Today has been a day of reflection and preparation.
[Reflection] Today, I officially completed lecture phase of DTS. This may seem very small to some, but to me it is a milestone. What was supposed to be a three month journey of lecture phase for me, became six months. I failed my first lecture phase by one week. A choice I made had the potential of marking the course of the rest of my life. But of course, God in his goodness stood on my behalf and I was given a second chance.
It was a hard second chance none the less. Every morning, I had to wake up and make the conscious decision to not be prideful. Just because I had already done all of the lectures, did not make me any better, wiser, or more spiritual than anyone else. In fact, I probably learned more the second time around than the first. I had to make the decision to not compare my new DTS with my old. This was the hardest thing for me, and I did not do a great job at it always. Also, I had to decide to apply what I was learning this time, not to just learn it. There was a time when we were learning that humility was the most beautiful thing to God. I so badly wanted to be beautiful. But that meant walking in humility. That meant exposing something hidden in the dark. But I had to apply if i wanted to see progress. So I brought things into the light realizing that any consequence is worth it if it means I get to go deeper with God.
I also reflected today on just how thankful I am to God for the last six months of my life. The majority of my 2012 was spent here in Perth. I have had some amazing experiences, and met some incredible people here. I think relationships is the thing I am the most thankful for. Besides God showing me what it means to have a real relationship with him, He has shown me how to value others, and how to let others affirm and value me. The people I have met here are so amazing. They challenge me, love me, hold me accountable, pray for me, hug me, laugh with me, and demonstrate God's character to me. I have never met another group of people like this in my life. Talk about life-long friendships.
I am thankful for getting to be here in Perth an extra 3 months. God has confirmed my calling through this time. He has shown me His heart for the lost and the broken. But most importantly, he has shown me where I fit in his plan for the world. He has called me into missions. For how long? I am not sure. But I have committed my life to missions until He says move. I won't wait for him to tell me how long. I'll be in missions/ministry until I hear to do something else. With that said, I have turned down my enrollment to Berklee in September, and will be moving here to Perth, Australia for a bit of time to be apart of YWAM Perth staff. I will be able to use worship, music/performance, my heart for this generation, discipleship, and my love of Jesus to change the world. I am a world changer. Get ready.
God is so good. He is so faithful. He is so worth it. He is so gracious.
[Preparation] Tomorrow starts the next phase of my journey. Outreach. In less than 24 hours, I'll be on an airplane, almost five hours into a flight to Dubai with a final destination Mozambique, Africa. God has put me on a team of 11 others to go to Mozambique for six weeks. We haven't a ton of information on what we will be doing, but it will be a bit of orphanage ministry, evangelism, HIV/Aids help, diagnosing sight issues/giving out glasses, sports ministry, and simply loving on the people.
On February 11, we will journey back to Perth for a short day and then head down south four hours to a town called Busselton for five weeks where we will be going into high schools to teach seminars on peer abuse, substance abuse, value, families, etc.
I am so excited to see God move in these two different areas in the world. I am also excited to see how he stretches me and grows me as a leader during this time. For the whole three months I will be sleeping in a sleeping bag in a tent. Talk about intense [no pun intended.. but actually there was]. I also have the honor of being the worship leader for my team. I am so glad to have the opportunity to get back into my element there.
Please keep my team in your prayers as we head out. As you can imagine, this will be a physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging outreach. But God is good, hey?
Upon returning, my mom will arrive in Perth for two weeks where she will get to experience all that I have experienced in my nine months of training with YWAM. I am so so excited for this.
Seriously... I love God. He is so cool.
For now, I must finish packing.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
The Reason for the Season
Twas the night before Christmas and I am left speechless....
Generous. God is so generous.
This morning, my DTS met for prayer at 6:00 AM, like we do each Monday to pray for finances. I was hit with God's generosity. For instance, my DTS was able to raise over $40,000 for our outreaches to Asia and Africa. That's incredible! If you think about it, YWAM raises a lot of money per year. With about 12 different DTS's running each year, there is a need for a lot of finance. But the teams, always go on outreach. God always provides. He is so generous. He doesn't owe us anything, but instead, chooses to give to us.
And then it hit me, Christmas. -- The most generous thing God ever did was give up his only son for us. He let his son become not just a baby, but a fetus for me. That may seem a bit strange, but think about it. Atleast babies can cry and communicate to the world that they are hungry or something, but a fetus....? That's so hard for me to wrap my mind around. But he did it for me. He did it for you. He did it for us. The greatest part about it is that if I was the only person in the world with sin, he still would have sent Jesus.
There are a lot of lessons to be learned from that. God's goodness, his provision, his father-heart, and the fact that we are important to him. So good!
But now my lids are heavy... it's been such an eventful day. Taking in Aussie Christmas has been a bit of culture shock. From this week ranging from 94-104 degrees F, to having an Aussie Barby for christmas eve dinner, to stuffing stockings and watching others stuff the 300+ stockings hanging in one room, to having to Skype my mom just to say "merry christmas" -- things are just a bit different.
As I think back on Christmas at home, and what it would be like if I were there. Things would have been different then what I grew up with anyways. It is the second year without my dad for Christmas, so that changes things regardless. My brother Daniel has an almost-two-year-old daughter [the love of my life], and my other brother Philip lives in NYC. So things are a bit different anyways. But that's life. Seasons, changes, reasons to begin new traditions. Also, with change brings the need to press into God for strength, growth, and endurance. After all, He is the reason for the season right?
And that's exactly what it boils down to. It's not about traditions, it's not even about spending time with family. It's about Jesus and the gift that He is to us.
Generous. God is so generous.
This morning, my DTS met for prayer at 6:00 AM, like we do each Monday to pray for finances. I was hit with God's generosity. For instance, my DTS was able to raise over $40,000 for our outreaches to Asia and Africa. That's incredible! If you think about it, YWAM raises a lot of money per year. With about 12 different DTS's running each year, there is a need for a lot of finance. But the teams, always go on outreach. God always provides. He is so generous. He doesn't owe us anything, but instead, chooses to give to us.
And then it hit me, Christmas. -- The most generous thing God ever did was give up his only son for us. He let his son become not just a baby, but a fetus for me. That may seem a bit strange, but think about it. Atleast babies can cry and communicate to the world that they are hungry or something, but a fetus....? That's so hard for me to wrap my mind around. But he did it for me. He did it for you. He did it for us. The greatest part about it is that if I was the only person in the world with sin, he still would have sent Jesus.
There are a lot of lessons to be learned from that. God's goodness, his provision, his father-heart, and the fact that we are important to him. So good!
But now my lids are heavy... it's been such an eventful day. Taking in Aussie Christmas has been a bit of culture shock. From this week ranging from 94-104 degrees F, to having an Aussie Barby for christmas eve dinner, to stuffing stockings and watching others stuff the 300+ stockings hanging in one room, to having to Skype my mom just to say "merry christmas" -- things are just a bit different.
As I think back on Christmas at home, and what it would be like if I were there. Things would have been different then what I grew up with anyways. It is the second year without my dad for Christmas, so that changes things regardless. My brother Daniel has an almost-two-year-old daughter [the love of my life], and my other brother Philip lives in NYC. So things are a bit different anyways. But that's life. Seasons, changes, reasons to begin new traditions. Also, with change brings the need to press into God for strength, growth, and endurance. After all, He is the reason for the season right?
And that's exactly what it boils down to. It's not about traditions, it's not even about spending time with family. It's about Jesus and the gift that He is to us.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
I Am a Princess
My father loves me. My father challenges me. My father chose me. My Father is Jesus. My Father is a King. That makes me a Princess.
This is what we talked about last week. The Father Heart of God. And what a week it was for me. Challenging, painful at times, but refreshing.
As we were going through lectures with David Stephenson from YWAM New Castle, Australia, I felt like everything I was hearing was brand new. And that's because, in a sense, it was. Last quarter during music DTS, I purposely did not listen. That's bold, but true. I knew with a topic like Father Heart, I was going to have to face the fact that I don't have an earthly father; something I was no ready to deal with. Since then, God has worked on my heart, preparing me to have this topic again, preparing not only my ears, but my heart to listen as well.
Have you ever taken a second to ask God how he sees you? It may, or may not be one of the scariest things you ever do. Typically, if there is an area of sin in your life, than it's hard to believe that God sees us as His children. Children whom he loves. If that is the case, there is only one thing to do. Walk in humility... confess that sin, and be vulnerable. And that is the most beautiful thing to God; Humility & Vulnerability. Humility is seeing yourself as God sees you. Do you want to be beautiful to God? Cause I know I do. So it is a challenge to me.... to walk in humility.
