DTS Graduation

Last Friday night, I celebrated with my family here at YWAM as I saw six amazing people end one journey and step into another. As I reflect on the transforming work of the power and truth of God in each of their lives, I'm reminded that giving my life to this is worth it. God's calling out full and abundant life in His children is worth every tear I shed over missing home or my old life. He is so worthy. His work testifies to His great worth. Word cannot describe the victory, transformation, redemption, healing, and restoration I saw God do in these lives. It has been a beautiful journey, and I'm humbled and honored that He allowed me to walk it. I know they will go on to be world changers. I can't wait to hear their stories. Thanks for making a way for me to do this. I love it, and I love you all.

the students (plus amy) at their graduation dinner

pretty stellar guys, matt (from london) and addison (from georgia)

my girls- drew (from california) and sarah (from ireland)

Stories from Sudan...

The entire team (6 DTS students and 3 staff leaders)

Addison loving on some kiddos

Drew... such a mercy heart...

Last week, the DTS which I staffed from January to April got back from their 3 month outreach in Sudan. It was a week filled with excitement, joy, and celebrating the power of the great God who we serve! The team could not stop telling stories of God’s wonders and miracles, and we could not stop inclining our ears to listen. The stories they came back with of the things that they saw are incredible. In hearing these, I was just compelled to worship. It is the only appropriate response to God’s goodness! I wanted to share some of their stories with you here. Thank you all so much for praying and journeying with the team. These are your stories to celebrate as well, stories of God’s kingdom coming to earth...

The outreach team, composed of six students and three staff, started at the YWAM base in Sudan. There were some building projects going on at the base, and two of the DTS guys were able to make friends with a group of builders who were working there. The men were from Uganda and didn’t go to church, mostly because the churches in Sudan are in Arabic, and they couldn’t understand. The guys started having church with the builder’s outside their dorm room. One of them became a believer in Jesus and received healing for a leg injury as well.

The team was able to go to a remote village and do seminars for the pastors on discipleship. This is so important because in Africa the church is about a mile wide and an inch deep. They were amazed at how much they had to share and to teach to these pastors. They also got to do seminars with the women and with the youth, where each of them spoke. They saw many women delivered from oppression and finding healing and freedom.

One thing the team loved was “hut to hut” evangelism. One of their visits going hut to hut resulted in a witch doctor surrendering his life to the Lord and his whole family coming to Christ! The team rejoiced and celebrated this in a unique form of worship. The man gave up all his idols and things used to practice witchcraft to be burned. They danced around the fire, worshipping and singing praise to the Living God!

A couple weeks into their time in Sudan, the team got to go on outreach within their outreach. They packed 14 people into a landcruiser (inside and out) and drove 18 hours to get to an unreached people group that had never seen white people before. When they arrived, the kids ran away at the sight of outsiders. But the chief reassured them that it was okay. They learned that this people group is known as the forgotten people. They are rejected by everyone around them and seen as the fringe of society. Their water was almost black, with goats drinking out of the same water source. The team was able to share the gospel with them about a God who remembers them and has not rejected them, who chooses them. The team said that everyone they prayed for in that people group was healed .They saw three blind men have their sight restored there and a woman who was healed of typhoid and malaria!

Two men accepted Jesus and became the very first two believers in that people group! Glory be to God! This is amazing news, but it is also sad. Because no one goes to them, there is no one for discipleship for these men. They were begging for someone to come to start a church, but there is no one. Please pray that people will respond to God’s call to go to these forgotten people.

The team finished their outreach doing children’s ministry with Iris ministries back near the base. They were also able to speak at a prison, sharing God’s message of salvation and seeing an eager response to receive the gospel there.

Incredible stories, huh? It blows my mind how desperate God is to reveal Himself in the world. He is just waiting for yielded people willing to take His good news to those who are in need of it. When we obey, He will meet us and respond! Thank you for praying. I hope you find yourself where I did, in worship in response to this amazing report.

Showering babies....

Yesterday some friends and I threw a baby shower for a dear friend on staff here at YWAM. Here are some pictures, with crafty ideas dispersed. Hope you enjoy and maybe even get inspired. :)

Another friend and I planned the cutest craft for the shower... sewing different fabrics/ patterns onto baby onsies, tanks, and bibs. Check out the results... they turned out so cute!

me and the gorgeous mother to be :)

the crafty little card I made for renae/ baby Jack

And... to complete the domestic theme... I made chess squares. Oddly enough, most non-Southerners hadn't heard of these. So easy to make, just don't tell anyone what is in them. :)

Community Development?

“When in the name of Christian missions we do for indigenous believers what they can do themselves, we undermine the very church that God has sent us to plant.” -Steve Saint, The Great Omission

This week in the SOSM, we have been thinking about the topic of community development. Here's something I wrote up reflecting some of our discussion and ideas surrounding this topic:

Many times the good intentions of our Western churches can actually end up doing more harm than good. For example, we can donate heaps of clothes to the poor and the needy. But have we thought thorough the implications of our benevolence? What happens when the only real industry supporting the economy is handmade clothing? We have killed their economy through our supposed generosity.

We have to take time to find out the needs of the community where we are serving, and work with them in inter-dependence. We cannot come in paternalism, thinking we know what is best. Rather, we must work with the community to discover the real need. We are not the only ones who have something to offer. No community is at “zero”; rather, each community has skills and strengths of its own. When we think we are the only ones who have something to give, we rob people of the blessing of giving. Even worse, we rob them of their dignity and perpetuate the lie that they can’t help themselves.

In Steve Saint’s book The Great Omission he says, “When in the name of Christian missions we do for indigenous believers what they can do themselves, we undermine the very church that God has sent us to plant.” Development has to be internal. It must be their idea. If we come and build a road that they don’t want or think they need, they will not maintain it. If we donate a tractor that we have paid for and haven’t taught them to fix, they will think we are the only ones able to fix it when it breaks. We must involve people as much as possible, giving them ownership, responsibility, and a sense of dignity.

If we involve the people we are serving and include them, we will see growth and multiplication in terms of development. Doing something for someone is quick and easy, but it stops with you. Teaching someone takes time, but the fruit far outlasts the teacher. We must train trainers, even if it costs us more. We cannot afford to see our efforts wasted because we misunderstood what helping meant.

A trip to the mountains...

This past weekend, I was blessed to spend two day in Katoomba, which is in the Blue Mountains (3 hours north of here and a bit inland). God's creation is astounding. Being there was so refreshing, just what I needed after weeks of busyness and life on speed dial. Weekends like that remind me just how much we need to take time to rest, process, and just be still. Here are some pictures of my time there...

In front of the Three Sisters, famous rock formation in the Blue Mountains

With Raquel and Tara in front of a waterfall before the rest of our waterfall hike. :)

After getting to the bottom of the Giant Stairway (900 steps) and about to climb back up again!

a little light...

Last night I went to city with some friends from church and from YWAM to see Sydney all lit up. "Vivid Sydney," Sydney's light festival was pretty incredible. It's not every day you see this...

Sydney opera house by day. If you think this is cool, wait until you see...

THIS! Psychedelic, all lit up, opera house!

pretty amazing, huh?

They also lit up other buildings. This one was the best.

I thought you'd enjoy those... just a little glimpse into what I'm up to this weekend. :)