Summer.

I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

Matthew 25:40

I realize that it has been quite the long time since I have updated this with anything of real substance and for that I apologize.  A lot has happened over these last few months and there is still more to come. I'll give just a brief recap of what my life has been like recently...

~ I co-led a team to Newcastle and Manchester for 8 weeks where we were able to be involved in all sorts of different things from renovating a house, volunteering at an international students cafe, being involved in many sports/football ministries, creative evangelism, gardening, leading church services, passing out water bottles at 1AM, and so much more.  It really was such an incredible time.  As it turns out, leading an outreach team is hard work but I had such a great team around me and I know that God has really done so much not just in my own life but the lives of all those on my team and the people we were able to work with and meet.  There may not have been a whole lot of getting to see all the fruits of our labor but it's just about knowing and trusting in what God brought us there to do and that what we did really made a difference.

~ We came back to the base for a week of debrief as well as preparing for the first of several big events here on the base called Circuit Riders.  This was an intense 2 weeks of teaching and evangelism with 200 people from all over.  There was so much passion and excitement in all the people that came for the simple purpose of telling people about Jesus.  This was a very interesting 2 weeks for me as it was definitely not something that I was used to and really challenged me in what I really believe in and why.  It has begun to change the way I think and what my motives really are in what I'm doing.  It really has taught me to think of my relationship with God in a new way.  Things have been so busy and my head has been going a million miles an hour it seems so that relationship fell a bit.  During this, I really was able to see more of who God is and what this relationship with Him could look like.  Because that's what it's all about, it's about relationship with God and living out of that.  I'm still learning.

~ ALL HANDS ON DECK.  These days consisted of the entire base community coming together setting up a whole lot of tents in the back field, putting up giant blow up marquees (what an adventure), cleaning toilets and showers, wearing bright green vests directing people where to park and so much more work around the base to accommodate a crazy number of people over the summer.

The next week long event to be hosted here was called Go 4 Glory which focused on using arts and sports in evangelism.  So that meant a lot of creativity - dance, art, sport - on the oval as well as 200 people.  The DAY they all left, another group of over 400 people descended on the oval for the first of the Olympic outreaches.  This meant cleaning, and more cleaning and more setting up of lots of chairs and registration and all that.  These are all people who are going to be going into London for the time of the Olympics to do outreach with churches in London and other events.  The people here on the base have been working so hard to make all of this happen and they have done it with incredible joy.  It's been amazing to see it all happen.  And this is just the beginning.

Which brings me to now.  Tomorrow - Friday, June 27 - The Opening Ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games is happening.  Oh, and I'll be in London for that.  I am going with a team into East London, just 30 minutes away from the Olympic Village, to work with a church which is doing some amazing things in the area.  We had a prayer time about it and we felt that God really wants us to just bring so much life to this place.  I'm so excited to go and I'm so excited to see what God does.

One of the biggest things that God has been speaking to me about in these last couple weeks has been simply about His love.  I have such a greater desire to really know that love; to know that love that changes hearts.  It is out of knowing this love that I can do what He asks me to do and it is out of this love that people can change and have the love and joy and life that God wants all of us to know.  I realized on the first 8 weeks of outreach that I am capable of absolutely nothing on my own.  But it is knowing this and trusting in God's strength that makes me capable.  It is about ceasing striving and just being knowing that I am loved and that God delights in me.  Simplicity.

So that's what's been going on!  I know that's only a small glimpse of things but I hope it suffices for you.


* Pictures were not my own.

Bear Grylls and the Olympic Torch

Yep.  I was part of that crowd cheering.

Wellies in Wales

Welp.  Outreach is well underway.

1 May - We were all packed up and 35 of us piled onto a double-decker MegaBus in London to make our way up to Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.  After a few hours of enjoying the UNUSUAL UK sunshine, we walked with our luggage on our backs to one of the churches were would be staying at to meet the people we would be working with as well as having a time of worship and expectation for the days to come.  At this point, we were still a bit unsure as to what exactly our role would be in this big event know as Ignite Hope 2012 but we soon found out and the excitement grew.

In a nutshell - This long weekend event was a gathering of youth groups from different areas of south Wales to come together to learn more about Jesus (some for the first time) and spread His hope and love to different communities.

