...fall in love with Jesus

I have been here for only 10 days, it feels more like a few months. It is starting to feel at home, my dorm is cozy, i am getting to know all the people in my program, i have a routine, and am already swamped with work. So far I have completed 2 books of the bible-philemon and titus and a currently working on ephesians. Yes they do start with the smaller books, just so that we can understand and grasp the method easier. Method includes: Observation--> Interpretation--> Application.

Last week was filled with orientations, workshops and Montana night!! We had lots of fun getting dressed in our best Montana outfit, ate outside and enjoyed some square dancing-followed by a huge bonfire. Last Saturday we headed to Glacier national park and hiked up a mountain and ended up at a glacier lake-i posted some pictures of it on facebook.

This past has been crazy, finishing up Titus, starting work duties (Dreaded 530am) not that fun but o well. I am also pretty sick right now-my sinus', fever and bad cough, if you can pray that i will feel better and recover fast that would be great!

God has been teaching me a lot, i don't even know exactly where i should start. Well firstly i have to admit that i have been extremely overwhelmed this week with all the reading, charting and hw to do. I feel like i am not able to comprehend everything that i am taking in so i am constantly asking God for wisdom, knowledge and a teachable spirit as i read these books. These three epistles that i have been studying have all been written by Paul to different churches and its hard to believe that these people were like us, sinned, made mistakes and God gave them grace. I honestly don't even know where to start....my brain is just jammed full with info.

Oh something happened yesterday that was really powerful. Last night at class, all of sudden two guys in black came into our classroom and yelled for everyone to get out and follow them (later to find out that is was all rehearsed) and we were forced to walk outside-through a whole bunch of people that were acting out to be Romans. Some were wanting us to buy meat that was killed for sacrifices to gods, some wanted to sell us charms and sculptures of different gods...we then ended up in a theatre room and there were actors that were dressed up as all the different mythological greek gods and it showed how the christians in rome were incredibly persecuted. At the end we sang and gathered together-it was incredibly moving and touching-i cannot really explain it except that i am so privileged to live in a time that i do not need to go through that much persecution. There is so much more i am sure.....but its late and i need to get some sleep.

Oh one other thing a girl at the base was born with one leg 11mm shorter then the other and yesterday a some people prayed over her and watched her leg grow-now they are even! Praise God! It is so amazing seeing her walking around with no limp anymore :)

love you all, miss you and i would love to hear from you :) oh yes, i have also realized that i need and desire to fall in love with Jesus so much more and learn about his amazing character!

Lakeside Montana

So i have been here for 3 days, have 1.5 days of classes and i am feeling really good. We have just over 40 students doing the SBS and there are lots of other schools running at the base right now as well. In total there are around 300 people at the base. Yesterday was awesome, we started our morning with worship with everyone crammed into the lecture hall. I loved it so much, it is always so refreshing seeing hundreds of people worshipping God and seeing praises. We then had orientation and met everyone and the staff, it so awesome. We have people from all over the world-Norway, England, Ukraine, Kosovo, States and Canada (quite a few canadians).

This morning we had more of an official first class and started with the book of Philemon (it is the smallest book) and there is a 12 step process of going through the book. I won't go in major detail but it includes reading the book over 5 times, making titles, color coating, charting, and a lot more :) let the fun begin. It is going to be really intense. Also when we read the books we have to read them in one sitting--so Psalms is going to be a good 4 or 5 hours!

Today we are enjoying our last few hours of freedom before the homework piles up. We each have work duties as well, i have morning meal prep so every other week i have to be in the kitchen at 6am to prep for the meals-oh let the early mornings begin! I have a meeting in a bit regarding what the duties fully include and then tonight we have another class that will be all about color coating and about "observation" when reading the bible.

I feel so blessed being here, i know God wants me here and that He has so much that He wants to teach me. Everyone here is so nice and i feel like i belong, i am so ready for this.

My prayer is that my heart will be open to whatever God wants to teach me, that i will be able to put away past teaching, assumptions, cultural blindness and my prejudices and that i can just listen and be ready to learn. I want to gain in my confidence and who i am in Christ, i want to apply what i am learning to my lifestyle and actions.

