Hello Friends,
I realize that it's been a very busy month since my last update. Our past three weeks of lecture have been spectacular. As the weeks go on the lectures continue getting better. We have had two more weeks with South Africans, one on culture and having a Biblical worldview and the other on Discipleship. Both of our speakers live and work on YWAM bases in South Africa, so we should be able to visit with them when we get there in just over 2 weeks. We also had a few days doing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. That was quite the experience since some of the people on our team had done the test in the past and for others it was a completely new experience. We were able to talk about how our different types react when we're in a team setting and what that looks like when we're in conflict. It was fascinating because I came out differently from what I had tested as before, but I think that I'm still split on either an ISTJ or an INTJ.
We finished lectures for the year on December 21st and we'll start again on January 2nd. So we've had a brilliant break, with people leaving to visit family and friends during this time. Seven of us decided to stay at the house during the break and it's been such a time of rejuvenation and relaxation. We've been able to process through some of our lectures, watch films at the house, and just have some great fellowship and team-building. And yes, since there were only a few of us, I have spent quite a bit of time cooking and hanging out in the kitchen.
I've also had some really amazing experiences with God over break and definitely some fresh revelation from Him. I've realized that I have a distinct calling by God and although I'm attempting to walk in it, I want to be doing more. I know that I'm not walking completely in God's calling over my life to minister to the broken and the lost and to teach and love on others. Part of that is because then I have to acknowledge what I'm not doing and I have to act on how God is calling me. The less I acknowledge, the less I have to die to myself and count the cost of what it really means to follow God completely. So what is passionately stirring in my soul right now is to follow God more, to believe that I am who He says I am, to believe that with Him I can do that things that He has given me the power and authority to do.
As we prepare to go on outreach, we've been reminded that there are other forces at work against us. In the past few days, one of our students has been told that she is diabetic and that it would be best for her not to go on outreach to South Africa. She is currently in the hospital in Carlisle and the care is nothing like she would receive in the U.S. She has yet to see a specialist or anyone who can really talk to her about having diabetes. Naomi has been told that she has Type 1 diabetes, which is usually diagnosed in children, and will have to be controlled by insulin. We have been praying fervently in regards to her health and I ask you to do the same.
One of our other students, Meghan, has had many difficulties with lectures and has been quite rebellious while we've been here, refusing to take part in many of the team activities, and not wanting to share in the responsibilities. Please pray for the disunity that it is bringing to the team and how that will affect if she goes on outreach. Right now there is much tension in the house due to the different situations at hand.
Thank you always for the emails and cards. It also brings me such joy to hear from you all!
Saturday, 30 December 2006
Wednesday, 29 November 2006
Two Pilgrims and a Tomato
So friends,
Here in Carlisle, we've just entered into week eight of our 12 week DTS. Things have been just fantastic so far and I know that the entire team is eagerly awaiting and preparing for outreach.
Last week our speaker, Pieter McCarthy, was from one of the bases in South Africa that we'll be staying at. He spoke on worship and what that really means. It's more about living in a lifestyle of continually worshipping God than just something that we participate in at church. We talked about how we're a people who have been created to worship and that we were chosen specifically by God. Worship should be something where we're offering a sacrifice to God and He will always respond to that. It should cost us something either in time, energy, or money and it needs to be spent on something eternal, like our relationship with God. We spent time doing some really cool, open worship in that we sang some African songs and did some dancing. What a fun experience! We also talked about different names of God and how we're called to be warrior princes and princesses for Christ.
We also celebrated Thanksgiving last Saturday. My mom lovingly sent me a box with the Publix pilgrims for the table along with holiday smelling candles. We did a full Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, yorkshire puddings (the English influence from our team), and real pumpkin pie. One of the guys from our DTS is from the U.S. and his mother gave me a gift of realy pumpkin puree so that our team could get the true Thanksgiving experience. A good friend, Rachel, who's studying in London, also got to come up to celebrate with us. Lots of fun had by all!
