Italy Bound

             I have to be honest, I almost forgot I had a blog. Shame on me. The truth is I am returning to the blog world to inform you that I am going overseas. I will be studying abroad in Florence, Italy starting in January. Studying abroad is something I have dreamt about my whole life. I haven’t done much travelling outside of the United States if you don’t consider Canada and Mexico. But I know the travel bug is in my blood, and if I had the opportunity to go to every country in the world, heaven knows I would. Now that I have the opportunity to go to Italy for the semester, I can’t help but feel like it’s a dream. For those of you that have been before, I used to envy you. Now that I will be one of those people, it’s almost like a shock to my system. To be immersed in a country with breathtaking landscapes, beautiful people, rich history, irreplaceable art, and food that puts America’s to shame is something I’ve longed to experience.

            While I’m there, I will be taking four classes, a contemporary Italian art class (something I know zippo about), Renaissance Italian Architecture History, an advanced painting class (yikes!), and an Italian class. I’m hoping my years of Spanish in high school help me out a little bit with understanding the language, but the truth is I hardly know any Italian. Mom and Dad got me an Italian program for Christmas. All I’ve learned so far is how to say is “hot” and “Turn right.” At least they’ll know how I like my coffee and how to get to the Duomo with only right turns. Trust me, that takes talent. But I’m going with an open mind to learn and I’m praying the complete immersion will help me adapt to the new culture. I’m looking forward to my classes, and I’ll keep you updated on how the language barrier is holding up. I’m hoping to lower it swiftly and painlessly.

            Because I am going with a program not directly connected to my school, I know hardly any, scratch that, no one else going. This excites me and makes me nervous at the same time. I enjoy the thrill of knowing no one, but I’m also the kind of person that likes to know if I will click with at least some, if not all, of the other students going. It’s just one of those things that you’ll never know until you get there. The other thing that excites me about this is the thought that it is basically God and I going on this trip. Because I don’t know anyone else yet, I will have to rely on the Holy Spirit more than I have before. This is something you can pray for me, as I will not have the same Christian support and fellowship as I have had at school for that past three years. This is an exciting and trying time for me, and I ask for your prayers. This is my mission field, and I don’t want to lose sight that Christ works in every area of the world and following God’s Will is not just for stateside.

              Let me know if you decide on visiting Italy between January and May, and perhaps we can grab gelato at my favorite Gelataria! I’m sure I will have many. Arrivederci for now.

What I Feel vs. What is Real

Disclaimer: Most of where I’m getting these thoughts come from Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney, a worth while book I’m reading this summer. This is my personal adaptation of the book.

Most of my unhappiness in life is due to the fact that I am listening to myself instead of talking to myself.

Here is normally how my mornings go: My alarm goes off. I annoyingly flop my arm around until I find the snooze button.  Make it stop! Three jarring snoozes later, my body and my thoughts roll out of bed. Why did Amy have to leave her towel in the bathroom? IT BLEONGS ON THE RACK! I have to work today. Another reason to be in a bad mood. I hate work. Why didn’t dad turn on the AC last night? IT’S SO HOT. GAH.

Life is just one big hot mess.

Every day I’m faced with two simple questions. Am I going to listen to myself and my constantly changing feelings about my circumstances, or am I going to tell myself about the unchanging truth of who God is and what He’s accomplished for us on the cross through his son Jesus? I am such a “feelings-focused” person, and that makes it even harder in today’s society when it’s telling me to “follow my heart.” But unless my feelings and emotions are Biblical based, I’m letting my feelings tell me what’s true, instead of letting the truth transform my feelings.

It is very easy to let my decisions be made by the way I’m feeling at a certain moment in time. But trusting my own decisions based on what I think my heart is telling me is risky. My feelings are so uppity and my emotions utterly unstable. They are filled with lies that I have convinced myself are true. What I need to recognize is that I need to believe the truth regardless of how I feel. When my emotions are controlled with Biblical thinking, it allows me to take those emotions into a realm of adoration for the Lord that I’ve never experienced. “Deep and profound feelings are the inevitable effect of the Scripture rightly believed and understood.”

Newark: A Belated Update

It’s been about a month since I’ve been back from Newark. I apologize for the cliffhanger and not updating you sooner, but I’m pulling the college card, which offers some justification for being tardy.