The subject of God being our Father is so sunday school, but do we really believe it in our hearts? Do we live our lives in such a way that reflects that? As our Father, God desires that we claim Him as "Dad" -- " I myself said, 'How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me" [Jeremiah 3:19] Some of the saddest words I have ever read in the Bible..."I thought you would call me Father." To think that at times I don't claim God as my Father, when he desires us to. Because only HE can provide everything we need. Yes, we may have wonderful earthly fathers, but not perfect. But God is perfect.
These are just some of the things that God taught me over the week, and then it came time to application. Here is where more revelation come in. -- On Friday, we were supposed to address areas of hurt, or sin due to wrong views of the Father. I had several. First off, I realized that the reason I had not wanted to pay attention to other Father Heart-ish type things is because I felt that it meant I had to let go of my earthly Father and his death. Something I was not willing to do. But that is a wrong assumption, God does not replace our earthly fathers, He simply comes to show us perfect love. The Hurt.
There have been a few major disappointments in my life. Things that have evoked many emotions. God revealed to me this week that in the past, I have taken these disappointments, held on to the emotion, and acted out, instead of letting God come and minister his Father heart to me. When we have revealed truth like this come to our life, we are held responsible to apply it. Now that this has been revealed to me, I must apply it. Therefore, I know that when things in life come, and I face disappointment [which will continue to happen in life], I must press into God.
SO that is what God has been doing in my life. I am so passionate about this, and just had to share because I feel like it's something that many people need to hear!
Love you guys.
This is what we talked about last week. The Father Heart of God. And what a week it was for me. Challenging, painful at times, but refreshing.
As we were going through lectures with David Stephenson from YWAM New Castle, Australia, I felt like everything I was hearing was brand new. And that's because, in a sense, it was. Last quarter during music DTS, I purposely did not listen. That's bold, but true. I knew with a topic like Father Heart, I was going to have to face the fact that I don't have an earthly father; something I was no ready to deal with. Since then, God has worked on my heart, preparing me to have this topic again, preparing not only my ears, but my heart to listen as well.
Have you ever taken a second to ask God how he sees you? It may, or may not be one of the scariest things you ever do. Typically, if there is an area of sin in your life, than it's hard to believe that God sees us as His children. Children whom he loves. If that is the case, there is only one thing to do. Walk in humility... confess that sin, and be vulnerable. And that is the most beautiful thing to God; Humility & Vulnerability. Humility is seeing yourself as God sees you. Do you want to be beautiful to God? Cause I know I do. So it is a challenge to me.... to walk in humility.
The subject of God being our Father is so sunday school, but do we really believe it in our hearts? Do we live our lives in such a way that reflects that? As our Father, God desires that we claim Him as "Dad" -- " I myself said, 'How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me" [Jeremiah 3:19] Some of the saddest words I have ever read in the Bible..."I thought you would call me Father." To think that at times I don't claim God as my Father, when he desires us to. Because only HE can provide everything we need. Yes, we may have wonderful earthly fathers, but not perfect. But God is perfect.
Did you know, in Bible times [Roman times], you could legally divorce your natural children? However, if you adopted a child, you could not divorce them, because the parent chose them. And guess what -- we are chosen -- officially and legally adopted by God. -- Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or husband's will, but born of God [John 1:12-13] HOW COOL! This means that our Father will never, ever, ever abandon us.
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With this knowledge, it's time to re-script our view. If we view ourselves as crap, we will probably treat ourselves like crap. If we view ourselves as beloved of God, we will act as such. There is a war for our identity. This goes back to the humility thing too. Sometimes, we have false humility. But false humility is another form of pride. If we see ourselves too lowly...or too highly, we are putting our opinions over the opinions of our Father. So, let's just let God love us, let him tell us who we are, and rest in that! There is no reason to have guilt [guilt says "i have done something wrong"] or shame [shame says "there's something wrong with me"]. He loves us despite of our past, present, and future! How amazing.
These are just some of the things that God taught me over the week, and then it came time to application. Here is where more revelation come in. -- On Friday, we were supposed to address areas of hurt, or sin due to wrong views of the Father. I had several. First off, I realized that the reason I had not wanted to pay attention to other Father Heart-ish type things is because I felt that it meant I had to let go of my earthly Father and his death. Something I was not willing to do. But that is a wrong assumption, God does not replace our earthly fathers, He simply comes to show us perfect love. The Hurt.
There have been a few major disappointments in my life. Things that have evoked many emotions. God revealed to me this week that in the past, I have taken these disappointments, held on to the emotion, and acted out, instead of letting God come and minister his Father heart to me. When we have revealed truth like this come to our life, we are held responsible to apply it. Now that this has been revealed to me, I must apply it. Therefore, I know that when things in life come, and I face disappointment [which will continue to happen in life], I must press into God.
SO that is what God has been doing in my life. I am so passionate about this, and just had to share because I feel like it's something that many people need to hear!
Love you guys.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The Blessing of Being Stretched
Firstly: I'M REALLY SORRY THAT IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE POSTED. Forgive me?
Wow. Where to begin...
Week six is upon us of my second DTS. That means that I have official been in Perth, Australia for nineteen weeks. That's four months and thirteen days. I am just about half way done with lecture phase, and just about at the half way point of the 9 months I will be spending away from home. Crazy! In one sense, I feel like it was just yesterday that I boarded the plane in Charlotte. In another sense, it feels like I have lived here my whole life.
Well, in the last five weeks, I can say that I have learned more, experienced more, and been stretched more than probably ever before. God has totally revealed Himself to me in a way that I have never experienced things. I am learning things not only about God, but about myself too. He has totally been faithful to me during this process, and has been so gracious to me. And I'm so excited to share about that!
Things this go around for DTS are so different. Not in a bad way, not in a good way... just different. But through that, God is growing me. For instance... I am in a sports DTS. Enough said.
If you know anything about me, you know how important relationships are to me. Friends... I LOVE my friends. And I love them well. I have always been someone more worried about friendships than other things. With that said, I have to admit that I don't have the intimacy in relationships this DTS as I did during my music DTS. But I believe that is because God is teaching me to TOTALLY and COMPLETELY rely on Him for everything. Not just for the things that I need, but also for friendship, intimacy, and identity. He has been teaching me to not look for others to affirm me, but to find my affirmation in Him. I don't need worldly acceptance, when this world is only temporary. That gives me such a sense of security.
Along with that, I have been a bit more "grandma"-ish in the sense that I am not letting myself burn at both ends. God has been teaching me to rest, not just rest in him, but to physically rest as well. That way I am more alert to the things He has to share with me. That way I can tune into Him. Amazing!
With doing a DTS again, essentially I am doing the same exact thing that I did before as far as lecture go, however, I feel like I am learning more this go around than the first time. My heart is in a better place. We have had lectures on Repentance & Forgiveness [again], and God really dealt with me there. I did not initially plan on re-applying the lectures and getting up infront of my class, but I knew I had to. This time, it was not about events, and things of my past, but instead about character issues that God is working on me.
He is stretching me to say the least. He has taken me out of my comfort zone. Out of my one-tracked mind of "july quarter" with my music DTS, my july quarter friends, the house I was living in, and out of music. Now I am learning what it means to walk in humility. To re-do things, even though I do not want to, to be a quiet leader, to play sport all the time, to lay down my music, and to live in a new room with new roommates. But God is good, He is using me, and that is encouraging to even ME! I am being stretched to be a blessing... to further the kingdom in the long run, and to live for His glory!
I am learning what it means to walk with the Lord. I thought I was passionate about Jesus last quarter, well he has quadrupled that passion! I am SO hungry for more of the Lord. I find myself talking to God not just in my quiet times or in worship times, but all day during everything! I love having a two-way relationship with my savior! He is so cool!
So that is just a bit of what has been going on. Tomorrow, we have to decide where we feel God is calling us on outreach. Here are our choices:
Wow. Where to begin...
Week six is upon us of my second DTS. That means that I have official been in Perth, Australia for nineteen weeks. That's four months and thirteen days. I am just about half way done with lecture phase, and just about at the half way point of the 9 months I will be spending away from home. Crazy! In one sense, I feel like it was just yesterday that I boarded the plane in Charlotte. In another sense, it feels like I have lived here my whole life.
