monthly support started out very strong, but within four months of being on staff, I started seeing my monthly support go down hill. For the last nine months I have been living off of $250 in monthly support; which isn’t even enough to pay rent on base. Each month I had to prepare myself to talk to our base directors and tell them that I don’t have enough to pay rent. It wasn’t until about month and half ago that I had to sit down with them and tell them that money just hasn’t been coming through and I am behind in my rent. Right now I owe $200 in rent. 

I am in need of $1,500 in support to help me until I move back home at the end of February. This money will help me catch up on my bills (rent and laundry), pay for food, help with my flight back home for christmas and help with my move back home in February. 

If this is something you would like to give towards, you can write out a check out to YWAM San Francisco and send it to me (this is tax deductible). Or you can donate through my Paypal account, which you will find on my blog (address to my blog on the bottom of this page; not tax deductible). Please be praying that this money will come through. I don’t want to leave YWAM San Francisco owing them money. 

Thank You!

Kaitlyn Georgeanne Briggs

In My Love

I have looked you in the eyes

I have seen the tears you cried

I have heard you question why you are here

There is a reason, there's a plan

There is a God who understands

He's got your life insides His hands

Have no fear

Cuz He says

In all your hurt and in all your pain

I'll neve leave, I won't forsake

You're my child and I'm your God

Come and rest in my love

I know this road is deep 

And I know you're tired and weak

But the God of perfect peace is right here

He is the shelter from the storm

He is the rock forth and secure

He is hope forever more

Have no fear 

Cuz He says

In all your hurt and in all your pain

I'll never leave, I won't forsake

You're my child and I'm your God

Come and rest in my love

When everything seems out of control

I'm holding on, I won't let go

You're my child and I'm your God

Come and rest in my love

There is hope tonight

There is everlasting life

Dry away your tears

Coz tomorrow is on the rise

Love will never fail

He will never fail

He says

In all your hurt and in all your pain

I'll never leave, I won't forsake

You're my child and I'm your God

Come and rest in my love

When everything seems out of control

I'm holding on, I won't let go

You're my chid and I'm your God

Come and rest in my love

In my love

In my love

Dillion Beach

I was given the chance to go and vist two really good friends the other weekend at Dillion Beach. I meet these two girls last Fall when their church came and did Mission Adventures. They were leaders and I was cooking in the kitchen that weekend. During that weekend I got to them and we all just became really good  friends. These are two girls that I know that I will keep in touch with for a very long time. Even though I have only known them for a year, I consider them two of my good friends. When ever I talk to them, there is never a time that we don't laugh.

Here are some pictures from that weekend.

Danielle Karl Miranda

You look like a baby bird!

I love these girls

Oh how they make me laugh so much!

A Heart To Help

These last two weeks I have been given the chance to help out here and there with a two week course that was being held here at YWAM San Francisco called RescueNet.
RescueNet is an international emergency disaster response team. They assist disaster victims with skills in search and rescue, emergency medicine, trauma counseling, fire suppression and refugee reception. This program is ran through YWAM Las Vegas and they are ALL volunteers. Every year they run this two week training course for people who would like to join.
During these two weeks I was able to participate in scenarios that they had through out the week. I was also invited to partake in the final scenario so I could see what RescueNet was about.
I've also have an interest in medical and had a heart for it, but wanted to keep it that way, didn't want to turn it into a profession. Getting the chance to hang out with the RescueNet staff and pick their brain, something just sparked in me. One of the staff was telling me that they need people to be able to work in the kids after disasters. It was like he was reading my mind. This is what I want to do!!! I love traveling, I love helping people, I love medical stuff AND it is with YWAM.
Because RescueNet is not a full time job and it is still you being on the mission field. I would be able to get a job that would allow me to leave in times when disaster happens. I feel like RescueNet was created me for. I would be able to fit my degree in what RescueNet is doing/wanting to do with kids and also be able to be hands on when disasters happen.