The trip to Newark was, once again, both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. It was such a joy to see some of the kids and teens I met last year. They were taller, funnier, and crazier than I remembered. But what I loved was seeing how the Holy Spirit had moved in the past year. I saw a change in some of the kids. It is evident that the Holy Spirit is definitely moving, and although Newark is still in a place of darkness, bits of light are shining and it’s only through the power of Christ and the service of His people there.

I thought instead of boring you with countless journal entries documented throughout the week, I would give snippets and highlights to provide a perspective of the city and the people that live there.

Day 1:
Fun car ride up with Bethany, JC, John Tyler, and Tiffany. Full of worship, Disney, and African tribal songs.

Day 2:
Church with the locals.

Spent the rest of the day in New York City. Highlights: lunch at The Grey Dog, Central Park, experienced an arrest in the subway, and walked the Brooklyn Bridge.

Day 3:
SHAC (the after school program) began today. Hectic as usual, but lots of fun running around with the kids. A normal SHAC day consists of walking the kids over to the church from Hawkins Street School, snack time, chapel, and alternating between art class, values class, Bible class, and a physical activity of some sort.


Community Dinner. One of the most humbling experiences of the trip and probably of my life. All the team members were invited into the homes of some of the families involved with SHAC. Matt, Bethany, Liz and I went to dinner at Muriel’s house in the projects. She goes by “Munge.” Munge is the single parent of four children, one of them a newborn and one mentally challenged son named Anthony. Her two other children are Ashley, 10, and Timothy, 8. This was the first time I had ever stepped foot into a home in the projects. We walk into the living room. The kitchen is to the right and one bathroom and two bedrooms are down a shallow hall. It is darkly lit and I can hardly imagine that five people live here. Ashley is playing x-box zumba. I try to play with her, but my dancing skills do not even begin to compete with her rhythmic mind and agile body. While we’re dancing, Munge is making a true southern meal with fried chicken, mac & cheese, macaroni salad, bbq ribs, and corn on the cob. Yes, she went all out for us and it was delicious. The whole time she is in the kitchen, the baby is in the stroller sleeping. Matt tries to play with Anthony, who is running throughout the apartment. Anthony is about six year-old and wears nothing but a diaper. He climbs on the couch, pulls people’s hair, and tries to kick people for the sake of laughter. I gained a lot of respect for Munge that night. To have a full time job, make the best southern food, and raise four children with high demands, I just couldn’t believe it. When we left the apartment after dinner, I was in a state of shock. The dinner had opened me up to the life of just one family in Newark. To think of all the other families in the same position as Munge was almost unbearable. But, the community dinner was also a blessing because it was great to see the community serving us in their homes, on their “stomping ground.” It was a realistic reality.

Day 4:
We took a walk around the projects and had the chance to see the newly established health center. The health center is a wonderful thing happening in Newark. Some nurses have formed a health center right in the projects that offers in-home check-ups and trains the community of vital health issues to be aware of like high blood pressure, hypertension, a healthy eating habits. It was great to see the impact the nurses are making in the community.

Day 5:
Today we went downtown to North Reformed Church. North Reformed has a homeless ministry, and we were able to eat lunch with some of the homeless from the community. The interesting thing about starting a conversation with the people is they either love talking to you and practically talk your ear off, or they have absolutely no interest in discussing anything with you and prefer to eat their stew in silence. I met a man named Larry, and after finding out we both worked at camps in upstate New York, we instantly connected. He began talking about how he was a camp counselor for a boys camp in upstate New York in the 70’s. Sadly, it was not Camp-of-the-Woods, but I’m sure New York has plenty other fantastic camps. He had a lot of stories to tell, and I was grateful to have met such a friendly, talkative old man. He told me how he wants to fly in an airplane and see the Grand Canyon. In that moment, I wanted so badly to take him there so he could experience what so many people have the opportunity to right at their fingertips.

Day 6:
Today I went across the street with some other teammates to eat lunch with the elementary and middle school kids at Hawkins Street School. I got to see some of the kids whose class I volunteered in last year. After lunch, we partook in recess, which involved running frantically around on asphalt playing freeze tag. Personally, not my favorite version of tag, but the kids absolutely love it, so I complied. I have no idea what the home lives of these kids are like, but when I see them smiling, running around, and hugging me, it brings such joy.

Day 7:
Woke up at 4:30 a.m. not feeling too great. By 4:45, I camped out in the bathroom for the rest of the night. At 4:50, Bethany came in and asked if I was sick too. We were sick buddies that night and our bond grew speedily.