This week our speaker is talking about sin and the cross. His name is David Painting and he's just brought so many new ideas and revelation. He's told stories that are slightly embellished in that they have much more detail than the Bible gives, but it's made it so much more real and less than just a historical account. We've discussed how we were created so that God can love us and so that we can love Him. Everything is really back on relationship with God. God is love, therefore relationship is implied, relationship is based on choices, and since there are different outcomes from different choices, God must be a God of justice. We've discussed relationships being broken through sin, not only with other people, but our relationship with God being broken as a result of sinning. It's been just fascinating to hear things about sin and the cross from another perspective and I'm really looking forward to the remainder of the week.
Other than that, life is just grand. I'm loving Carlisle, even if it does rain almost everyday. Right now we're preparing for a large gathering here in Carlisle on December 9-10. Be praying for that please in that we'll have people from all over YWAM England staying for the night and going to a prayer meeting. We're finishing up 40 weeks of praying 24/7. All of YWAM England participated and so we're having a gathering to celebrate the end of that and figure out where the vision is for YWAM England next.
Also, please be praying for me as to what is coming next after DTS is finished. I'm praying and thinking about staying on as a staff member in Carlisle. There's an administration position open and I'd still be able to help out with the upcoming DTS and possibly go on outreach backpacking in China and the Philippines next year. It's obviously still in the works and the staff and I haven't talked details yet, but it's a possibility, so please be praying for that.
As always, pray for unity for the team and homesickness as the holiday season approaches and we grow closer and closer to leaving for South Africa.
Here in Carlisle, we've just entered into week eight of our 12 week DTS. Things have been just fantastic so far and I know that the entire team is eagerly awaiting and preparing for outreach.
Last week our speaker, Pieter McCarthy, was from one of the bases in South Africa that we'll be staying at. He spoke on worship and what that really means. It's more about living in a lifestyle of continually worshipping God than just something that we participate in at church. We talked about how we're a people who have been created to worship and that we were chosen specifically by God. Worship should be something where we're offering a sacrifice to God and He will always respond to that. It should cost us something either in time, energy, or money and it needs to be spent on something eternal, like our relationship with God. We spent time doing some really cool, open worship in that we sang some African songs and did some dancing. What a fun experience! We also talked about different names of God and how we're called to be warrior princes and princesses for Christ.
We also celebrated Thanksgiving last Saturday. My mom lovingly sent me a box with the Publix pilgrims for the table along with holiday smelling candles. We did a full Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, yorkshire puddings (the English influence from our team), and real pumpkin pie. One of the guys from our DTS is from the U.S. and his mother gave me a gift of realy pumpkin puree so that our team could get the true Thanksgiving experience. A good friend, Rachel, who's studying in London, also got to come up to celebrate with us. Lots of fun had by all!
This week our speaker is talking about sin and the cross. His name is David Painting and he's just brought so many new ideas and revelation. He's told stories that are slightly embellished in that they have much more detail than the Bible gives, but it's made it so much more real and less than just a historical account. We've discussed how we were created so that God can love us and so that we can love Him. Everything is really back on relationship with God. God is love, therefore relationship is implied, relationship is based on choices, and since there are different outcomes from different choices, God must be a God of justice. We've discussed relationships being broken through sin, not only with other people, but our relationship with God being broken as a result of sinning. It's been just fascinating to hear things about sin and the cross from another perspective and I'm really looking forward to the remainder of the week.
Other than that, life is just grand. I'm loving Carlisle, even if it does rain almost everyday. Right now we're preparing for a large gathering here in Carlisle on December 9-10. Be praying for that please in that we'll have people from all over YWAM England staying for the night and going to a prayer meeting. We're finishing up 40 weeks of praying 24/7. All of YWAM England participated and so we're having a gathering to celebrate the end of that and figure out where the vision is for YWAM England next.
Also, please be praying for me as to what is coming next after DTS is finished. I'm praying and thinking about staying on as a staff member in Carlisle. There's an administration position open and I'd still be able to help out with the upcoming DTS and possibly go on outreach backpacking in China and the Philippines next year. It's obviously still in the works and the staff and I haven't talked details yet, but it's a possibility, so please be praying for that.
