Our world's population hit 7 billion people in October, for me November's numbers went something like this...
*Preparing to send 36people on outreach to Asia *a 2 hour waterfall hike with 13amazing staff and 1crazy dog *12 staff meetings, 12 worship sets, 40 hours of lecture *1 day of prayer and fasting for provision for outreach *2 dinner parties at our casa, cramming 16 people into our living/dinning room for a staff feast *1 mind blowing, extremely challenging week with Rick Thompson on comparative world views *1 week of study on missions and outreach prep with Dave Hewitt *1 rocking week with Amy Sollars teaching on the Holy Spirit *1very refreshing week of teaching and ministry of spiritual warfare from freedom ministries and Keith Martins.
I've laughed, I've cried, I've been challenged and I've even been wrong. I know that is hard for some of you to believe, but it's true, I've been wrong. I was wrong about how hard I thought leading the DTS would be. When I said yes to leading the DTS for the foreseeable future it was primarily because that's what I knew the Lord was calling us to do. As I thought about everything the role would entail I was thinking more about the responsibility of leading 100 or so 20 year olds into over seas missions then I was thinking about the joy of it. I thought of the dollars we would have to raise and the late nights spent having long talks with staff and students. I thought of the difficult students and the possible strain it would put on our new marriage. A mingling of fears and reality made me hesitant to be over excited about our new role.
What I didn't know is that I would enjoy the job so much! My eyes have been opened to the massive need for Discipleship Training Schools in our world. It has been so fun to see our students lives get totally rocked by the Lord these last few months. God does it through the lectures and the one on one time with the staff. Our students are stretched to the max but what I have found out is that this generation really does want truth and holiness. In fact they are hungry for hope. I have been challenged to do our very best at presenting truth to this generation in a loving environment where they can grow. Chris and I are so blessed to be leading the DTS in Honolulu. I can't imagine anything else I would rather be doing with my life then this!
DTS Staff
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
October Has Rocked!
To most people October signifies the changing of leaves, colder weather and halloween, to me it meant...
31 days, 6 Flights, 5 YWAM Bases, 2 boarder crossings, 1 giant financial miracle and a "new to us" car.
Kauai DTS
Josh & Will, Fearless Staff
The Lovely Base Director Raquel, and Cary
I have been insanely blessed. This month started out with a teaching assignment in the Kauai DTS. I did my best at imparting a passion for Gods word into DTS students. It was amazing to see the faithfulness of God to the pioneering team sent out from YWAM Honolulu to the neighboring island of Kauai in Jan 2010. After spending the summer praying and wondering where they will hold the DTS, God surprised the team with what has to be one of the most beautiful locations on earth. The property is located where a gorgeous river feeds into the ocean. The buildings were in need of a lot of help when the YWAMers got there, but it was equipped with a chapel, cafeteria, a girls house and a boys house and even land for an awesome garden. Watch the video below if you want to see an entertaining YouTube of all the hard work which was required to make the DTS a success even before the students arrived.
The following week I jumped on a plane with my husband and 34 other YWAMers to go to the big island to join in corporate week with the 500 DTS staff and students. Darleen and Loren Cunningham (YWAMs founders) were our main speakers, what a privilege! To sit under teaching from a man and woman who have changed the world by their lives through love and faith in God to do the impossible and to hear them still dreaming for the future, it was inspiring to say the least!
Worshiping with 800 people in Kona
Will, Raquel, Chris, Cary, Andrew
Volcano Day
Getting blasted by steam vents
Staff and Students waiting to hear Darleen share!
Living on the edge
While I was in Kona I sent an email out to some friends and family
letting people know of our financial needs. At that point we were behind
in staff fees and clueless about where the money would come from. I
got very convicted about trying to rely on "miraculous provision"
instead of "relationship based support", so reluctantly I let our needs
be known. I had been struggling with the feeling of abandonment and
the truth was I had been trying to do ministry on my own. The response I
received was very encouraging. We had a handful of people respond to
our needs in monthly pledges, this is extremely encouraging to me, so
thank you those of you who responded!
The most exciting thing that came out of that email was an answer to prayer that has been in the works for at least 3 years. 3 years ago I confessed to our YWAM staff that I had gotten myself in credit card debt to the tune of about 4 thousand dollars, it was mostly through very stupid decisions and lack of discipline in waiting for Gods timing for plane tickets and that sort of thing. After confessing my debt, (which I honestly believe was sin because Gods word warns about debt) the weight of the burden it had over me disappeared. I felt free from the weight of it, yet somehow it did not disappear right then, huh.... God wanted me to learn discipline with money. For the last 3 years I have been making the minimum payment on that credit card as well as learning the discipline of tithing and trying to save when possible and NEVER using credit! One week ago I opened the mail and literally almost fell over when I saw a check which was enough to cover ALL of our debts, both present from our staff fees and the credit card which ad been haunting me from my past. God is such a good Father who both teaches us and provides for us in His timing! In fact the very same day that our debts were paid, we were given a used car, how crazy is that?
I am sitting on a plane as I write this, headed back from a week spent in Mexico and LA. My dad who has never left the country got a passport to venture south of the border with me as I taught in a Biblical Core Course in Ensenada. It is so fun to study Gods word with people from many differing back grounds. I was so honored and blessed to see the school thriving under Tammy and Eddy Villavicencio. They were students in a the first BCC in Ensenada which I got to staff 2 years ago. I love to see Gods multiplication at work.
Our New Ride
Chris has been faithfully holding down the fort in Honolulu, where we have been working with the DTS. Chris is very appreciated by our staff and students as they all know he loves them but won't put up with their nonsense and isn't afraid of telling them the truth. This is a rare quality and everyone is very blessed by Chris's leadership.