By the end of the week 16 out of the 22 teammates got the flu.

Despite getting sick, the trip was an absolutely moving experience. It is so awesome to see how the Lord is moving the lives of people in Newark. Please continue to keep Newark in your prayers and if you’d like to hear more about my trip, just ask me!

Newark: A Light in the Darkness

It’s Friday morning and the official start to my spring break. The first load of laundry is in and I will soon be packing up for NEWARK, NJ! I’m so very stoked to be spending my break serving the Lord beside some pretty amazing people. The ministry at Trinity Church in Newark, called Safe Haven, is dedicated to serving the Lord in the midst of darkness that envelops the broken areas of the city. They strive to make right what has been broken. Safe Haven lifts up the teens in the community to be leaders, setting examples for the younger children who most face physical, sexual, and verbal abuse in their homes.

I was struck by this darkness when I went last year. When we first arrived, we took a walk around the block. I felt safe with the men around me, but if I did not have a male close to me, the streets would be terrifying. Garbage lines the streets, people stand at every corner, and strange sounds fill the air. I had never experienced anything like that in the United States. It is a scary place, but the people at Trinity are there to be planters in this barren city, to sow what God has called them to sow, and to hopefully grow people that will continue to sprout and spread throughout Newark.

Safe Haven has faced tragedy in the past year. A child was killed, a teen was stabbed, and the laborers are limited. A person that does not have faith in Christ would find Newark a hopeless, beyond repair place. But to those of us who pray continually for revival trust that the Lord is present despite the tragedies. Let us not just pray for revival in Newark, but also in our own hearts. We are broken and only He can revive our hearts.

Safe Haven is a light in the darkness and we can see that the Holy Spirit is filling the city. God is working and healing the defeated. Please pray for the Spiritual warfare going on there and for protection for the team and the people of Newark.

If I don't get a chance to update on the trip, I will give you all the run down next week. I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself!

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." [2 Chronicles 7:14]

The Africa Project: Support Needed

If you’ve been a regular reader on the blog, you might remember my Africa Project Post. I’m so excited to tell you that we have raised the $30,000 plus an extra $5,000. The $5,000 will be used towards a clinic added on to the orphanage which will benefit not only the orphans but the surrounding community. We have the opportunity to send a team to Tanzania this summer to be there for the dedication of the orphanage and to spend a week with the orphans. This is both an exciting and nerve racking time for a small group of college students going. Raising support is new for a majority of the students and we’re at the point where we’ve been sending out support letters to everyone we know. ICM is helping us with the logistics of the trip but ultimately, it is up to us to raise the support needed.

Being a part of this club has been an extraordinary opportunity and experience for me. It is incredible to begin to take on responsibility and consider the needs of others above my own. To think that my efforts, as a college student, have the capacity to impact a village in Africa by touching the life of a child who is in serious need of a home and protection. The construction of this orphanage literally has the potential to impact a life for generations, not only the life of a Tanzanian but mine as well.

We’re planning on going May 24-31. I share all this information with you to let you know what is taking place in my life and the opportunity that I have to visit Tanzania. Every person going needs to raise $3,000 for the trip. During our stay, we will have the opportunity to meet the children as well as the caretaker of the orphanage. We will have the chance to show them love, just like Christ loves His children. I am eagerly anticipating the precious time I will be able to spend with the children. If you can support me in a financial way, I would be very grateful. And, most importantly, I also need your support in prayer. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God's leading in Tanzania.

If you would like to be part of this mission through your financial support, you can send me a check addressed to:

Kate Scheel
1000 University Pl#3107
Newport News, VA 23606

Please make your check payable to Kathleen Scheel and write "ICM The Africa Project" on the memo line. All contributions are tax deductible. We need all the help we can get, so anything you can give us, we would greatly appreciate it. The Lord is the ultimate provider, and He is the reason we can even go on this trip. I can’t wait to see how the Lord is going to reveal Himself in Tanzania.

This video was created by ICM's Kody Zenger, an amazing photographer and videographer. It shows footage of his recent trip to Tanzania. Please watch and enjoy.

AIDS, Orphans and Hope. Tanzania. from Kody Zenger on Vimeo.