I always had an idea of what I wanted to do with my degree but still had those thoughts of not being sure about it. I'm still praying about it and the next course is still not until next year. So we will see what kind of doors the Lord opens up for me.

RescueNet really has everything I want to do and something I see doing in my life!

Onething '10

The Onething conference is a gathering of young adults who have set their hearts to live with abandonment and devotion to Jesus. I will be gathering with thousands on December 28-31 in Kansas City for IHOP-KC's premier conference for worship, prayer, teaching, and ministry in the power of the Spirit. During the weekend they will be talking on topics like: Transforming Hearts Churches and Nations, Zeal for Jesus' Name for Revival Justice and Souls, The Darkness is Getting Darker, and Stand Boldly for Truth.
This conference is free, but it isn't free to get there. For the flight coast is looking at being around $400 round trip, in order for me to fly from LAX to Kansas City and back to SFO.

This is a conference that I have been waiting for all year. I wanted to go last year but just didn't see the finances come through. I've heard nothing but great things about this conference. I really support what IHOP-KC does for ministry. This is something that I have been growing a passion for. Just in the last few weeks my prayer life has been challenged and made me think how much my prayer life sucks. This last weekend I went to an event put on Luke 18 Project (ministry through IHOP-KC) and I was just really challenged to strength my prayer life. And I really feel like that this conference will help me be able to move forward into that.

If you would like to help support me to be able to go to this conference you can either sent me a check to YWAM written out to YWAM (this is tax-deductible) or you can just give money through my paypal account, where you can find it on the side of my website (not tax-deductible).

.

Iowa-Home Away From Home

I saw lot of corn fields. And even eat some Iowa corn. 

This last week I was given the best opportunity ever, I got the chance to go to Iowa and hang out with some of the coolest cats on the block. For the last two springs I lead a group while they were here at YWAM SF and just made some of the strongest connections with them ever. I really made some strong relationships with the students and even stronger relationships with the leaders. These relationships will be forever.
During my time in Iowa, I took every chance I could to just relax and hang out with friends there. I finally got to see what Big House looks like. Got to hang out with the students on their territory. On my last night there, we had a BBQ/Bonfire/ SF Reunion at the home that I had been staying at for the week. We hung out at the fire and played 'star gazing'. 
I couldn't of asked for a better time for this Iowa trip. It was just a refreshing time that I had. Just being in a place where I just felt at home and was surround by people who I consider family. When I was getting on the plane to head back to SF, I started to cry. I wasn't just crying because I was sad to leave, even though that was true, I was thinking about how I was no longer going to be on staff at YWAM SF come to the end of February. I wasn't going to be the person leading my family around the city. Would I one day be replaced by someone else? It also hit me, that I was going to be moving from my YWAM family. People that I have grown close to. People I have laughed with and cried with. People that love me for who I am. And they know my flaws and weakness, but guess what.... THEY STILL LOVE ME. And that is how my Iowa family is. They got to know me and my story, and they still love me.
It was really hard for me to leave. I didn't want to but knew that I had to. Hopefully I will be back there in December, if not, I will be seeing most of them in March. I will take that 5 hour drive to SF to spend the week with them!

[Sorry, I don't have any pictures to share with you guys. I am normally good with taking photos, but for some reason I didn't this trip. But I took a photo from google.]

Here is the Iowa Family. This was taken this Spring. 

The Power Of God

Every Thursday morning we have intersession as a staff. But this Thursday morning YWAM Kona joined in with us and wanted to pray for us. One of the girls came up to me and just started praying for me. One thing that stuck out to me when she was praying, was finances. She prayed that money would be coming in from places I didn't know and that I would find random checks in my mail box. And when I shock peoples hands I would find money in my hand. Right after the prayer meeting I went up to my room to grab the only two dollars in my wallet to by myself and John Chovan (a friend from the streets) a donut from Happy Donut. As I grabbed the two dollars there behind it was a fifty dollar bill. I was screamed and wanted to cry all at the same time. 