First order of business for our group, as well as another group from Colorado (can we say collision of 2 worlds?) to help set up meeting tents as well as the biggest tent I have ever set up.  Though come to think of it, I've never actually set up a tent before...but it was big.  So our first 2 days consisted of unloading trucks, walking through mud (wellies are the best investment I've made to date...ok that might be an exaggeration but they were well appreciated), shoveling wheel barrowing wood chips, tea breaks, setting up tents, blow up castles and trampolines.

The rest of the weekend, we were able to take part in the amazing worship and teachings as well as working around the site running the bounce castles and such for the community.  Each morning the youth groups would come to the tent for worship then go out to bless the communities.  While they were out we stayed at the site for open family fun days for anyone around to come.  Every evening started with playing outside, then worship and a message by some amazing guest speakers and time for anyone to give their lives to Jesus.  After which, it was back outside for more fun and games and mud.  It was definitely long hours and extremely muddy conditions but again, wellies solved that one real quick.

This also helped with the long hours...

After the event came the tear down of everything, in the rain, and mud and more mud.

I really loved this week and it was so great to start outreach with all of us as a whole DTS serving together.  I loved getting to see everyone in such a different environment outside the comforts of the Oval and live out what lectures have taught us.  Although it did make splitting up a little bitter sweet.

The Newcastle and Manchester team

But now we are all in our 3 respective teams and I am currently here in Greater Manchester working with different churches in the surrounding area of Manchester serving where we can.  More on that as time goes on.  But things are shaping up and there are a lot of opportunities for us to be plugged into which is awesome.

It has definitely been a challenge being on the other side of outreach as a leader.  It turns out, there's a lot more responsibility when one is on staff.  But I really do love it.  I am learning so much and I'm excited to continue to desperately seek God in everything I do because if that doesn't happen, well then outreach doesn't happen.

So please keep us in your prayers as we go out.

ALSO!! If you want to keep track of what we get up to and stories of what God is doing, check out our outreach team's blog.  We will try to update it regularly. - http://manchesternewcastle.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Ready, Set, Wales.

Welp, outreach begins tomorrow.

We will board a train into London to get on a bus that will take us to our first destination of outreach:

Cardiff, Wales.

Followed by 3 weeks in Manchester, 2 weeks in Newcastle Upon Tyne, then another week in Manchester to finish it off.

It's so crazy to think that I am here helping to lead an outreach team.  I never thought I would be doing something like this.  I'm nervous, maybe a little stressed, but I know I can do it and it's going to be great.

So feel free to keep me and my team (as well as the other 2 teams) in your prayers.

More info to come on what we will be doing and all that.

   

'Do You Know What We Did Today?'

Do you know what we did today?

That was the phrase of the day.  Well, the one day...

I had the chance to go to Liverpool recently.  That's correct.  I had a week that I was able to take some time off so I decided to go to Liverpool to spend some time on The Next Wave.  It's basically a mobile YWAM base.  This ship is twinned with YWAM Harpenden and it is used as an outreach center and YWAM training facility.  It sails all across Europe and the Mediterranean for Evangelism, Training and Mercy ministries.  It has been docked in Liverpool for the last little while.

So I got to spend a few days just hanging out on the boat with the other crew, staff and the current School of Evangelism (SOE for those familiar with the endless amount of YWAM acronyms) that was taking place while I was there.  But before I go into that, here's a little story for you:

One of these days, 4 of us - Oz, Luke, Phoebe, and myself - decided to take a little trip up to the Lake District to have a picnic.

Pretty sweet.

It was then decided, why not go to Scotland?  

OK.

So we kept driving and a few hours and a few stops on the side of the motorway later...

We saw lots of sheep, open fields, and wooly cows. 

We finally made it to Edinburgh.

Some of our conversations went like this:

"Do you know what we did today?"

'No, what?'

"Well, we left from Liverpool and drove to the Lake District for lunch.  Then we decided to keep driving so we came all the way up here to Edinburgh.  And now we are going to go back to Liverpool tonight."

'Wow.'

"I know."

We explored a bit, had a delicious dinner (I had some haggis), watched the sunset a bit over the castle then began the long journey back to Liverpool.  It was a good day.

So, back to the Next Wave in Liverpool.

