Dear Mom,
PSL Camp is really hard and I wanna tgo home. I mean who are these crazy people? They want us to know our kingdom dream plan, or personal development plan, write a book report, and blog once a day. Mommy whatever am I going to do? Not only do I have to learn about all this time management and priority stuff I have to actually apply it. I didn’t sign up for boot camp, and there is absolutely no arts and crafts or canoes. Urgh. Send cookies, please. And the chocolate chip ones you know I don’t like Oatmeal Raisin. Love you
Monkey
Okay I lied, mom its really great here, but still send the cookies.
I thought you may like to know a little bit more about what I am actually learning. So far we have covered a few topics like, why have a dream? Time Management, Planning, Personal Assessments, Building your Network, Finding your voice and doing a whole slew of workshops and practical application. At first I thought when I saw the topics that I would be hearing some of the same old stuff about leadership and such, but the team Seth and the crew have assembled have been blowing are minds with some new thinking and helping us to move out of a dream and into a concrete plan for what comes next.
For some of us the plan is clear. I have been blessed to have heard AIM Canada loud and clear, for others they have a broken heart for many needs and they are just trying to find the it. Some want to start a business but have no clue how. The team is getting us to ask not just questions but the right ones and teaching us more about assessing who we are and what kind of team and network we need to build around us to get there.
Some great things that I have really let soak in. Stop working on getting your weakness up to a level 5 say, work on getting your level 7 strengths up to a 10. Build a dynamic team around you that will compliment your skills. I know I can do addmin but relationships and networking are my thing, so finding an addmin person to fill in the gap makes the most sense. By going through all the assessments I was able to see who I would work best with, and how I can communicate with others to help them most effectively as well. *side note* Tests did not show signs of insanity as much as you all may have wondered” But the big lesson of the day which I am sure will be the title of many blogs was “screw fear.”
Fear is the biggest immobilizer there is. In the time it takes us to frete about taking the first step, we most likely could have been on to step three. What have we got to lose. So we experiment with a few things and get our feet wet, and it fails. At least we can learn from it, what worked and didn’t. Investors drop millions of dollars into things knowing the risks. They may write off 3 million a day, but then they get a hit and make 40 million. They are not asking me to invest a million dollars but they are asking me to get moving.
So they have me working on a Kingdom dream and a Personal Development Plan. It seems a bit daunting, but I gotta tell you I am loving every minute of it and they are not crazy at all, they are wonderful amazing people who are taking time out of their busy lives, to help 14 young people get to a place most of them wished they had of been at, at our age. The schedule is packed full and there is not much room to breathe, but it is stretching us to levels we didn’t know we could go to. You know my heart thus far for AIM Canada, you know I have an internship coming up asap (little plug for Melissa Betz, SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP) I have moved from fear to freedom, we have taken some great first steps and it looks like this is moving forward pretty nicely.
I am asking for prayer for us as we wait to hear back about charitable status, and for Dennis Ho as he gets ready to go for a 6 month intership with Michael Hindes, in Port Heron, where Michael will disciple and coach him in running AIM wtih us. It is a very exciting time. I am looking forward to continuing to share our progress with all of you.
‘, ”, ”, ”, ‘Melissa Betz’, ‘720’, 1, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, 2532),
(‘2010-01-13 00:00:00’, 71973, ‘E81BFAE307754D94A4A55D2F3D4BCD’, ‘melissabetz.theworldrace.org’, ‘gainesville-bound’, ‘Gainesville Bound?’, ‘General Articles’, ‘
If I have learned anythng in the last few days its that nothing is impossible for God and if he has ordained your steps, he is going to give you the resources and tools to walk them forward.
If you don’t yet know my heart, you haven’t been reading my blogs. *smiles* My heart is the very mission statement of AIM, to raise up a radical generation of disciples who love Jesus. I spent hours in Scripture last year looking at the way Jesus taught his disciples and the people around him. They inturn were sent out to “Go and make disciples.” For a long time I thought I should leave that up to the Pastors of the church. It was my job to be fed by the pastors, they are the leaders, all I do is come to the church so they have someone to preach to. Am I right?” I was so wrong. We are so wrong. It is not enough to sit in a pew on Sunday and listen to the word. If you have to obey it. To obey it means to “Go and make disciples” It means to “Equip the Saints for the work of the Ministry” It also means leaving a legacy, an inheritance for the next generations. I have a Kingdom Dream. My dream is to equip others in their gifts, align those with their passions and help them dream God’s dream, and move them in that direction.