As always, pray for unity for the team and homesickness as the holiday season approaches and we grow closer and closer to leaving for South Africa.
Sunday, 12 November 2006
DTS Gathering
I realize that it's been awhile since you last heard from me and I just want to say that life here has been a little crazy. I've still been attending lectures and learning tons about the Father Heart of God this past week. We had a lecturer from Scotland this past week, Richard Mayers, who spoke on God as a Father. We delved into mostly matters of the heart and where we've had past hurts, sins, defining moments that have shaped the way that we respond to God. We had some very broken people who were really able to just sit in the presence of God and relax in Him. I think that it's been a time of my heart growing with God and really seeing that I have a heart of compassion for people who are lost, broken-hearted, and in need of healing.
The week before, from October 29th- November 4th, we were at a DTS gathering in Harpenden, England. All of the current DTS students from England and Ireland gathered at the YWAM base in Harpenden for a week of teaching and learning how to better evangelize. We had a great time and definitely had fun getting to know people from different DTS'. We were all happy though to return back to Carlisle. We had some amazing speakers, Daniel Shannon from Kona, Hawaii; Stuart Lees from London; and Lynn Green, who's part of the national committee for YWAM. Daniel Shannon is only about 24 and God is doing amazing things in his life and he shared about doing evangelism. It was so exciting to hear what God is doing when people make themselves available to God. When we have an air of expectancy that God is going to move and do work, then we are so much more available to him actually working. We went into Luton, Bury Park, which is the predominately Muslim area of town to do evangelism on Thursday. It was incredibly difficult because we hadn't established relationships with the people there. Suzie and I talked to a woman from Bangladesh, Shepa, in a store and just got to really show that we cared about her. We didn't evangelize directly, but I think that we were able to minister to her heart. Bury Park is in such a state of spiritual bondage, so we spent the remaining two hours walking around and praying for the area. It was crazy.
I think that at this point in time, God is really calling me to draw closer to Him. That He's really been saying that in the future it's just going to be me and Him together, so I really need to put my trust in Him completely. I really feel that He's calling me to work with unreached people and that I just need to be in complete obedience to Him. After listening to Gina Fadley, one of the speakers this week, talk on the School of Foreign Missions with YWAM, I'm not sure about the next step, but it'll probably involve much more time overseas. Obviously I'll be praying about it and waiting on God, but it's basically 3 months of training and 2 years doing outreach. They do church planting in China and missions all over the place.
I'm also reading Loren Cunningham's book on faith and finances. It's been so eye-opening and has really convicted me on trusting God with everything.
The week before, from October 29th- November 4th, we were at a DTS gathering in Harpenden, England. All of the current DTS students from England and Ireland gathered at the YWAM base in Harpenden for a week of teaching and learning how to better evangelize. We had a great time and definitely had fun getting to know people from different DTS'. We were all happy though to return back to Carlisle. We had some amazing speakers, Daniel Shannon from Kona, Hawaii; Stuart Lees from London; and Lynn Green, who's part of the national committee for YWAM. Daniel Shannon is only about 24 and God is doing amazing things in his life and he shared about doing evangelism. It was so exciting to hear what God is doing when people make themselves available to God. When we have an air of expectancy that God is going to move and do work, then we are so much more available to him actually working. We went into Luton, Bury Park, which is the predominately Muslim area of town to do evangelism on Thursday. It was incredibly difficult because we hadn't established relationships with the people there. Suzie and I talked to a woman from Bangladesh, Shepa, in a store and just got to really show that we cared about her. We didn't evangelize directly, but I think that we were able to minister to her heart. Bury Park is in such a state of spiritual bondage, so we spent the remaining two hours walking around and praying for the area. It was crazy.