Later that day I went to go and talk with our finance guy about how much I was behind in rent, I haven't been able to put money towards rent in about two months. He pulled up my fill and told me I only owed money for the month of September. "WHAT THE CRAP!" I said. I could not believe what I has just heard. 

God has once again shown his faithfulness to me on how He will provide. And all I have to do is believe and have faith like a mustard seed. 

Isn't God just wonderful? 

The Call

“Gather to Me my consecrated ones, who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice . . . call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you” —Psalm 50:5,15

“Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down . . . then the fire fell.” —1 Kings 18:30, 38

This last weekend I was given the privilege to go up to Sacramento to go to an event call TheCall. 

California and our nation are in a desperate ned of the presence of God. The 10th anniversary of TheCall DC, we came together as one body, for two reasons: to worship Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world and invoke His Presence with abandoned adoration. On Saturday we gathers for 12 hours for worship, fasting, prayer and repentance, for the Church, for California and the nation. We believed God for a mighty spiritual awakening and cultural transformation. We took our stand at the Capitol of California calling on Jesus, the King, to influence the affairs of our state and to raise up righteous leaders in every sphere of life. In Sacramento we gathered around the sacrament, the body ad blood of Jesus, in divine moment asking for a great undeserved mercy to be unleashed through the cross. 
Going up to TheCall, I didn't know what to think. I had only just heard about TheCall three weeks before the event. I had a friend who was staying with me, who made her way up from SoCal to NorCal doing pre-Call rally stuff and, then she was going to do 21 days of prayer up in Sac. She told me little about it, and thought, "Why Not." I told myself I would only go if things feel into place. The car fell into place, money was given and housing was found at the VERY last minute. I would have to say that it was such an amazing experience. 

Praying for a Revival

Mumford & Sons - The Cave

YWAM San Francisco Promo Video

Picture Updates

Disneyland A.K.A Happiest Place on Earth

If you didn't know, Steve and I are twins. Or it might just be a SoCal thing.

Klassen Wedding

21st Birthday

SOS 2010

SOS Good-Bye Dinner

friends

This week I have been so blessed to have a dear friend of mine come into the city and stay here at YWAM. There is just something nice about having someone come in and join with you the life that you are living for a few says and to see what you are doing. Normally people would say that hosting people can become very draining, but to me it wasn't. It has been such a peaceful time with her here. We went to places that I have never been to before: San Francisco Mission and Twin Peaks. [Some people would say that it is stay that I have never been to Twin Peaks because I have lived here for about 2 an a half years.] Even though it wasn't the greatest day to have done up there, it was still a cool experience. To say that you have been to the highest point in San Francisco. After some great times spending the week with Theresa, it was time to say good-bye as she made her way up to Sac for 21 days of prayer before The Call. It is always comforting to have a friend come and visit and hang out with.

Fear

you never know how much fear you have in your self until something happens and fear takes over your body. this last sunday was just a normal sunday; went to church, hung out with friends afterwards, went and played with cais, just like i do every sunday. i was coming home and walked out of the powell station and all i hear pure caos. and then a seconds laster i hear BOOM BOOM BOOM (gun shots). all that was going through my head is to try and find a safe place to go, but i didn't know where the gun shots came from. out of no where, teen agers started coming around the corner in packs of 10-15 just screaming and up to no good. i over heard some of the kids talking about how there was a shooting up on mason and the wrong person was shot. but they just kept talking about it and laughing. in the mean time groups were just growing and growing. fights would break out and then break up. i was standing there on the corner trying to get through 9-1-1 but no one was picking up. when i was on the phone trying to get through one of the groups pushed one of the girls in the street and just started beating up on her. they hit her so hard she just feel to the ground. a crowd started to gather around this girl and cheer the girls on as they at this point were kicking her and telling her that she needed to watch he back and that they were going to get the guy who shot the other person to come and do the same thing to her too (in-between each word was some kind of curse word). at this point i was scared out of my mind and didn't know what to do. it took everything in me to not go and help the girl. i was scared to think what would happen to myself if i would of tried to help her. the forever 21 security guard walked me and 4 other people across the street so we could walk through the hotel and be safe. i was shaking at this point and couldn't believe my eyes for what i had just seen and for what i had just heard. i so wanted to just try and erase it from my mind, but just couldn't. that night i found my self waking up every 10 minutes or so with the picture of the girl on the ground and the group of people kicking her and cheering. who in their sick mind cheers someone else on when they are kicking someone.

