Yesterday I emailed Niki, who has been my contact regarding my OTI admissions process, asking when I could expect to hear back about my acceptance. Today I woke up to find this in my inbox:

So sweet deal, I’m officially in!! Apparently, this still isn’t the “official” acceptance email from the admissions office yet, but Niki was kind enough to expedite the process for me. 😉

Things I know now that I didn’t before:

• The internship starts on Thursday, July 12, 2012, not July 5 as I previously thought. Check in is between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm on that day.
• Graduation is December 17 and that is the day I will be moving out.
• I will be living at  the Herrnhut Apartment complex just around the corner from the IHOP prayer room.
• The dorms do have kitchens!
• Guests may not stay in intern housing, but there are plenty of local hotels IHOP has connections with.
• The NKJV Bible is the preferred version, but not required.
• “We endeavor to create a sanctified living area for the interns; therefore movies and secular music are not permitted in the dorms.”

(^^Yeah… this one… I’m either gonna need a major heart change or a long talk to sort this out with the IHOP powers that be. I have large feelings about the whole idea of labeling media as “Christian” or “secular”… I wasn’t a theater arts major at a liberalish Christian college for nothing. BUT even there, there are way more important issues at stake, such as humility, unity, and submission to authority… so one way or another it’ll be fine.)

In any case, I am extremely excited and it’s pretty much worthless to ask me to think about anything else today.

God is faithful.

It’s been five weeks since IHOP told me they’d be contacting me for an interview “within 3 weeks.” Well, I finally had that interview yesterday. I had a 20 minute chat with Niki over the phone answering questions like “why do you want to come to IHOP,” “what is your relationship with your family like,” and “have you ever been on drugs.” It was fun, it was easy, and it only confirmed to me that this is absolutely where I’m supposed to be.

I’m expecting an email soonish to confirm my acceptance, but “soonish” could easily mean “within the next three months.” Ah well. From the moment I decided to go, there’s never been a question in my mind that I would. The email is just a formality. 😉

Also, my friend Erica who was planning to go with me will no longer be able to come. She still believes that she’s meant to come, but right now God is telling her “wait.” I will miss her, but I know God has big plans for her in this season, even if those plans won’t bring us to OTI together. Her home is on my way, though, so I’ll definitely drop in to see her. 🙂

Wednesday, January 4, 2012, 1:19 am:

Finally done with my OTI (One Thing Internship) application! All the pieces are in order and I plan to mail it tomorrow!!

…and by tomorrow I mean later today, once the sun is actually up. Good night/morning!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012, 3:27 pm:

Application. MAILED. Kansas City, here I come!

Several years ago, I began dreaming of attending IHOP’s One Thing internship in Kansas City, Missouri. IHOP (International House of Prayer) is structured around a 24/7 model of prayer and worship, and this internship is all about spending a focused six month period of one’s life intensely dedicated to intimacy with Jesus. God had clearly marked me as a worshiper and a Mary of Bethany, and there was nothing I wanted more than to waste my life in his presence.

I originally hoped to take this leap in late 2012 sometime, but God had other plans. Earlier this year I met the lovely Erica on Facebook, and we were drawn together by our mutual love of Jesus, Ted Dekker, writing, Jump5… and IHOP. We both wanted to do the internship and began planning to come together in summer 2013. Well, circumstances in her life began pushing her towards an earlier internship, and so together we decided to up our goal by an entire year, and do the summer 2012 session instead. It will be a financial crunch for both of us and a huge faith booster. We can’t wait to see what God has in store. 🙂

If all goes to plan, we will be moving to Kansas City on July 5, 2012, and staying through December 18. Tuition is $4,900, and though we both have decent jobs, we will definitely be praying for a financial miracle to pull us through to the finish line. God is good, though, and he always finishes what he starts. I am so much looking forward to discovering where this journey will take me. It will be an adventure of faith and of grace, and ultimately, of love.

“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.”
Psalm 27:4