I think that at this point in time, God is really calling me to draw closer to Him. That He's really been saying that in the future it's just going to be me and Him together, so I really need to put my trust in Him completely. I really feel that He's calling me to work with unreached people and that I just need to be in complete obedience to Him. After listening to Gina Fadley, one of the speakers this week, talk on the School of Foreign Missions with YWAM, I'm not sure about the next step, but it'll probably involve much more time overseas. Obviously I'll be praying about it and waiting on God, but it's basically 3 months of training and 2 years doing outreach. They do church planting in China and missions all over the place.
I'm also reading Loren Cunningham's book on faith and finances. It's been so eye-opening and has really convicted me on trusting God with everything.
Thursday, 19 October 2006
Two weeks!
In the almost two weeks that I've been here, I've definitely seen God moving in my life. I'll try to make this somewhat brief, but bear with me. We had orientation last week, so during our lectures we talked about living together, accountability, dealing with conflict, lots of really good topics. We have time for small groups and we're doing something called accountability triplets, where we pray with two other people on Thursdays while we're fasting during lunch. We have worship time in the mornings and we're learning how to tell our testimonies so that we can do some evangelism on the street. My group went out to the Carlisle town center on Tuesday and we spoke with four people about Jesus. It was more just listening to them, but that was ministry in itself.
We have a regular speaker during the week that stays in the house with us and this week is Katherine from South Africa. She's been talking about the Nature of God, Personal God, and Characteristics of God. It's been awesome and she's been praying for us individually as well and sharing words from God's heart to ours during lecture time. It's been really encouraging.
Last week we bought our plane tickets to South Africa. We'll be leaving on January 15th from Manchester and I'll be returning to Manchester on March 22nd with 3 other people. I'll be staying in South Africa for about 4 extra days.
Our team is meshing together really well and sometime soon I hope to have pictures to send so that you'll have a visual of the people you're praying for.
Last night we had an outreach prep meeting to just talk about the different things we'll be doing in South Africa. It turns out that there are two different outreaches. One doing the Garden Route, which follows a particular path along the coast of SA and will be doing evangelism to the people along the way, in townships, hospitals, through churches and different mission groups. It'll be backpacking and we'd spend no more than 10 days in each town on the way from Cape Town to Jeffrey's Bay. The other option is to stay in Cape Town for 4 weeks doing ministry in local schools, orphanages, food drives, and door to door evangelism. Then four weeks in Jeffrey's Bay working at a home for street children and AIDS orphans. There'd also be the opportunity to teach children and spend more time creating relationships with the locals. So we were asked to pray about it for 15 minutes to listen to God and help us decide where He is leading us for the outreach. I really felt that God was impressing upon my heart to do the Cape Town and Jeffrey's Bay outreach (not the backpacking). I'm pretty certain that that's the one in my heart. It's somewhat what I've been trained to do in that we'd spend a lot of time working with kids and teaching and I think that I would love it. If we need to change up the teams, there's the possibility of me being moved to the other team, but I'm pretty certain that I'll stay on that outreach team.
That's the most recent news. It rained the entire walk to the Graco this morning and it's quite cold of course. I'm settling in better and spending more time by myself to just process and think. I can't imagine being anywhere else right now. And although there are times when my heart aches to be at home, for the most part, it's been really good. Let me know how I can be praying for you.
Thanks to those who've written me back or sent me mail. It's been amazing.
Love you all!
We have a regular speaker during the week that stays in the house with us and this week is Katherine from South Africa. She's been talking about the Nature of God, Personal God, and Characteristics of God. It's been awesome and she's been praying for us individually as well and sharing words from God's heart to ours during lecture time. It's been really encouraging.
Last week we bought our plane tickets to South Africa. We'll be leaving on January 15th from Manchester and I'll be returning to Manchester on March 22nd with 3 other people. I'll be staying in South Africa for about 4 extra days.
Our team is meshing together really well and sometime soon I hope to have pictures to send so that you'll have a visual of the people you're praying for.