Well, in the last five weeks, I can say that I have learned more, experienced more, and been stretched more than probably ever before. God has totally revealed Himself to me in a way that I have never experienced things. I am learning things not only about God, but about myself too. He has totally been faithful to me during this process, and has been so gracious to me. And I'm so excited to share about that!
Things this go around for DTS are so different. Not in a bad way, not in a good way... just different. But through that, God is growing me. For instance... I am in a sports DTS. Enough said.
If you know anything about me, you know how important relationships are to me. Friends... I LOVE my friends. And I love them well. I have always been someone more worried about friendships than other things. With that said, I have to admit that I don't have the intimacy in relationships this DTS as I did during my music DTS. But I believe that is because God is teaching me to TOTALLY and COMPLETELY rely on Him for everything. Not just for the things that I need, but also for friendship, intimacy, and identity. He has been teaching me to not look for others to affirm me, but to find my affirmation in Him. I don't need worldly acceptance, when this world is only temporary. That gives me such a sense of security.
Along with that, I have been a bit more "grandma"-ish in the sense that I am not letting myself burn at both ends. God has been teaching me to rest, not just rest in him, but to physically rest as well. That way I am more alert to the things He has to share with me. That way I can tune into Him. Amazing!
With doing a DTS again, essentially I am doing the same exact thing that I did before as far as lecture go, however, I feel like I am learning more this go around than the first time. My heart is in a better place. We have had lectures on Repentance & Forgiveness [again], and God really dealt with me there. I did not initially plan on re-applying the lectures and getting up infront of my class, but I knew I had to. This time, it was not about events, and things of my past, but instead about character issues that God is working on me.
He is stretching me to say the least. He has taken me out of my comfort zone. Out of my one-tracked mind of "july quarter" with my music DTS, my july quarter friends, the house I was living in, and out of music. Now I am learning what it means to walk in humility. To re-do things, even though I do not want to, to be a quiet leader, to play sport all the time, to lay down my music, and to live in a new room with new roommates. But God is good, He is using me, and that is encouraging to even ME! I am being stretched to be a blessing... to further the kingdom in the long run, and to live for His glory!
I am learning what it means to walk with the Lord. I thought I was passionate about Jesus last quarter, well he has quadrupled that passion! I am SO hungry for more of the Lord. I find myself talking to God not just in my quiet times or in worship times, but all day during everything! I love having a two-way relationship with my savior! He is so cool!
So that is just a bit of what has been going on. Tomorrow, we have to decide where we feel God is calling us on outreach. Here are our choices:
Team 1:
Mozambique, Africa [6 weeks]
& Southwest Australia [4 weeks]
Team 2:
Cambodia [6 weeks]
Thailand [1 week]
China [4 weeks]
I will announce soon where I will be going to! But for now you can pray that God would begin to bring unity to the teams even before they are officially announced! You guys are amazing and I thank each of you for your prayers!
Until next time...
Monday, October 15, 2012
For Such a Time as This...
For DTS, we have to turn in a journal every Sunday Night. Part of the first weeks journal is giving it a name. I was really struggling to think of what to call it when all I could think of were the countless journal entries I have turned in over the last three months. Then it hit me... "For such a time as this..."
Never in a million years did I imagine I would be completing my first week of a Sports DTS having already completed lecture phase of a DTS. For such a time as this. Re-doing all the lectures I have previously sat through but learning just as much, if not more than I did previously. For such a time as this. "Jamming" during the week which in fact does not mean sitting around playing music, but instead kicking around a soccer ball. For such a time as this. Retelling my story, beginning new relationships and starting work duties all over again. For such a time as this.
For such a time as this.... God has something really big in store for me, I can feel it in my bones and in my heart. No, this is not what I envisioned for myself, God is turning ashes into beauty. Joy is continuously coming in the morning. Yes, there are times when all I can think about is what it would be like if I was on outreach with my team who I have come SO close to and love SO much, but I think it's all part of my consequence.... But I know there is hope. God doesn't want me to dwell in that sadness, but instead learn from this experience.
With all that said, we are officially in our second week of lectures. Last week was full of orientation (reorientation for me), registration, getting to know you games, and lots of junk food. There are 23 people in my DTS. The majority are from North America - the Canadians over took this quarter - but some from Europe and Asia as well. There are 11 girls, and we all live in a house together with our two girl staff, Bridget & Erica, about a ten minute walk from base. The age of our DTS ranges from 18-21 with one 22 year old, and one 26 year old. Most are soccer players, but there are a few volleyball players in the mix. Our lectures for the week were on Hearing the Voice of the Lord and our speaker was Trisha Hooper. Trisha pioneered the Sports DTS here in Perth. It was really cool, because she is getting ready to go to Chile for a year and pioneer a new school, and we were able to pray for her and commission her off.
During last weeks lectures, God really convicted me of things in my relationship with Him that I need to work on. One being my one-way relationship with Him. All the time I am asking God to bless ME with things, making it all about ME, when really, I need to be more God focused. Another thing that God revealed to me was His place in my life. I realized that yes, God has always been something in my life... and mostly a big something, but He has never been my everything. And that's what I need. I need God, I'm hungry for Him. I'm hungry for Him to be apart of every aspect of my life. I never want to be satisfied with where I am at in my relationship with Him, but instead always pursing Him. I want to pursue Him in the same way He pursues me. Even though there was a lot of conviction, there was also grace. God is not a harsh God, and he NEVER sets me up to fail. Praise the Lord for that!
With this new week, we are in full swing with work duties (yes, I am on lunch dishes again), morning excersize (yeah, I ran 16, 40 m sprints the other morning), morning chores, DTS sport, sport league (I am on a volleyball team, and our first game is tomorrow night at 10 PM), and more lectures. This week, we have Joe Moreno speaking on The Nature and Character of God. Joe is head over the youth ministries here on base, the same ones that I hope to be apart of if/when I come back to join staff. With one day down, God is already affirming His character to me.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- My wallet was stollen this morning. My ID/Drivers License, Credit Card, Bank Card, Cash, American Health Insurance, Australian Health Insurance, Train Card, and Working With Children's Check card were all in there. So pretty much my whole life. -- Please pray that whoever took it will feel convicted and return it here to base.
- With that said, I have no money, but I am still trusting God for finances. I need $1,370 for my lecture fees. They were due last Friday, but I am believing that they will come in soon
- My team in London is going through a bit of Spiritual Warfare, and I would love for you to join with me in praying for them
If you would like to donate to my lecture fees, please send me a message, or go to https://www.ywamperth.org.au/007/payonline.asp
Never in a million years did I imagine I would be completing my first week of a Sports DTS having already completed lecture phase of a DTS. For such a time as this. Re-doing all the lectures I have previously sat through but learning just as much, if not more than I did previously. For such a time as this. "Jamming" during the week which in fact does not mean sitting around playing music, but instead kicking around a soccer ball. For such a time as this. Retelling my story, beginning new relationships and starting work duties all over again. For such a time as this.
For such a time as this.... God has something really big in store for me, I can feel it in my bones and in my heart. No, this is not what I envisioned for myself, God is turning ashes into beauty. Joy is continuously coming in the morning. Yes, there are times when all I can think about is what it would be like if I was on outreach with my team who I have come SO close to and love SO much, but I think it's all part of my consequence.... But I know there is hope. God doesn't want me to dwell in that sadness, but instead learn from this experience.
With all that said, we are officially in our second week of lectures. Last week was full of orientation (reorientation for me), registration, getting to know you games, and lots of junk food. There are 23 people in my DTS. The majority are from North America - the Canadians over took this quarter - but some from Europe and Asia as well. There are 11 girls, and we all live in a house together with our two girl staff, Bridget & Erica, about a ten minute walk from base. The age of our DTS ranges from 18-21 with one 22 year old, and one 26 year old. Most are soccer players, but there are a few volleyball players in the mix. Our lectures for the week were on Hearing the Voice of the Lord and our speaker was Trisha Hooper. Trisha pioneered the Sports DTS here in Perth. It was really cool, because she is getting ready to go to Chile for a year and pioneer a new school, and we were able to pray for her and commission her off.
During last weeks lectures, God really convicted me of things in my relationship with Him that I need to work on. One being my one-way relationship with Him. All the time I am asking God to bless ME with things, making it all about ME, when really, I need to be more God focused. Another thing that God revealed to me was His place in my life. I realized that yes, God has always been something in my life... and mostly a big something, but He has never been my everything. And that's what I need. I need God, I'm hungry for Him. I'm hungry for Him to be apart of every aspect of my life. I never want to be satisfied with where I am at in my relationship with Him, but instead always pursing Him. I want to pursue Him in the same way He pursues me. Even though there was a lot of conviction, there was also grace. God is not a harsh God, and he NEVER sets me up to fail. Praise the Lord for that!