As stated above, I got to just spend time and relax and rest on the boat and explore Liverpool a bit.  This meant relaxing, having really good conversations, and lots of time spent at Costa Coffee and Waterstone just reading my book.  My book of choice being "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close".  (That was 326 pages of good reading).  

It also meant getting to climb this:

Yep, that's me on top.  It was neat.

Also some slacklining:

This week I was really challenged in my thinking simply by just being there and resting and talking to the people there.  I was challenged in my thinking of what it means to be a leader and the areas that I want to and can grow in and what that can look like.  But I think that biggest thing that I was challenged and encouraged with was simply TO DREAM.  I've never been one to dream.  I've never been one to have an answer to the question of, what do you want to do with the rest of your life, what do you love to do, where do you see yourself in 5 years, etc.  So when I was posed with the statement - I want you to dream - I was filled with such excitement that I made a long list of all the things I want to do in my life, big and small.  These things are already being fulfilled and I'm excited for more of that.  I'm excited for what God has for me and the places He wants and is going to take me if I am willing.  There are so many things I want to do and the fact that I can actually do those things is so exciting.  

I love being in this place of being excited for the possibility and potential of what could be.

Overall, I had such a great week of rest and refreshment.  It was so great to be in such a new environment with new amazing people and feel so at ease and welcomed and relaxed.  I hope that's not the last time I get to be on that ship.  

It's on my list.

    

Deeper Still Pt. 2

Come be the fire inside of me

Come be the flame upon my heart

Come be the fire inside of me

Until You and I are one.

I've heard this chorus before.  Plenty of times.  It's a good song.  

Upon hearing it once last week, something came to mind:

That this was why God was doing deeper.  

For so long, longer than I can care to remember, but more so since I've been here as staff, I have prayed that God would just go deeper.  I've been wanting to go deeper with God, deeper in myself and deeper with others.  It's something I've been praying and praying and praying but nothing ever came of it.  Things always seemed to stay comfortable on the surface.  I get to that familiar place and then I stop digging.  Not this time.  

Those prayers are being answered.

This is why God is going deeper.

I asked Him to.

And even though it hurts a lot more than I thought it would, this is why God is going deeper and this is what this song has to do with it:

In order for a flame to be a flame, it needs oxygen, it needs air.  Without that air, it can't breathe, it can't grow, it can't be a flame.  So if there is a fire inside of me, a flame upon my heart, that flame needs to be breathed on.  But no air can get through with so many walls around it.  Going deeper, for me, is about breaking through these walls that have stopped me from going deeper in the past, stopped me from being free to be me, stopped me from finding and knowing and experiencing the joy that I've always seemed to have that couldn't be explained.

This is why God is going deeper.

To breathe on this flame.  

That is neat.

  

I Just Am

Be at rest once more, O my soul

for the Lord has been good to you.

Psalm 116:7

DTS GATHERING - COVENTRY, ENGLAND

What's a DTS Gathering, you ask?  Well, this was a literal gathering of over 150 DTS trainees and staff from across the UK and even from Italy, for a week of teaching and practicing evangelism.  There is a team based here at Harpenden called the Forever team which has been planning these gatherings over the last 2 years to take place at all of the different Olympic host cities.  Coventry is one of those.  There are several reasons for these gatherings - it gives the DTS trainees the opportunity to be put into a new setting and given the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned throughout the course of the DTS.  It is also simply to bless these cities and see the potential for more.

This is what remains of St. Michael's Cathedral which was bombed during the 2nd World War.

It was a week of sleeping on church floors (the girls were lucky, we had carpet), limited showering (I personally didn't shower for 8 days...), lots of new faces, being challenged in my thinking and my doing, and letting God love me then pouring that love out to others in new ways.

While I may not have incredible stories of the major impact I may or may not have left on someone's life (that might still remain to be seen), I have an incredible story of what God did in my life this week.  

The teachings were incredible and so live giving.  There was a lot of worship and prayer involved as well, which is always great.  I would say my view of evangelism has changed quite a bit.  I have always hated that word - evangelism - never a word I liked to use or even think about.  But when you look at evangelism as simply loving people and showing that you have found purpose in this life and they can too, it changes things.  We are called to love others and God has given us creativity to create new and different and meaningful ways of loving people.  Whether through going up and asking them if they want prayer to inviting people to come play football in the park to standing outside with a piece of cardboard declaring who you are and so much more.  