Canada is alive wtih a generation that seeks Jesus in ways never seen before. They are pushing back against modern day “Pharisee Religion” to find a deeper more intimate Jesus waiting on the other side. They see the needs of the world and they are not satisfied with sweeping them under the rug. They hunger to be mobilized, the long to be sent. Who will send them? Well I will. My heart is for AIM Canada. My heart is to awaken the nations to missions at home and abroad and move people out of comfort into calling. Through sending people out short and long term, we not only help with the needs of the worlds, creating awareness and bringing workers into the feild, we also bring Glory to God. This 
is His world that He loves and we do this for His sake. As Jesus said, “There are not enough workers for the Harvest” Its my heart to change that anyway I can. ” Though my heart broke for all Nations, my heart is for you Canada. I love you and desire to serve you anyway I can.
is His world that He loves and we do this for His sake. As Jesus said, “There are not enough workers for the Harvest” Its my heart to change that anyway I can. ” Though my heart broke for all Nations, my heart is for you Canada. I love you and desire to serve you anyway I can. 
It would turn out I am not the only one to have had this dream. Others have come before, but some God called away and others knew it wasnt the time. But with a blessing from Seth Barnes and a load of prayer and forming plans and seeing things fall into place myself along with my lovely partner in crime Miss JENNI WEIR http://jenniweir.theworldrace.org/?filename=canada-eh. Coming along side of us is Dennis Ho, Mark Newland, Matt Peters and many others. We are dedicated to doing whatever it takes to make God’s dream come true.
Really right now it is trust and oh that other little thing, the title of my blog actually. I will soon be Gainesville bound.
This will take a tremendous step of faith as right now the circumstances surrounding leaving Canada and moving to a country where I will be doing an unpaid internship for 6 months seems almost impossible. But as I stated earlier nothing is impossible if God has called you forward. So as my friend once so eloquently preached “Get out the damn boat” I’m going to go ahead and get on that. I am going to need your prayers as I look to find ways to still pay the bills, find a car to take with me, work on the paper work I may need to go and do this, and find a place to live. I am asking for your help in anyway. It takes a tribe. Will you join me in seeing this dream come alive?
‘, ”, ”, ”, ‘Melissa Betz’, ‘720’, 1, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, 2499),
(‘2010-01-10 00:00:00′, 71583, ’78F9DF14497A4BA7BC2039EA0A9898’, ‘melissabetz.theworldrace.org’, ‘hanging-with-the-hyltons’, ‘Hanging with the Hyltons’, ‘General Articles’, ‘
Watch out Hilton family, there is a new Hylton in town, 5 of them actually. I introduce you to Jeff, Alycea, and there 3 lovely children, Brittany, Brooks and Bennett. 
They have opened up their house to us for the next couple of weeks.
They have opened up their house to us for the next couple of weeks.
It takes an incredible family to open up their homes to complete strangers the way that they have, not only giving us a bed for the night, but helping us to continue to live in that Acts 2 community lifestyle. 
Their hearts are as big as their house. In an act of selflessness and humility they have opened up not just their home but their hearts to us. They are taking the blessings God has given them to bless us. We are truly thankful for them. I look forward to hearing their stories.
While we are still getting to know them, I have definitely connected with Brooks.
8 years old and full of
life. He is one of the funniest children I have ever met. It could be the wonderful wit that flies out of his mouth at random, the accents that acompany them, his alter ego’s including Zuchinni, or his love for Star Wars. Combine all this with a sweet servant heart and a love for people and your day is never dull.
Pics – Home theater, where I happen to be watching Baltimore kick some butt, which holds no relevance for my life, but I am pleased that it brings Josh great joy. To your right the view of the lake which I intend to go enjoy along with that once a year snow fall Georgia just had. Rocio enjoys the view from the living room.