My Favorite Family Vacation

In July of 2010, the Scheel Family got on a plane and flew to Las Vegas. We journeyed through places they would never forget. This trip has been my favorite family trip in the states thus far. It is possible that that bold statement may be changed in the future depending on a bigger and better vacation, but for the moment, this trip goes down in the books as a trip everyone relished. We only wish Becky could have shared it with us. She unfortunately...and both fortunately was working at CAMP-of-the-WOODS that summer. From shaking the glitter off in Las Vegas (that’s what you get for waking up in Vegas), to watching the sun both rise and set over the Grand Canyon, to driving off-road in the canyon-lands of Moab National Park, to picnicking in the wildflowers of Utah, to horseback riding in Zion, every moment out west is a priceless memory.

The western landscape is both baron and magnificent. I wish every human being could see the Grand Canyon in person. I just absolutely adore the place. I hope to take my kids there one day so they can hopefully experience the same pleasure I did in seeing the God of the Universe’s creativity in landscaping. I took a video camera and taped some footage that doesn’t do the place justice, but you’re welcome to partake in my amateur video skills. I’m also putting up our itinerary and some notes, because if YOU ever need ideas of places to explore when you take your trip southwest, you can perhaps get some plans from ours.

July 10:
Arrive in Vegas.
Sleep.

July 11:
Impressively hot.
Walk down Freemont Street in Vegas.
Disco Festival. Colorful people.
Main Street Station Buffet. Lots of food for cheap.

July 12: Nevada
Leave Vegas. Head to Phoenix.
Hoover Dam. Massive.
Chloride, AZ. Awesome ghost town. May have spotted the Mystery Machine.
Phoenix. pooool.

July 13: Grand Canyon
Gas station lunch.
Grand Canyon sunset. Glorious.
Set up camp.

July 14:
Grand Canyon sunrise. cry.
“Ooh Aah Point” hike into canyon. Nice weather in the morning.
Dad, Kate, Amy hike the rim to visitor center
Nap.
IMAX movie of Grand Canyon. Recommended.
Saw Elk at camp.
Sunset.

July 15:
Sunrise/pack up camp. Raced the sun. beat it.
Last look at Canyon. Meet friends from the Netherlands. Suggested we check out Antelope Canyon.
Indian Reservation. Met Chief Tsosie.
Antelope Slot Canyon in CO. Met Italians Valentina and Antillo. Took amazing pictures.
Horseshoe Bend River.
Mesa Verde Lodge. Stargaze.

July 16: Mesa Verde, CO
Cliff Palace of the ancient Pueblo’s in Mesa Verde National Park.
Balcony House. Ancient carved house from rock. Looks like Italy.
Eat wild boar.

July 17: Moab, Utah
Leave Mesa Verde.
Arches National Park. ROCKS.
4-Wheeling in Canyonlands.
Stayed in cabin that night. AC.

July 18:
Castle Rock in Arches NP.
Mountain bike trail on slickwalk.

July 19: Bryce, Utah
Sunrise.
Drink coffee in the beautiful lodge at Bryce Canyon NP.
Hike.
Nap.
Swim with Germans.
Dad and Amy hike rim trail, Momma and Kate hang at lodge.

July 20:
Bryce Point.
Drive through Cedar Banks. Wildflowers and beautiful valley with rolling green hills.
Set up camp at Zion NP.
Swim in river.
Weeping Rock Hike in Zion.
Hang at lodge.

July 21:
Horseback riding in canyon. Sweaty butt. Ride Charley.
Hike The Narrows. River hike.
Swim in river.

July 22:
Angel’s Landing Hike in Zion. Adrenaline rush.
Drive back to Vegas. Stay in Tuscany Suites. Night swim.

July 23:
Cut flight close!
Home.

Puppy Love

I found myself flipping through the channels the other day when I came across the ever-popular tearjerker flick, “Marley and Me.” The effect a dog has on a person is nothing less than impressive. There I was, sitting in my room, tears streaming down my face (I share this with the utmost honesty and see no shame in showing emotion outwardly). Any pet can bring joy into a person’s life. Cats are debatable, but dogs have such a love for humans. Despite the dog’s incessant behavior to dig up the trash or mark it’s territory in the house when an unwelcome dog comes to visit, we, as owners and dog lovers, still find a special place in our hearts for these adorable creatures.

I’ve been missing my dog a great deal recently. Tessa is a labradoodle and a big lovable white fur ball. We often think she is a human being in a dog suit. Her eyes are expressive and her feelings can get hurt very easily. Now, in all honesty, when I read blogs about other people’s dogs, I can get a little bored. I mean, who wants to hear about someone else’s dog when you know your dog is far better than anyone else’s? But here I am, missing my dog and wanting to talk about her. Feel free to tune out, but be advised, she’s a unique character.