With this new week, we are in full swing with work duties (yes, I am on lunch dishes again), morning excersize (yeah, I ran 16, 40 m sprints the other morning), morning chores, DTS sport, sport league (I am on a volleyball team, and our first game is tomorrow night at 10 PM), and more lectures. This week, we have Joe Moreno speaking on The Nature and Character of God. Joe is head over the youth ministries here on base, the same ones that I hope to be apart of if/when I come back to join staff. With one day down, God is already affirming His character to me.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- My wallet was stollen this morning. My ID/Drivers License, Credit Card, Bank Card, Cash, American Health Insurance, Australian Health Insurance, Train Card, and Working With Children's Check card were all in there. So pretty much my whole life. -- Please pray that whoever took it will feel convicted and return it here to base.
- With that said, I have no money, but I am still trusting God for finances. I need $1,370 for my lecture fees. They were due last Friday, but I am believing that they will come in soon
- My team in London is going through a bit of Spiritual Warfare, and I would love for you to join with me in praying for them
If you would like to donate to my lecture fees, please send me a message, or go to https://www.ywamperth.org.au/007/payonline.asp
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
The Unexpected...
God is so funny sometimes. A lot of times, when we make a plan for ourselves, God throws speed bumps at us, and puts detours in our path. That way, He is able to show us that He is supreme in ALL His ways, but at the same time, good.
This is exactly what happened to me...
So, I have been putting off writing this blog for about a week and a half. Simply, because I have been uncertain as to what exactly I should say, and how I should say it. But it's time to let you guys know what has been going on and what will be going on.
As most of you know, my DTS left for outreach to London on Saturday, September 26. I watched the bus drive a way... I was not in it. That is right, while the rest of my DTS is on outreach, I am not. Here is why....
A couple weeks ago, I made a choice... a bad choice. Outside of YWAM context, the choice I made is not wrong, however it is in the rules. And breaking the rule was the bad choice. Of course, everything done in darkness will be brought to the light... So of course, it wasn't long before I was confronted about it. One of the BIGGEST things I have learned not just in the last several years of my life, but also on my DTS is that honesty is the best policy. So I answered honestly.
So then two weeks ago, I was asked to meet with my school leader and a base leader. I was told that I had four days to schedule a flight, pack my things, say good-bye and fly home. Not only was I asked to leave, but two of my best friends who were also students, and two staff members who I had gotten to know really well.
This devastated me because not only did I let my outreach team down, I let my whole DTS, the whole YWAM base, my leaders, my mom, and myself down. God was really stirring me during this time. At first, I felt totally under spiritual attack, questioning the realness of my relationship with God and myself. But then God affirmed me in something... I'm human. I make mistakes. However, just because I am inconsistent, and unfaithful at times, God is still faithful, and ALWAYS consistent. Where there has to be consequence and repentance, there also is room for grace.
At the same time that God was affirming His character to me, He was also calling me to take action. One of the things I have really felt since being here is a call to missions, a call to YWAM Perth more specifically. So I felt like God told me to fight to stay here; to prove that I am not defined by what happened, and to show myself trustworthy and the importance of me being here. God also spoke this to my mom, and to my leader. Let me tell you, I have the BEST school leader ever. Chenaniah is one heck of a guy! So I really began to pray into that. And then the unexpected happened...
Chenaniah (my school leader) approached me two days before I was supposed to leave and presented me with an alternative to leaving. Normally when one school leaves to go on outreach, a new school comes in to begin lecture phase of DTS. I have the opportunity to start my DTS over on October 7 with a whole new set of students. Along with that, I will only have to pay half of my lecture phase fees, and because I had already paid my outreach fees, I will not have to pay any of that. WHOA! Talk about AMAZING! I was completely taken aback by this offer. But I feel like it is one I have to take. I know God has called me here, and unless I finish my DTS, then I can't be apart of the awesome things God is doing here.
I prayed about it, and initially I was ready to come home, but then God reminded me of the things He had been speaking to me about YWAM Perth since being here. Also, I was afraid that I would have the wrong mindset since lectures will be so fresh to me, but then my wonderful mom said something that struck me... "Grace, you'll get as much out of lectures as you want to get out of them." With that said, I am going to approach this new opportunity like it's a first. Like I have never been here before. If I am going to stay, I am going to completely throw myself into this. I want an even greater understanding of who God is. I want to be taken to another level when it comes to knowing God's heart for me and for the nations. I want to fall more in love with Him.
So that's it. I will be starting my DTS over on October 7. There is not a Music DTS running this quarter, so I will be apart of a Sports DTS that has 22 students in it (11 girls, 11 boys). We will get many an opportunity to use sport in ministry...and hopefully I'll shed some of that freshman 15 i've seemed to obtain. I will be here until December 27 or 28, and then I will go on outreach with this new DTS. The cool thing is that I will be here when my Music DTS gets back from outreach and will be able to hear all the wonderful stories of what God has done through some of my best friends. BUT that also means I'll be here for Christmas. I will return from outreach late March, and then I will return home sometime in April!
So this six month journey has turned into nine months. But it is great, and God is good! I am getting to see how YWAM perth works as a base in all seasons, and build better relationship with staff.
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Pray for my team on outreach right now in London, India, Cambodia, and Nepal.
- Pray that God continues to work in me through this season
- Pray for finances to come in
- Pray and ask God if He would have you partner with me financially during this
- $570 for an extended student visa since I will be here 3 months longer than planned
- $130 for extended overseas-health insurance
- $100 for an enrollment into a new DTS
- $1,890 for my lecture fees
- $600 for living expenses
Total: $3,290
If you would like to donate towards my financial needs, here is how:
- Go to https://www.ywamperth.org.au/007/payonline.asp
- Fill out Your Details
- Fill out Money Details
- Step 1: select Student Payment
- Step 2: select School Fees
- Select School: Discipleship Training School - Sports - October
- Who is it for? Someone Else
- Grace Eggers
- Final Step: This money is for Grace Eggers' school fees in the October Sports DTS
This is exactly what happened to me...
So, I have been putting off writing this blog for about a week and a half. Simply, because I have been uncertain as to what exactly I should say, and how I should say it. But it's time to let you guys know what has been going on and what will be going on.
As most of you know, my DTS left for outreach to London on Saturday, September 26. I watched the bus drive a way... I was not in it. That is right, while the rest of my DTS is on outreach, I am not. Here is why....
A couple weeks ago, I made a choice... a bad choice. Outside of YWAM context, the choice I made is not wrong, however it is in the rules. And breaking the rule was the bad choice. Of course, everything done in darkness will be brought to the light... So of course, it wasn't long before I was confronted about it. One of the BIGGEST things I have learned not just in the last several years of my life, but also on my DTS is that honesty is the best policy. So I answered honestly.
So then two weeks ago, I was asked to meet with my school leader and a base leader. I was told that I had four days to schedule a flight, pack my things, say good-bye and fly home. Not only was I asked to leave, but two of my best friends who were also students, and two staff members who I had gotten to know really well.
This devastated me because not only did I let my outreach team down, I let my whole DTS, the whole YWAM base, my leaders, my mom, and myself down. God was really stirring me during this time. At first, I felt totally under spiritual attack, questioning the realness of my relationship with God and myself. But then God affirmed me in something... I'm human. I make mistakes. However, just because I am inconsistent, and unfaithful at times, God is still faithful, and ALWAYS consistent. Where there has to be consequence and repentance, there also is room for grace.
At the same time that God was affirming His character to me, He was also calling me to take action. One of the things I have really felt since being here is a call to missions, a call to YWAM Perth more specifically. So I felt like God told me to fight to stay here; to prove that I am not defined by what happened, and to show myself trustworthy and the importance of me being here. God also spoke this to my mom, and to my leader. Let me tell you, I have the BEST school leader ever. Chenaniah is one heck of a guy! So I really began to pray into that. And then the unexpected happened...