God has done a lot in me.  Each day I see more and more the hand that God has played in every aspect of my life from where I have lived, the people I have been surrounded by, the words God has spoken over me.  Everything.  God's timing is perfect and each place I go prepares me for the next.  I am continuing to see more of who God is and how I can live in the confidence and love that comes from Him.  I don't need to perform in order to be loved by this incredible God.  I just am.  This is the hope I have.

It has all led me to this place.

The last night of the Gathering we were having a celebration night full of worship, testimonies and declarations.  It was during this time that everything that had happened over the last 2 weeks collided in my head and it finally all moved to my heart.  I had a moment when I was almost in tears looking around at everyone in the room telling of who God is to them and surrendering all they are to Him and I was filled with so much love for God and for all these incredible people.  And it was in this moment that I think I discovered something:

God has brought me here to this place and I'm going to be here for a while.  I finally feel that this is where I'm supposed to be right now and this is what I'm meant to do with my life and I'm here to stay until God tells me to go somewhere else.  This is a big statement for me to make.  I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that my life could take me to this place.  I have learned so much in these last months here as staff and I have grown in areas that I never thought I would or even could grow in and it's all so new and challenging and exciting and good.  So good.  I can't wait to see what else God has in store for me.  I know it's gonna be good and far greater than I can imagine.  

This makes me smile.

     

Blessed To Be A Blessing

BLESSING WEEK - WREXHAM, WALES

This was my team that I had the opportunity to co-lead with one other staff member, Kyle.  This picture was taken on top of quite the large hill overlooking the Welsh town of Llangollen (Try pronouncing that one, it's not what you might think.)  It was our day off so we decided to head out to this little town and do some exploring.  At the top of this hill were castle ruins which we climbed all over.  It was lots of fun and it had such a beautiful view.

So this week was a chance for us as a DTS to split up to 9 different teams and go to different YWAM bases across the UK to bless those bases.  So I went to Wrexham in Wales.  After a long bus ride, we made it to this little city and walked to a house which was filled with only 4 staff and 2 DTS trainees - a bit of a drastic change from here at Harpenden, but a refreshing change.

We were able to join with them in a lot of things they were going to their lectures on the Holy Spirit, work duties, and other ministries they take part in.  It was such a great change of pace.  I was challenged and encouraged in so many areas of leadership which began showing me more of capabilities that I possess whether I believe it all the time or not.  I feel I was able to really step up and step out in this role I've been placed in and see that I can, in fact, do this.  

This was definitely a week of really letting God speak to me so much about who I am and who He has created me to be.  When you are open to what God has to say, whether to you or through you to someone else, it opens up your heart to so much more of who God is and who you are and what you can do and who you can be.  At least it did for me this week.  I was able to see more that I have such a huge capacity to love (along with a few other things) and that is something I really want to do no matter what it looks like - just love.

Although my foot had a little run in with a nail, the week was a complete success and we were most definitely blessed to be a blessing.

  

Words For Today Pt. 4

Mountains on the Ocean Floor
Andrew Peterson

.....
Nothing ever seems to change
But miles away beneath the waves

There are mountains
Mountains on the ocean floor
They're rising from the deep
But no one ever sees
No one ever sees

I can't believe I landed there
I swear I swore it off
I know that I can't stand it here
Still I came and took a fall

I wish that I could shake it
I wish that I was free
I wish that I was half the man
I wish that I could be

There are mountains
Mountains on the ocean floor
They're moving up so slow
No one ever knows
No one ever knows

Nothing ever seems to change
But miles beneath the waves
Down below the dirt
Hotter than a flame
In the belly of the earth
He has given you a Name

There are mountains
Mountains on the ocean floor
They're rising from the deep
Where no one ever sees

There are mountains
They're hidden there beneath the waves
They're moving up so slow
No one ever knows

There's a molten heart of stone
That is waiting to explode
Only God can see it grow.

Growth.

I realize that it has been quite a while since I have written a post with any substance in it and for that I apologize.  So that is what I'm attempting to do right now.  Get ready for some substance...

It's crazy to think that we are already heading into Week 7 of this DTS.  Time has flown by so quickly.  Now I know I most likely say this all the time, but there has been so much that has happened over these last 7 weeks that it's so hard to sum it all up so I need to get better at this...but here's just a brief little glimpse of some big things that have happened recently.