On the world race we never knew what kind of living conditions we would come across. I was delighted if i had a bed to lay on at night, Running water and a toliet were a huge blessing. So you can only imagine what staying in a house like this one would be like. I’m still trying to figure out what this house doesn’t have. All the toys, inside and out, home theater, beds enough for all of us, guest houses, pool, game rooms, lake, it is our own little private resort for the next two weeks. My personal goal is to see about catching and riding the alpaca before I am gone. One more time, thank you for hosting us Hyton fam, we love you.
‘, ”, ”, ”, ‘Melissa Betz’, ‘720’, 1, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, ”, 1122),
(‘2010-01-18 00:00:00’, 72489, ‘B0E386C5AF3D4EC29BF35385CBF19C’, ‘melissabetz.theworldrace.org’, ‘hello-my-name-is-free’, ‘Hello my name is Free’, ‘General Articles’, ‘
Ps 91: He will cover you under His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge.
“Don’t get attatched, she is going to die” 29 years ago a women looked into the beautiful little face of her week old baby and promised her that day that she would indeed live. Her hopes and dreams fading as her child continued to not take in food, not grow, not thrive. She would watch at night desperately for signs of life. In that time a single nurse would sit at the child’s crib and pray.
The womans name was Swanetta Willemsma and that little bundle of joy she never gave up on was me. Throughout my life I suffered from bladder, kidney issues. Phenmonia, Croup, Bronchitis, and the list goes on. I spent many days at home in bed, some days in the hospital, and lived on antibotics. I was the social outcast in gym class, they didn’t even bother picking on me. I was the kid that wet her pants in class, because the sub didn’t believe that I had to go every 5 minutes. It was hard on my parents, it was hard on my sister who lovingly helped raise me, and it was hard on me.
Being the “sick” kid you slowly begin to fade into the background. You stop taking risks because you fear you can’t do it. I grew up in pain physically and emotionally and with little outlet to release it. Doctors had trouble finding a source to everything. Some thought I must be faking it “No kid gets sick this much.” My mom suffered a simular story and therefore was convinced that it was just my lot in life, and that it wasn’t going to change and I would end up sick just like her.
29 years of infirmity and fear. 29 years of battling mindsets that told me I couldn’t, including my own mindset. 29 years of walking in a death sentence put on me from the day I was born. 29 years that Satan has been trying to take me out by infirmity. 29 years and the battle is won.
I woke up like any other day, aching, tired. I have learned how to live with the pain. I have learned to ignore it as best as I can and press into my day. I had learned to except it. WRONG!. I no longer except anything. I woke up today knowing God had something he really wanted to say. For the last 4 years I have truly believed that I could be healed of all the sickness that plaqued my body. I thought I was speaking life over me and believing fully for the healing to come.
But the thing of it is, the healing came. It was done the day Jesus bore all our iniquities and our pain. It was over then. It was the battle of the mind. It was taking captive of my thoughts.
I have spent 4 years walking out freedom each day. I have had healings of the heart again and again. I have had God drastically change my mind, my attitudes, my behaviours, and habits. I have experienced miracles of healing physically in many area. I grew an inch talller if you can remember that time. But it wasn’t done, God still was digging in one big area.
Whether we believe it our not the Bible says “life and death is in the power of the tonque” Choosing life, means speaking truth about yourself. I am not talking name it and claim it like “I am going to get a new car amen” I don’t want the things outside the promises of God. But God has given us promises in His word and He says he will tear down and build up. He will take out the things that are not of him, that are from the world, the result of our sins, our words against ourselves and the words of death spoken from others, and He will break the hold they had on you.
29 years ago a doctor handed my mom a death sentence for my life, and now God has handed me a new life sentence. A life of walking in his freedom. Today my heart exploded with a new level of His love so deep, so profound, so overwhelming that I weep at the beauty of it. It takes my breath away, and I am so intimatly by my God. The truth is my name is Melissa Betz and I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am his daughter and as His daughter he would go to the ends of the earth to fight for me. The truth is that I am his, he bought me back from a life of sin and a death sentence. He randsomed me and I am not bound to a life of sin, lies and fear. The truth is he didn’t do this for just me, he did this for you and now he is calling you out to say “hello my name is free”