Chenaniah (my school leader) approached me two days before I was supposed to leave and presented me with an alternative to leaving. Normally when one school leaves to go on outreach, a new school comes in to begin lecture phase of DTS. I have the opportunity to start my DTS over on October 7 with a whole new set of students. Along with that, I will only have to pay half of my lecture phase fees, and because I had already paid my outreach fees, I will not have to pay any of that. WHOA! Talk about AMAZING! I was completely taken aback by this offer. But I feel like it is one I have to take. I know God has called me here, and unless I finish my DTS, then I can't be apart of the awesome things God is doing here.
I prayed about it, and initially I was ready to come home, but then God reminded me of the things He had been speaking to me about YWAM Perth since being here. Also, I was afraid that I would have the wrong mindset since lectures will be so fresh to me, but then my wonderful mom said something that struck me... "Grace, you'll get as much out of lectures as you want to get out of them." With that said, I am going to approach this new opportunity like it's a first. Like I have never been here before. If I am going to stay, I am going to completely throw myself into this. I want an even greater understanding of who God is. I want to be taken to another level when it comes to knowing God's heart for me and for the nations. I want to fall more in love with Him.
So that's it. I will be starting my DTS over on October 7. There is not a Music DTS running this quarter, so I will be apart of a Sports DTS that has 22 students in it (11 girls, 11 boys). We will get many an opportunity to use sport in ministry...and hopefully I'll shed some of that freshman 15 i've seemed to obtain. I will be here until December 27 or 28, and then I will go on outreach with this new DTS. The cool thing is that I will be here when my Music DTS gets back from outreach and will be able to hear all the wonderful stories of what God has done through some of my best friends. BUT that also means I'll be here for Christmas. I will return from outreach late March, and then I will return home sometime in April!
So this six month journey has turned into nine months. But it is great, and God is good! I am getting to see how YWAM perth works as a base in all seasons, and build better relationship with staff.
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Pray for my team on outreach right now in London, India, Cambodia, and Nepal.
- Pray that God continues to work in me through this season
- Pray for finances to come in
- Pray and ask God if He would have you partner with me financially during this
- $570 for an extended student visa since I will be here 3 months longer than planned
- $130 for extended overseas-health insurance
- $100 for an enrollment into a new DTS
- $1,890 for my lecture fees
- $600 for living expenses
Total: $3,290
If you would like to donate towards my financial needs, here is how:
- Go to https://www.ywamperth.org.au/007/payonline.asp
- Fill out Your Details
- Fill out Money Details
- Step 1: select Student Payment
- Step 2: select School Fees
- Select School: Discipleship Training School - Sports - October
- Who is it for? Someone Else
- Grace Eggers
- Final Step: This money is for Grace Eggers' school fees in the October Sports DTS
Monday, September 10, 2012
Another Countdown...
And the next countdown has begun....
12 days.
In just 12 days, life as I know it in YWAM will change. Lecture phase will have come to a complete, and outreach phase will begin. I can't believe in less than two weeks I will be in London. We have sent in our visa applications to the Indian embassy, gotten backpacks, purchased plane tickets, and seen finances come down.
That is one thing I am most excited to tell you about. For all 40 of us to go on outreach, we needed $160,000 by September 5. For about three weeks, we were meeting in our outreach groups at 6 AM to pray for a final push for finances to subdue. God is so faithful, so of course we saw them come in. On the morning of September 5, as a base, we had a worship and intercession day to also push for finances. There are other DTS's going on who also needed finances, and several base ministries going on outreach.
Well, on that night, we still needed $19,000 as a Music DTS. So here is what we did.... we all gathered in a room, had a time of worship, and then asked God to lay specific people on our hearts within our DTS to give finances to. In fifteen minutes, we saw $7,000 come in! We had a whiteboard with everyones name and amounts needed. We saw names whipped off the board, and other totals come down. Then, in another ten minutes, my leader announced "we are done," and whipped the board clean. Wait....what? We're done? WE'RE DONE! That is right, in twenty five minutes, we had $19,000 come in from our other DTS mates.... from missionaries to missionaries. What a testimony! God is SO faithful!
So for the most part, we are all ready to go. I still have no idea what we will be doing exactly on outreach, but apparently we find out tonight.
As for now, we still have to finish this week of lectures on Evangelism, and then next weeks on Relationships & Unity. Lectures have been SO great, and God continues to speak to me and minister to me in ways unimaginable.
On another note, there is a young married couple who has been apart of our DTS and were going to be on my outreach team, however, the wife's [Stephanie] dad, has taken a health turn for the worst and the two of them took off last night to go back home to Switzerland to be with family. They will however rejoin us for outreach in India, missing the London side of it. Please pray for total healing for her dad and for peace for the family.
Talk to you soon :)
12 days.
In just 12 days, life as I know it in YWAM will change. Lecture phase will have come to a complete, and outreach phase will begin. I can't believe in less than two weeks I will be in London. We have sent in our visa applications to the Indian embassy, gotten backpacks, purchased plane tickets, and seen finances come down.
That is one thing I am most excited to tell you about. For all 40 of us to go on outreach, we needed $160,000 by September 5. For about three weeks, we were meeting in our outreach groups at 6 AM to pray for a final push for finances to subdue. God is so faithful, so of course we saw them come in. On the morning of September 5, as a base, we had a worship and intercession day to also push for finances. There are other DTS's going on who also needed finances, and several base ministries going on outreach.
Well, on that night, we still needed $19,000 as a Music DTS. So here is what we did.... we all gathered in a room, had a time of worship, and then asked God to lay specific people on our hearts within our DTS to give finances to. In fifteen minutes, we saw $7,000 come in! We had a whiteboard with everyones name and amounts needed. We saw names whipped off the board, and other totals come down. Then, in another ten minutes, my leader announced "we are done," and whipped the board clean. Wait....what? We're done? WE'RE DONE! That is right, in twenty five minutes, we had $19,000 come in from our other DTS mates.... from missionaries to missionaries. What a testimony! God is SO faithful!
So for the most part, we are all ready to go. I still have no idea what we will be doing exactly on outreach, but apparently we find out tonight.
As for now, we still have to finish this week of lectures on Evangelism, and then next weeks on Relationships & Unity. Lectures have been SO great, and God continues to speak to me and minister to me in ways unimaginable.
On another note, there is a young married couple who has been apart of our DTS and were going to be on my outreach team, however, the wife's [Stephanie] dad, has taken a health turn for the worst and the two of them took off last night to go back home to Switzerland to be with family. They will however rejoin us for outreach in India, missing the London side of it. Please pray for total healing for her dad and for peace for the family.
Talk to you soon :)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
I'm going into the world...... [Matthew 28:19-20]
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
[Matthew 28:19-20 NIV]
I know what you're all thinking....I'm in a missions school... of course that would be the verse I use. But this verse has really had an impact on me. I want you to read same passage, but from The Message:
"God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
[Matthew 28:19-20]
And that is exactly what I feel like God is calling me to do; to take this knowledge and revelation of God's character and truth that i've learned into the world and share it! Why would I want to keep it for my self? Over my nine weeks here so far, I have really felt God affirm my call in life. And that call is going to lead me to be a full time missionary! How awesome? So what does this mean? Well... this means that I will not be attending college in January as originally planned. Instead, I am going to be attending a second level YWAM School in Denver, Colorado! The school is called School of Worship (SOW) [click the link to read about it]. The mission statement for this course is, "to raise-up worshippers who are passionate about Jesus and skillfully trained; those who will not only minister to God's heart, but will go into all the world with His high praises in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand (Psalm 149:6),"
After that? I am not totally sure, but I know that I will be involved in missions/ministry. I am pretty confident that it will be in the form of YWAM. I would love to be apart of a YWAM youth ministry, or staff a DTS. At this point, I can't really see past SOW, but I know God will speak to me.
Okay so here is the background story of why I have chosen this over Berklee College of Music (Yeah I know that you guys think i'm absolutely crazy for turning down a scholarship there, and yeah, I am crazy): When my mom was pregnant with me, she was prophesied over that I would be a worship leader! This prophecy has always been in the back of my head, but I never really knew how to pursue it. I thought by going to music school I would be pursing this, when really I realized that going to Berklee is only going to pursue my musical calling, but not my worship leader calling. I also realized something else since being here. When I first got here, I thought that because I had gotten a scholarship, God wanted me at Berklee, but then I got the revelation that God is a God of CHOICES! I believe that there is ONE call on our lives, but MANY paths to that calling. By God providing me with the finances for Berklee, He made Berklee an option for me. Had the finances not been there, it wouldn't have even been an option. So yeah, God made that an option because of His goodness. So SOW is another one of those options, and for right now, it is the option I am going to take. By being at Berklee, I would be getting an education to be in the industry, or sit in an office as a musical therapist, when really I know that I am called to be in the world, and see it change! By being apart of SOW, I will not only get an intense training in music, but also a training in how to be a Worship Leader and also get training to go into the world! I have been praying about this a lot, and so has my mom and we are both in agreement!