I love mail and if you would like to send me something my address is

Breanne Claassen-SBS

501 Blacktail Rd.

Lakeside MT 59922

United States

If you would like to call me ( we are one hour ahead and please don't call after 10pm) my dorm phone is 1-406-844-2401

arrived

i finally made it to Montana after a 14 hours train ride, what an adventure. Firstly i waited in the train station for a few hours before boarding and it was so interesting people watching.-It was quite entertaining actually with a cute little old man sitting across from me with short cargo pants, a wrinkly jacket and socks with slip in sandals. His hair was a mess and looked like the professor from Back to the Future.

Once on the train, i was able to relax in the comfy trains, listen to music and enjoy the amazing scenery. It was absolutely gorgeous driving up the coast a bit as the tide was going in. Small little inlets with couples walking along the shore, a family flying a kite and almost every person had a dog. It was incredibly serene and calming watching the sun go down slowly. Once on the train i was able to fall in and out of sleep, but with the constant movement of people and the train's horn, it was difficult to get a proper sleep. Around 7am we pulled in Whitefish Montana, after waiting for luggage and talking to come fellow travelers. The ride from the train station to the base was just under and hour, and base is amazing. It i an old army base=so the buildings are all in rows and straight lines. I was able to unpack everything and get settled in and have a nap and shower before my room mate came. She is a total sweetheart and i think we will get along really well.

I am really exhausted with little sleep on friday and next to none on the train i should head to bed. Tomorrow breakfast is around 7 and then at 8 we have orientation. I am looking forward to meeting the people in my program because right now there are around 200 people at the base and i have no idea who is doing my program and who are involved in other areas.

Pray Requests:

-that tomorrow goes smoothly and that i am able to meet new people

-that i will feel like i am living in a community and get to know others

-that God will continue preparing me for this year-open up my heart, eyes and spirit to his leading

-that i will be able to manage my time well and prioritize because i figure i will have a fairly heavy workload.

tomorrow..

Wow, i leave in less than 24 hours. Bags are almost packed, still a bunch of errands to do, heart is pounding and my mind is going in circles, yet i am excited about this next adventure of my life. Tomorrow i will embark on a journey that will hopefully change my life forever. I will be fully immersed in God's Word for 9 months. I will be reading the scriptures, looking at the history, putting myself into the audience of when the bible was first written.

prayer requests:

-tomorrow i will be taking an overnight train to Whitefish-pray that it all goes smoothly and that i get to the school.

-pray for my family-especially Mom who is still in the hospital, pray that she has a fast recovery and that saying goodbye is not to hard (it will be though)

-pray that i continue to have a willing heart ready to learn and that i am open to whatever God wants to teach me

-pray for my roomate and schoolmates-i do not know any of them and i just hope i will connect with them.

Thanks for reading this, please let me know how you are doing and how i can pray for you. I love you all so much and look forward to seeing you next summer!

--Breanne

...5 days

So in 5 days I will be leaving for Montana to take part in the School of Biblical Studies with Youth With a Mision (YWAM). I will be gone till July, but coming home for Christmas.

After I completed my DTS with YWAM in 2007, I knew that I wanted to continue on with YWAM but was not sure what that meant-if I was going to staff a DTS, or do another school. While in England in 07 many of our speakers had completed the SBS program and spoke highly of it, and that always interested me but also intimidated me. This program is really intense and I will be reading through the Bible about 5 times in 9 months which sounds crazy!! Before I left for India this past January God was putting SBS on my heart and I asked God to be really clear with me on this trip if I was meant to do an SBS. And guess what-He did! I had a hunger to read the bible, many people were asking me questions about the Bible that i was not able to answer and i did not like that-i knew i needed more wisdom and knowledge-especially because i have a missions heart and would like to go into full time missions someday.

And now i am here, I leave in 5 days, taking the train to Montana. I am extremely scared and feel pretty inadequate and not sure if i am going to make it through-but at the same time there is this voice saying "Breanne you can do this, I am calling you there and have so much i want to teach you." God has been so clear that i am meant to go Montana. He has not closed any doors and everything is working out financially and with all the paperwork. These next few days are going to be really busy and overwhelming. I am learning that i need to take things day by day, and not be overwhelmed but at the same time i should not procrastinate.

My heart is very clear, but my mind is scared, i know i am meant to do this despite my worrying. I cannot wait to read and dive into the word with a whole bunch of others. I cannot wait for a fresh start, meeting new people, to see how God is going to shape me and form me. I want to truly encounter the love of God, through the wonderful gift (Bible) he has given to us.

I pray that God will calm and open my spirit, give me excitement and let me have peace of mind..