I’ll tell you, she’s not perfect. She farts, on average, about 15 times a day. And they smell about 15 times worse than any human flatulence. On the upside, whenever one of the family members rips one, if Tessa is in the room, we blame her. She’s a wonderful excuse. Another imperfection is her fu Manchu. This Asian-looking mustache always is a little moist, so a person must maneuver their hand around the moving muzzle in order to dodge her wet nose and pat her on the head. Because she has the appearance of a dread-locked sheepdog, she requires frequent grooming and the occasional bath to remove the smelly lab odor.

With all these imperfections, you would think that having a dog like this would be a chore. And it is. But Tessa is one of the most caring, engaging, and endearing dogs. She treats you like her puppies. When she sits under the table at dinnertime, if your feet are close to her, she’ll tenderly lick you in between the toes with her warm tongue. Yes, it’s gross, and sometimes I hate it. But I know she loves us and it’s her way of showing it. She’s getting to be an old lady, so she’s falls asleep easily. You can always hear her little happy sighs as she dreams about a field of puppies, all for her to care for. She’s such a mother, and we love her.

While I’m at school, I miss being around dogs, so in order to get my puppy fix, I look at pictures of adorable dogs on pinterest or Katelyn James’ new cuddly puppy, Bokeh. Man, I can’t wait to live in my own house and get a dog of my own! For now, I’m just a hopeless puppy lover.

With her Christmas present,

or more like our Christmas present

A Bad Day Prayer

Do you ever have those days when you wake up with the intent of having a really great day? You have a really great breakfast with the Greek yogurt you love, match together the cutest outfit, have all your books together, and head out the door to class. One thing, you skipped your quiet time. You step out only to find that five minutes later it begins to rain. Great, you left your umbrella in the room. You get to class and find out you forgot to print out your reading response that was due at the beginning of class. The rest of the day, you only think of the negatives and forget everything great that happened earlier that day. Oh, and no one complimented you on your cute outfit. Guess you’re not wearing that shirt again. You become Debbie Downer and your day suddenly becomes self-centered and just an overall bad day.

As a woman, I get these days frequently. I make all the bad things that happened that day define how good I felt that day or just exactly how popular was I. I don’t know if males experience the same good-day-bad-day rollercoaster feelings women do, but I think a few girls can commiserate with me. When my day does not consist of some sort of interaction with the Lord, my spiritual growth slumps. The truth is, when we face negative feelings or thoughts, we feel inadequate to receive God’s blessings. But in reality, God’s blessing does not depend on our performance.

As human beings, we think that God’s blessing on our lives is somehow conditioned upon our spiritual performance. If we performed well and had a “good” day, then we feel like we can receive God’s blessing. Oh of course we know God’s blessings some to us through Christ, but we also have this notion that they are also controlled by our behavior.

Thinking like this is even more evident when we experience our “bad” days. We convince ourselves we’re not good enough. And when we think like that, we’re doubting God’s power and falling into sin.
Whenever I experience these “bad days,” I repeat this prayer to myself. I know it looks long, but I encourage you to read it and reflect on your own life.

Father, I have sinned against You. I’ve been negligent in the spiritual disciplines that I know are necessary and helpful for my spiritual growth. I’ve been irritable and impatient toward those around me. I’ve allowed resentful and unkind thoughts to lodge in my mind. I repent of these sins and claim Your forgiveness.
You have said you justify the wicked. Father, in view of my sins today, I acknowledge that in myself I am wicked. In fact, my problem is not merely the sins I’ve committed, some of which I may not even be aware of, but the fact that my heart is sinful. These sins I am so painfully conscious of now are merely the expressions of my sinful heart.
But despite my sins and my sinfulness, You have said, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Given my awareness of my sin just now, that seems to be an incredible statement. Ho can I be without condemnation when I have so willfully sinned against you today?
O Father, I know it is because Jesus bore the sins I’ve committed today in His body on the cross. He suffered the punishment I deserve, so that I might experience the blessings He deserved. So I come to You.

Adapted from Jerry Bridge’s The Discipline of Grace

(note: I really didn’t want this to sound like a sermon, but please know that this is more like a note to myself, so I can always look back whenever I feel like I’m having a “bad” day.)