So yes, this is me officially announcing that I am not going to college as planned, and I am going to be a missionary! Yes this is very scary as I will be totally dependent for finances. SOW is another $4,000 and then joining staff can be anywhere from $14,000 and $17,000 a year because of staff fees, meals, insurance, visas, etc. BUT I know that God is my ultimate provider, and if I am in the center of His will, He WILL provide. Yes, I know I have to be proactive and do my part, but I am totally trusting God for finances in the years to come!
I ask that you partner with me so that I may hear clearly from God about my future, and also pray even now that God provides my finances.
Well 24 days til I leave for London & India! I'll let you know more soon!
- Grace Eggers
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Make Complacency My Enemy...
"Hear me Oh Lord when I cry.
I'm broken, I'm thirsty, and I'm tried.
God make complacency my enemy and your fight.
Let desperation be like David's key for my life.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me;
my cup runneth over, my cup runneth over.
The broke, the contrite you have yet to deny.
I lay before you; I lay bare before you.
No you're never gonna leave me dry
No you don't, no you don't' no you don't
You're always willing; my cup you'll be filling
You fill us with your love; overwhelm us with you love.
Take us from the ashes, seat us with princes.
It's what you do; it's just what you do!"
- Never Gonna Leave Me Dry - IHOPKC
This song has come up so many times this week during base worship, school worship, worship night, and in my quiet times! I have really made this my prayer! One of the words spoken over our school is that we "make complacency our enemy"! What a prayer! God has really been speaking to me about a lot of things the past week or so and I can't wait for Him to continue speaking.
With all that said, I am really sorry that I haven't posted an update in a while! I have no legitimate excuse! So i'll get right into it. Since my last blog we have had lectures on the Father Heart of God, Submission & Authority, and this past week was on Missions! Talk about heavy topics! Father Heart was really good, and I embraced the healing that came through seeing God as my Heavenly Father. Authority & Submission was also great and very challenging. However, my favorite week thus far has been Missions. We had the National Director for YWAM Bangladesh speak to us. Originally from Papua New Guinea, he has truly adopted Bangladesh as his home. It was so great to see someone who has SO much passion for the nations and has so much passion to see others catch the same passion. He talked a lot about the imbalance in missions and mission support! Did you know that only 10% of Christians support missionaries!? That makes me really sad!
On Friday, we applied Missions by "adopting a country." We were given a list of unreached countries to pray about. Part of adopting a country is to pray, give, or go. At first I didn't feel like i was discerning what God was saying to me, however as I kept praying, God clearly spoke SYRIA to me. Wait... what? Why? I was kinda bummed because I was hoping God would speak a south-east asian or african country to me. But God really pressed Syria on my heart and as I kept praying about it, God began to give me an excitement. Yes I have to admit that I didn't even know where Syria was, but now I know that I have to find out more about the country and definitely keep it in my prayer.
During the course of the week, I really witnessed God reveal His call on my life for missions/ministry. In reality, I think I have always been called to missions, but it took this week for my eyes to be opened to it. I have never wanted to lead an ordinary lifestyle, and I don't want to. God has called me to be apart of the world, to live in the world, and to see it change. The thought of living the "american dream" sickens me. Not saying that it is wrong, and yes for some people that dream is awesome, but for me particularly, I know God has called me to live out of the normal. Having a call in missions is very scary, but also VERY exciting!
So yes folks, I, Grace Eggers am going to be a missionary!
Talk to you soon! I promise I won't keep you waiting again,
Grace Eggers
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Pray for my outreach team going to London and Hyderabad, India
- Pray that God will bring in funds for outreach! We need $4,500 each! (Ask God also if He would have you partner with me in supporting me financially with my costs)
- Pray for direction as to what to do after DTS
- Pray for continued health for my body recovering from Mononucleosis/Glandular Fever
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Jai Ho!
I'll be singing that a lot! And the best part, is i'll be singing it in INDIA!
Today, our outreach locations were announced! As I said before, we will be spending five or six weeks in London working with Megacities! Megacities was started by YWAM Perth. Every two years, YWAM picks a city. They go into this city for one year and evangelize the heck out of it working alongside local churches. In 2010, they were in Mexico City and saw over 10,000 people come to the Lord. This year in London, Megacities is coming to a close and so far they have only seen 260 salvations, however there is firm belief that something BIG is about to happen in the closing season. My DTS is split up into three teams; we will each be assigned a borough and will do ministry there!
After the weeks in London, I have the awesome privilege to travel on a team of 15 to the great nation of INDIA! Nothing has been announced as to what we will be doing there, or where exactly we will be! All I know is that I WILL be there, and it is going to take $4,500 to get me there! But God is so good, and he is SO faithful! I am so excited too about my team, there is such great chemistry on our team, and I know God has BIG plans for us!
I will keep you posted as I learn more about the outreach!
Love you all!
Today, our outreach locations were announced! As I said before, we will be spending five or six weeks in London working with Megacities! Megacities was started by YWAM Perth. Every two years, YWAM picks a city. They go into this city for one year and evangelize the heck out of it working alongside local churches. In 2010, they were in Mexico City and saw over 10,000 people come to the Lord. This year in London, Megacities is coming to a close and so far they have only seen 260 salvations, however there is firm belief that something BIG is about to happen in the closing season. My DTS is split up into three teams; we will each be assigned a borough and will do ministry there!
After the weeks in London, I have the awesome privilege to travel on a team of 15 to the great nation of INDIA! Nothing has been announced as to what we will be doing there, or where exactly we will be! All I know is that I WILL be there, and it is going to take $4,500 to get me there! But God is so good, and he is SO faithful! I am so excited too about my team, there is such great chemistry on our team, and I know God has BIG plans for us!
I will keep you posted as I learn more about the outreach!
Love you all!
Monday, July 30, 2012
The next four days...
The next four days are going to spent in intense prayer. Outreach locations were announced tonight. I have four days to pray about it, and make my decision on Friday. We will know the teams by Tuesday.
There will be three outreach teams. Each team will spend 4 or 5 weeks in......
There will be three outreach teams. Each team will spend 4 or 5 weeks in......
London!
After that, each team will go to a differnt location for 6 or 7 weeks. The locations are....
Cambodia
India
Nepal
Now comes the part where you and I both get to pray that God would confirm where I am supposed to go. Also, my outreach fees are estimated at $4,500. Therefore, please pray that I am able to raise that money, and also consider joining in with me on this adventure by supporting me financially.
Stay tuned to find out where God calls me!
Stay tuned to find out where God calls me!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
My hands are really cold right now....
Well, I have officially been gone for a month! It is seriously crazy to think about. I have made so many new friends, best friends, experienced a new culture, been set free from fears and disbeliefs, had an unhealthy amount of TimTams, but most importantly I have been captivated by the lover of my soul, Jesus.
The people here in Australia, YWAM in particular, are absolutely beautiful people. The hearts, passions, and desire for relationship in these people has changed me. I am still the same Grace Margaret Eggers that I've always been, but a better version. Transformation, revelation, and reconciliation has taken place. Hallelujah!
This past weeks lectures were on Worship & Intercession. My views of both of these have changed so much. Our speaker, Chris Adams, was SO good! He kept our attention, challenged us, but ultimately, he encouraged us. We had a great time of intercession on Wednesday morning, and a great time of worship on Friday morning. Worship here is amazing, raw, and passionate!
Monday night, we had our Monday Music Lectures. This week was on Worship Leading. Oh my gosh! Probably my favorite lecture session in general that I have had. As I am called to be a worship leader, I learned so much from this. God is really speaking to me concerning this calling. I realized that education on worship leading, is what I want more of. I'm hungry for more of it! With that said, I am really praying about God's direction for me after DTS.
Other than that, I am finally adjusted to the schedule and routine here. Waking up for morning excersize is kicking my butt, but it has really disciplined me and gives me no excuse not to have a quiet time. I love that. I see what you did there, YWAM. Lunch Dishes every day is still not very fun, but I am learning to embrace it because I have to deal with it every day. Thursday nights, we have Evangelism. Something that I was scared of at first but now look forward to. And of course my weekends are lovely. Saturdays I tend to devote to doing my weekly journal, spending downtime with friends, and enjoying the views of Perth. Sundays have become Beach Days! The Indian ocean is BEAUTIFUL! Ah, so awesome!