i feel like there is just so much that has been going on here in the city. two weeks ago we had a shooting right in front of our building. people for some reason are just getting angry and shooting everyone up, it feels like. i am never scared when walking out side at night or when i walk home from the muni after babysitting on sudnay nights. but i think that starting now until things calm down, there will be fear that i now will have going through my mind.

i have posted the link of the article about the shooting that happen on sunday night at 9pm on mason and geary.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2010/08/09/BAS61ER9CI.DTL

SFO Story

today for once i was at the airport to pick up people and not to go some where. i was there to greet a team that was going to be here at ywam for the week. i find the group that i was suppose to meet up with. i get them to the van and load up all their luggage and then had them follow me to the air train to get to the bart. as we get onto this train this kid tries to pull the main leader off the train and tells him that he is lost. im just standing there trying to get this get on the train, not realizing that this kid is not with this group. the doors shut and this kid was now on the other side of the doors. he just began the bang on the doors for help. he had this look on his face, like he was about to cry and he didn't know what to do. the kids on my train tried telling the youth pastor that he was with our group. he had been talking with one of the kids from my group and had even put his luggage in the van that was heading back to the ywam. at this point i was totally lost and had no idea what i was going to. i then gave the youth pastor all the bart tickets and told him how to get back to the base. i then left the group and made my way to try and find this kid at sfo. how was i going to find this kid that i only saw for like 2 minutes. i then went back to where i picked up my group and there i found this kid with the group that he was SUPOSE to be with in the beginning. this poor kid was so happy to see me.

this kid was being picked up standford university where we was going to be taking classes for the summer. if some high school kid is not smart enough to find his right group, maybe he shouldn't be going to standford.

all in all, i can't believe that this even happen. i am not even sure what i would of done if this kid would of came with me all the way to ywam.

today i almost kid-napped a kid, but not really.

i have come to the conclusion that i am not good at updating people on my blog. i don't have that much to say right now, but thought it would be a fund idea to put some pictures up of what i have been doing over the last few months. 

laura and i hanging out at 'curry with out a worry'

hannah and kris were trying to get the mop away from me so the kids could do the work. but i thought it was just be faster if i did it and it over with. they didn't like that idea.

me with the leaders from SDA.

this is my little neph that i got to spend some time with when i went home for the weekend in feb. 

me with two girls from my connect group. 

karina and i spending a nice sunday at the park with some bi-rite.

 

i get to spend my sunday nights with the wonderful kid caison. we play lots and lots and LOTS of trains.

Some Up Spring

- Had 200 students come through our building

- Feed 360 people from the streets through our Love Feast every Friday

- Saw kids changed and open their heart to what the Lord requires of them

- Students moved forward into the promise land!

These students will forever be changed. Spring has now come to and end, well, almost. We have one more week of teams and then we are done until June. Where we will then have teams come Monday through Saturday, June to August. But until then, on April 24th I will be making my way back down to SoCal, where I will be spending most of May there and then coming back May 22. I know, a long time. During this time, I will be going in and having surgery on my left knee, this time. Two days after surgery I will be making my way down to Pasadena where I will be attending the Urban Youth Workers Conference for 5 days. Then making my way back to Ventura, where I will spend a week there before heading back up to San Francisco. I am excited about this time going home. I really do think that this will be a good time for me. I am excited because most of my friends will be home from college for the summer, so I will get the chance to catch up with them. Something that hasn't happened in a long time. I am excited to see my neph. He is now two years old and is just growing like a weed. Excited to see what summer holds.

Cedar Valley

I know that I haven't been all that great with keep everyone up to what has been going on with me at YWAM. So I thought it was about time I write a little about what has been going on with me.