Ultimate Frisbee - This past Thursday I took part in the annual Staff Vs. Trainees Ultimate Frisbee game.  Last year I was on the trainee team and we went all out as you can see HERE.  So this year, I was so excited to be on the staff team.  I got up a little early, 6:45 AM, and walked outside with my frisbee in hand and it was such the perfect morning.  The sun was coming up and the weather was perfect.  This game was a bit different then last years due to the fact that not only was the trainee team made up of the January Impact UK DTS, but also the September DTS.  That's a lot of trainees.  It was such a great game and so much fun to see everyone out playing and having a good time.  Don't worry, as is the tradition - The staff were the victors.

Wales - In a few weeks, we will all be heading out on a mini-outreach.  We, the staff and trainees, have been split into 9 different teams to go out to a different YWAM base all across the UK simply to bless them in any way that we can.  I will be co-leading a team with one other staff member, Kyle, along with 3 trainees.  I'm sure you've deducted by this paragraph's title that I will be going to the YWAM base in Wrexham, Wales.  We will be with them for about 4 or 5 days just blessing them by doing practical work around their base, joining in with different ministries they are a part of, going around the city itself and probably a lot more.  I'm really excited for this opportunity and it will really be a great experience which will challenge me in so many areas.  

Click here if you want to check out the website for the base.

Prayer Room - This past week the base decided to have a week of 24/7 prayer.  Underneath the Chapel here there is a prayer room which is always open to go to anytime.  So people signed up for time slots to go and pray.  The theme for this week was HOPE.  So last night I went down there with 2 others to pray.  What's crazy about this is that we began at 2AM which came after a movie night and an amazing Oval dance party in the factory.  So I was already tired and not wanting to stay there for the whole 3 hours we had signed up for 2AM - 5AM.  But we were there and we prayed and just thanked God in so many ways for the things He has done in us through this past week.  I have developed a great love for my guitar, especially in times of prayer.  It was one of those moments that I won't forget of just seeing how God has prepared me and guided me and brought me to this place that I am now.  It was a time of really and genuinely inviting God to make His home in my heart.  I truly meant it this time and I felt that He was definitely in that room saying, "I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."  After that time, we decided that we just couldn't stay awake any longer and needed some sleep but we had absolutely no idea what time it was.  As we walked back to #9, we looked at the Clock Building and it was exactly 5AM.  We were down there for the exact amount of time we had signed up for without realizing it.  So great.

Freedom Week - Like I said above, these past 2 weeks have been so incredible for so many reasons.  I woke up yesterday morning and the first thought that came to my mind was - I feel different - and it's true.  Something has shifted, something has changed.  I knew that as staff I would learn and grow in so many different ways but I could never have seen this growth and change come in such a short time.  Last week we had teachings on what it really means to live the Spirit filled life.  This past week was what we call Freedom Week which is all about discovering so much more of who God is and who you are.  It is this week that we as staff divide into groups and have a time to pray for each individual trainee about their Original Design (who God has created them to be) and also pray through strongholds in their lives which hold them back from becoming who God wants them to be.  On my DTS, I was the one being prayed for (you can read about it HERE) and now, I was a part of the prayer teams.  It was so incredible to be able to pray for someone and hear from God who He has made them to be.  These last few weeks have been so great for these trainees and I can see the change beginning to happen in the group and it is such an encouragement and exciting to see where God is taking them.

I have just been able to see the way that God has been working in my heart these last few weeks and I absolutely love it.  I have been able to see and experience God in new ways and to see what it looks like to walk WITH Him each day.  I have been learning so much about truly trusting in the way that God speaks to me and really going so much deeper in my relationship with Him.  If there has been so much growth and change in my heart in just these few short weeks, I can't even imagine in what ways I will grow in the coming weeks.  It's incredible what happens when you finally open that door that God is patiently knocking on in your heart and allow Him to make His home there.  It is in that love that casts out all fear and brings life and life to the fullest.  It's hard to articulate what I'm feeling and where my heart is at right now but just know, it's good and God is doing so many exciting things in my life right now and I can't wait to see where He leads next.  I am in this for the long haul and it is through all these pieces getting put together which is creating this picture of who I can be.

I like this puzzle.

I hope that's enough substance for now.

Just know - God is good.