So here is what I'm most excited to tell you about....
This Monday ( IN TWO DAYS ) We find out our OUTREACH LOCATIONS!!!!!! Ah so so so so so so so so so so exciting. After Monday, we will have a week to pray about it (without talking to anyone else about it) and then we get to tell our leaders where we feel God is calling us to in confidence. Sometime after that, our teams will be announced! AH! God has broken my heart for a few nations already, so we will see how it goes!
Anyways, I just finished up watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics with some of my favorite people in our dining room. Now, dinner.
I'll be updating you on Monday once our outreach locations are announced.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Forgiveness & Repentance
This is going to be long, but you're going to want to read it. Seriously.
Wow, what a week! I wish everyone on this earth could go through what I and the rest of my DTS went through this week. Let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start.
Monday mornings, we run. Each day we start out with morning excersize at 6 AM. Yeah, you read that right... I am up BEFORE 6 AM every morning here. Good discipline, eh? Anyways... we all showed up to morning excersize like always, except this time, there was a different vibe in the air. All weekend we had been hearing rumors and stories of what this week would bring to us. Forgiveness & Repentance. Let me tell you what, people don't talk it up for no reason.
Yes, this weeks lectures were on Forgiveness & Repentance. We had one of our base leaders, Ari Slooks from Holland speak to us every morning on not just forgiving and repenting, but living a life of forgiveness and repentance. In the first 15 minutes of our lectures on Monday, God was already convicting me of sins in my life all the way back to third grade. Conviction of things in my life that I didn't realize were sin! The best thing about lectures here at YWAM is they are SO Bible based. There is a scripture to reference everything that our speakers say. That makes it all the more convicting.
Not only did Ari teach on Forgiveness & Repentance, but he also encouraged us to dig into the Bible and think, he had some very challenging things for us to ponder. Monday-Wednesday were on repentance and the cross. Thursday was on sin and forgiveness. On Thursday, Ari gave us a piece of paper that had categories of sins based on the ten commandments, and gave us our homework. Our homework was to go home, and write out two lists; one for sins/repentance, and one for things/people we need to forgive. WHAT?! Seriously!? Yeah, I'd be bold enough to say that it was the hardest assignment I have EVER been given.
How does one go about writing out sins as far back as we can think that we have never dealt with. First, you have to be humble enough to write out your sins. If you aren't then you're having pride <-- a sin. So you have to write that one too. See what I mean? As I was going through the list of sins and writing out my sins, there was none stop conviction. Then came to the forgiveness. That one was a bit easier, but still scary.
SO now you're probably wondering why we did that. Well Friday morning was the answer.
Every Friday during DTS is "application day." Therefore, we put into practice what we learned Monday-Thursday. Little did we know (well we had an idea from all the stories), this would be the most monumental days in some of the lives of the MDTS (Music DTS). We were told to dress comfortably for a long day and to bring our lists. We met in a different room than our lecture room, somewhere more secluded, around 8:30 AM. We started with an hour of worship, and then the fun began. At the center of the room were three chairs. One for Ari, one for our Small Group leader, and the center chair for us. One at a time as led (not forced, but everyone participated), we took a lead of faith and sat in the middle chair with our lists. We confessed our sins....every....last...one....of....them in the form of a prayer. Then, we forgave. WHOA. Talk about emotions, talk about boldness, and talk about compassion. It was ABSOLUTELY amazing to see the boldness of EVERYONE (36 people, guys and girls between the ages of 17 and 31) take a step of humility and confess their deepest darkest sins, be forgiven and redeemed, and then release forgiveness to others. Everything from talking back to parents, to forgiving rapists.
After the prayers by us, Ari prayed redemption and healing into our lives. After being supported by a loud cheer and applause, we each made our way to a cross in the back of the room, nailed our lists to it, and were prayed over by our small group. So much compassion and grace in the room through hugs, encouragement notes, and happy tears.
WHAT A DAY! Well, I'm sure you're wondering what time we finished up? Well like I said, we started at 8:30 AM..... took 30 minutes for lunch, and 30 minutes for dinner, and finally left at 11:30 PM! YEAH, That's right. We went on for 15 hours! SO totally worth it though!
For me, God brought a lot of breakthrough concerning my dad. I realized this week that yes I have gotten over my angry-at-God stage, but I was harboring anger towards my dad. It was so good to release that and to also release forgiveness to others. I woke up feeling physically lighter and SO free! God is totally at work in my life, and I can't wait to keep telling you guys about it!
What a testimony to the body of Christ! Can you imagine if people did that everyday? Today, it is so foreign to confess sins because of pride. But it is necessary. One of the biggest things we learned that it is not enough to just confess to God in our spirits and hearts, but there is something about verbal repentance that will bring us closer to the Lord. Ah. So good. I have the best savior ever, and He is faithful, and GOOD! He forgives out of LOVE and is SO approachable!
Well, if you've made it this far, give yourself a pat on the back!
Thanks for reading!
Wow, what a week! I wish everyone on this earth could go through what I and the rest of my DTS went through this week. Let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start.
Monday mornings, we run. Each day we start out with morning excersize at 6 AM. Yeah, you read that right... I am up BEFORE 6 AM every morning here. Good discipline, eh? Anyways... we all showed up to morning excersize like always, except this time, there was a different vibe in the air. All weekend we had been hearing rumors and stories of what this week would bring to us. Forgiveness & Repentance. Let me tell you what, people don't talk it up for no reason.
Yes, this weeks lectures were on Forgiveness & Repentance. We had one of our base leaders, Ari Slooks from Holland speak to us every morning on not just forgiving and repenting, but living a life of forgiveness and repentance. In the first 15 minutes of our lectures on Monday, God was already convicting me of sins in my life all the way back to third grade. Conviction of things in my life that I didn't realize were sin! The best thing about lectures here at YWAM is they are SO Bible based. There is a scripture to reference everything that our speakers say. That makes it all the more convicting.
Not only did Ari teach on Forgiveness & Repentance, but he also encouraged us to dig into the Bible and think, he had some very challenging things for us to ponder. Monday-Wednesday were on repentance and the cross. Thursday was on sin and forgiveness. On Thursday, Ari gave us a piece of paper that had categories of sins based on the ten commandments, and gave us our homework. Our homework was to go home, and write out two lists; one for sins/repentance, and one for things/people we need to forgive. WHAT?! Seriously!? Yeah, I'd be bold enough to say that it was the hardest assignment I have EVER been given.
How does one go about writing out sins as far back as we can think that we have never dealt with. First, you have to be humble enough to write out your sins. If you aren't then you're having pride <-- a sin. So you have to write that one too. See what I mean? As I was going through the list of sins and writing out my sins, there was none stop conviction. Then came to the forgiveness. That one was a bit easier, but still scary.
SO now you're probably wondering why we did that. Well Friday morning was the answer.
Every Friday during DTS is "application day." Therefore, we put into practice what we learned Monday-Thursday. Little did we know (well we had an idea from all the stories), this would be the most monumental days in some of the lives of the MDTS (Music DTS). We were told to dress comfortably for a long day and to bring our lists. We met in a different room than our lecture room, somewhere more secluded, around 8:30 AM. We started with an hour of worship, and then the fun began. At the center of the room were three chairs. One for Ari, one for our Small Group leader, and the center chair for us. One at a time as led (not forced, but everyone participated), we took a lead of faith and sat in the middle chair with our lists. We confessed our sins....every....last...one....of....them in the form of a prayer. Then, we forgave. WHOA. Talk about emotions, talk about boldness, and talk about compassion. It was ABSOLUTELY amazing to see the boldness of EVERYONE (36 people, guys and girls between the ages of 17 and 31) take a step of humility and confess their deepest darkest sins, be forgiven and redeemed, and then release forgiveness to others. Everything from talking back to parents, to forgiving rapists.
After the prayers by us, Ari prayed redemption and healing into our lives. After being supported by a loud cheer and applause, we each made our way to a cross in the back of the room, nailed our lists to it, and were prayed over by our small group. So much compassion and grace in the room through hugs, encouragement notes, and happy tears.
WHAT A DAY! Well, I'm sure you're wondering what time we finished up? Well like I said, we started at 8:30 AM..... took 30 minutes for lunch, and 30 minutes for dinner, and finally left at 11:30 PM! YEAH, That's right. We went on for 15 hours! SO totally worth it though!