A few months back, the leader of Cedar Valley, Hannah, had called to inquire about bringing a group during spring break. Right away I had asked if I could work with them. I got the chance to work with them last year and just got excited that they were coming again. It was just so cool to be able to see God work in these students lives this last week. You could just see from their eyes when they first got to the base, they didn't understand why they were here. For a lot of the kids, this was there first time seeing the people on the streets just right in front of your face and just every where.

As it says in the song Hosanna, "Break my heart for what breaks yours," that is what God surly did. These students were beginning to see these people through Gods eyes and building relationship with the people that they will forever remember.

Not only was this team a blessing to the people on the streets, but a blessing to me. At the end of the week, after final debrief, they put Carriennae, Mikel and I, in the middle of the circle and did affirmation for us, which is something I am not good with. I never know what to do with it and a lot of the times, I don't believe in myself with everything that is being given to me. But I have to say that for the first time I was able to take in everything that everyone was saying and be encouraged by it. And believe in the truth that was being said about me. It was just so cool to see this group, that I have only gotten to know in a matter of a week and just be able to say just positive and up lifting words to me. I don't think they will ever understand how much they have impacted me.

To see all these students just being so bold. Not allowing anything to hold them back. A few of them had a hard time in the beginning of the week, but they didn't allow that to effect their week. But they just got right back up and end out their on the streets and kept showing God's love to the people on the streets.

This group just became my family. In one week, I laughed with them and cried with them. This group just filled me up with so much energy and strength that I had been lacking. It is like God used them to breath that into my life. I just love the way that God works.

I am excited to get the chance to go and visit my Iowa family in September.

count down

The count down has begun. In one month I will be flying home. With going home I never know what it is going to be like. I will be home for a month, but in that time I will be doing a lot. I will be going in for my second knee surgery, but this time it will be on my left knee. Not sure what they will be going int to do. Something I will be finding out when I go in for pre-op.

A few days after surgery, the MA staff will be driving down and we will be going to the Urban Youth Worker Conference. This is something that I am excited about. I think it will get me pumped for summer and just give me a new insight on things with working with youth.

After that I will take a drive back to Ventura, where I will then spend another week at home just chilling and recovering.

I'm excited to get the chance to see my friends who will be home from college. Hang out with people from church and the fam. And of course, going up to my second home, camp, and spending some time.

I don't think I really realized how much I have missed camp until last week when I was looking at old pictures. Just going back in time, when I basically lived eat, breathed and lived camp. i just remember there where times in the summer where I wouldn't come home for like 10 days, because I was at camp. Camp was my life and I loved it. It was a place that I loved and felt I could be my self. It was my second home!

why is it that once things start to get back to normal, it is stripped away once again. when will i ever have that relationship back? i would kill to even have that 'friendship' that i thought we once had before. i would kill for the simple, 'i love you daughter'. i would have loved to have that women influence in my life when growing up that i could look up to.

just when i thought she was maybe back to 'normal', she had to change back to her old self. i HATE her old self. her old self doesn't have me in the picture. i like being apart of the picture of her life. but i am now put in a box that she is able to bring out when she wants. i don't like that. i feel like i am being used as a daughter when she does that.

whey did i have to grow up do fast? i was never able to enjoy my childhood. i was always worried about her. well, that hasn't changed too much. i wonder if i will be able to hear her voice the next day. i am not sure what i would do if i had to live without her voice. even though she has never been there for me, i still want to be able to hear her voice.

i hate being in these moods that she puts me in. i have been in this mood my whole life and would love to come out of my shell knowing that i can go through my day knowing that i don't have to worry about her. but will that ever happen? i have always been the mom. i thought that day did come, but that happiness was once again short lived and was stripped from me. now i am again left with the bad memories playing in my head over and over. i am felt with the hurt and disappointment. i am left with the crap part.

i so long to one day be off this 'roller coaster'. i have been on it for too long and need to move on. i need to be free!