Last night we had an outreach prep meeting to just talk about the different things we'll be doing in South Africa. It turns out that there are two different outreaches. One doing the Garden Route, which follows a particular path along the coast of SA and will be doing evangelism to the people along the way, in townships, hospitals, through churches and different mission groups. It'll be backpacking and we'd spend no more than 10 days in each town on the way from Cape Town to Jeffrey's Bay. The other option is to stay in Cape Town for 4 weeks doing ministry in local schools, orphanages, food drives, and door to door evangelism. Then four weeks in Jeffrey's Bay working at a home for street children and AIDS orphans. There'd also be the opportunity to teach children and spend more time creating relationships with the locals. So we were asked to pray about it for 15 minutes to listen to God and help us decide where He is leading us for the outreach. I really felt that God was impressing upon my heart to do the Cape Town and Jeffrey's Bay outreach (not the backpacking). I'm pretty certain that that's the one in my heart. It's somewhat what I've been trained to do in that we'd spend a lot of time working with kids and teaching and I think that I would love it. If we need to change up the teams, there's the possibility of me being moved to the other team, but I'm pretty certain that I'll stay on that outreach team.
That's the most recent news. It rained the entire walk to the Graco this morning and it's quite cold of course. I'm settling in better and spending more time by myself to just process and think. I can't imagine being anywhere else right now. And although there are times when my heart aches to be at home, for the most part, it's been really good. Let me know how I can be praying for you.
Thanks to those who've written me back or sent me mail. It's been amazing.
Love you all!
Carlisle Castle
Carlisle Cathedral
Our House at 205 Warwick Rd.
Not our house, but a pretty one on Warwick Rd.
Monday, 9 October 2006
Carlisle, Cumbria
I've successfully made it into Carlisle after a 6 hour train ride from London on Saturday. When I arrived in Carlisle it was raining a bit and there were police all over the train station because a football (soccer) match had just been let out across the street. It was ridiculous how busy and crazy it was with police dogs and many men in bright yellow vests. We're staying in a house that is 3 stories. The lounge/living room, dining room, and kitchen are on the first floor. The bedrooms, toilets (bathrooms), guest rooms, prayer room, and closets are on the 2nd and 3rd floors. There are two girls' rooms with 4 in one room and possibly 6 in the other, but one girl might not be coming. I'm in the room with 6, but we've been okay so far with storage and all that. There are only 2 guys in our DTS and two more live in the house and are doing a BLS . There will be a total of 10 girls and 2 guys, but we're still waiting on 2 girls to arrive this week. I'm one of three Americans. I still love British accents and I'm learning tons about proper English that we obviously don't speak in the U.S. We started lectures today, but it's more of an introduction than anything else. I'm on clean-up duty for the next two weeks following lunch and dinner (or tea as some call it). It's been sunny both yesterday and today, absolutely lovely weather.
The address that you'll need to send mail/packages to is as follows:
205 Warwick Rd.
Carlisle
CA1 1LH
Cumbria
Like I said, I love mail, so get sending. Missing you all. Having a blast.
The address that you'll need to send mail/packages to is as follows:
205 Warwick Rd.
Carlisle
CA1 1LH
Cumbria
Like I said, I love mail, so get sending. Missing you all. Having a blast.
Friday, 6 October 2006
Jolly Old England
Hello from Jolly Old England!I've made it here successfully and I'm in Rachel's flat in London. I had an uneventful flight yesterday from Jacksonville to Charlotte, with no one in the middle seat, so I definitely had some extra room. After a 4 hour layover in the Charlotte airport, I boarded the plane for London Gatwick. There was only one crying baby on board and even then she only cried very occasionally. Once again, I didn't have anyone sitting directly next to me in the row of four middle seats. Lots of space meant more opportunity for sleep, so I managed about 5 hours on the plane. Amazingness! My biggest worry was going through customs and luckily they decided that I am allowed to stay in the country, so I have a visa in my passport for 6 months. Grabbed my luggage, took the Gatwick Express train to Victoria Station and met up with Rachel. What a joy to see her smiling face after traveling alone for 18 hours! We took the tube back to her flat and I'll be staying with her until tomorrow, when I take the train to Carlisle. I can't believe that the adventure has started already. It still seems pretty surreal, but I'm loving it and I know that God has some awesome plans! Love you, love you, love you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