For me, God brought a lot of breakthrough concerning my dad. I realized this week that yes I have gotten over my angry-at-God stage, but I was harboring anger towards my dad. It was so good to release that and to also release forgiveness to others. I woke up feeling physically lighter and SO free! God is totally at work in my life, and I can't wait to keep telling you guys about it!
What a testimony to the body of Christ! Can you imagine if people did that everyday? Today, it is so foreign to confess sins because of pride. But it is necessary. One of the biggest things we learned that it is not enough to just confess to God in our spirits and hearts, but there is something about verbal repentance that will bring us closer to the Lord. Ah. So good. I have the best savior ever, and He is faithful, and GOOD! He forgives out of LOVE and is SO approachable!
Well, if you've made it this far, give yourself a pat on the back!
Thanks for reading!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Just another update...
G'day mate! How are ya? It's been great! Koala.
I think I am bold enough to say that those set of phrases accurately sums up my DTS. They are lyrics to a fun song writing contest we had here! You can hear them in the video below.
This week has been so amazing. It has been filled with laughter, tears, inside jokes, and LOTS of coffee. I can't even describe how much I love the people in my DTS. We grow closer and closer which is SUCH a blessing. I have heard a few stories of some bad DTS experiences. God is so good. We officially have 36 people in our DTS. There are so many different instruments and a range of different talents among us.
This week brought many new things. It was our first full week of a normal schedule. We also began band practice, small group, one-on-one's, and prayer chain. In my band, we are performing the songs "With or Without You" by U2 and "1, 2, 3, 4" by Feist for a fundraiser for outreach in week 9. Also, we have to write a song which should be interesting considering I have never written a song in a group. My one-on-one is Eden. She did her Music DTS last july and is now staffing my DTS. Because she is new, Arielle (another girl staffing my DTS) sits in with us, so technically it is a two-on-one. We meet together for about an hour a week just to chat and see what I'm learning and how I am. Arielle and Eden combine their one-on-ones together and we have small group on Tuesday nights. There are seven of us girls plus Eden and Arielle. One of the things I love about YWAM is the different levels of intimacy we have with different people. It really gives you a chance to become close to so many people. On thursday nights here, we have evangelism. Evangelism is something that YWAM Perth is known for. The whole base gets together and goes on in small groups to evangelize in Perth. Then of course on friday nights we have Friday Night Meeting (YWAM church).
Something that started for us this week is Prayer Chain. For the last 14 years, there has been constant 24 hour prayer at YWAM Perth. My DTS has a shift from midnight-7 AM on saturdays. So our DTS splits up into smaller groups and we all take an hour. Of course, my shift is at 3 AM. Yeah 3 AM people. So there are four of us that gather at the wee hour and intercede together for a variety of things. Whatever God puts on our hearts.
Week Two's lectures were on the Nature and Character of God. And wow was it amazing. Initially I was not super pumped about this week, not that I was dreading it, but I was looking forward to other weeks more. But that changed. I learned so much. there were so many things that God revealed to me. Mainly about his goodness. I always have known things about God's nature and character, but it wasn't until this week that I really began to BELIEVE it. Fridays here are "Application Day". For week two, we had an intense time of worship. Our speaker Josh, challenged us to really focus on who God is and worship Him for that. Another thing Josh had us do was picture a time in our life that we had trouble and to look at it like a photograph and imagine WHERE God was during that time that we may not have seen before. He also encouraged us to journal during the time of worship. Again, God really revealed Himself to me. There was such a sense of freedom and direction during the morning. Many people got words for others and there were many chains broken and walls smashed. God is so good.
We have had other great times of corporate worship too!
PRAYER REQUEST:
Please pray that God will reveal himself to me and give me direction for after DTS. Please pray that God will begin to break my heart for the nation He wants me to outreach to. And please pray for a continued smooth transition into my new home!
Week three, this week, is on Forgiveness & Repentance. Every YWAM-er I know says this is the most pivotal week during DTS. Hard during the week, but such a sense of breakthrough and closeness with the other DTS-ers after. So get ready! I'm sure I'll have a lot to say next week,
Until then,
I'm Grace....
and this is "Grace Talks"
hehe.
I think I am bold enough to say that those set of phrases accurately sums up my DTS. They are lyrics to a fun song writing contest we had here! You can hear them in the video below.
This week has been so amazing. It has been filled with laughter, tears, inside jokes, and LOTS of coffee. I can't even describe how much I love the people in my DTS. We grow closer and closer which is SUCH a blessing. I have heard a few stories of some bad DTS experiences. God is so good. We officially have 36 people in our DTS. There are so many different instruments and a range of different talents among us.
This week brought many new things. It was our first full week of a normal schedule. We also began band practice, small group, one-on-one's, and prayer chain. In my band, we are performing the songs "With or Without You" by U2 and "1, 2, 3, 4" by Feist for a fundraiser for outreach in week 9. Also, we have to write a song which should be interesting considering I have never written a song in a group. My one-on-one is Eden. She did her Music DTS last july and is now staffing my DTS. Because she is new, Arielle (another girl staffing my DTS) sits in with us, so technically it is a two-on-one. We meet together for about an hour a week just to chat and see what I'm learning and how I am. Arielle and Eden combine their one-on-ones together and we have small group on Tuesday nights. There are seven of us girls plus Eden and Arielle. One of the things I love about YWAM is the different levels of intimacy we have with different people. It really gives you a chance to become close to so many people. On thursday nights here, we have evangelism. Evangelism is something that YWAM Perth is known for. The whole base gets together and goes on in small groups to evangelize in Perth. Then of course on friday nights we have Friday Night Meeting (YWAM church).
Something that started for us this week is Prayer Chain. For the last 14 years, there has been constant 24 hour prayer at YWAM Perth. My DTS has a shift from midnight-7 AM on saturdays. So our DTS splits up into smaller groups and we all take an hour. Of course, my shift is at 3 AM. Yeah 3 AM people. So there are four of us that gather at the wee hour and intercede together for a variety of things. Whatever God puts on our hearts.
Week Two's lectures were on the Nature and Character of God. And wow was it amazing. Initially I was not super pumped about this week, not that I was dreading it, but I was looking forward to other weeks more. But that changed. I learned so much. there were so many things that God revealed to me. Mainly about his goodness. I always have known things about God's nature and character, but it wasn't until this week that I really began to BELIEVE it. Fridays here are "Application Day". For week two, we had an intense time of worship. Our speaker Josh, challenged us to really focus on who God is and worship Him for that. Another thing Josh had us do was picture a time in our life that we had trouble and to look at it like a photograph and imagine WHERE God was during that time that we may not have seen before. He also encouraged us to journal during the time of worship. Again, God really revealed Himself to me. There was such a sense of freedom and direction during the morning. Many people got words for others and there were many chains broken and walls smashed. God is so good.
We have had other great times of corporate worship too!
PRAYER REQUEST:
Please pray that God will reveal himself to me and give me direction for after DTS. Please pray that God will begin to break my heart for the nation He wants me to outreach to. And please pray for a continued smooth transition into my new home!
Week three, this week, is on Forgiveness & Repentance. Every YWAM-er I know says this is the most pivotal week during DTS. Hard during the week, but such a sense of breakthrough and closeness with the other DTS-ers after. So get ready! I'm sure I'll have a lot to say next week,
Until then,
I'm Grace....
and this is "Grace Talks"
hehe.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Limestone, Fish 'n' Chips, and Caffissimo
Well my first full week has come to a close. I have been here for nine days, and I seriously cannot explain to you how much I love this place. It's Sunday night here, and I am anticipating a long week ahead. But before I get ahead of myself, let me fill you in on what this past week brought me.
This past Monday, and Tuesday were full of orientation and registration. Mainly, we learned about the base, Australian lingo and culture, and the history of YWAM Perth. EVERY-single-thing on my base happens because someone on base leadership heard from the Lord. Everything from why we have a coffee shop, why we do family chores, and why our building is mostly glass and windows has God's hand in it. It is so awesome. During these two days, we had a base wide barby, school worship, and many times devoted to fellowship.
Wednesday we officially started our lectures. This past week our lectures were on Hearing the Voice of the Lord and Quiet Times. Our speaker was one of the base leaders from South Africa. She was so good, and the things she said really hit home for me. On Thursday, she made us practice hearing from the Lord and it was so great. We all went to a quiet place on base and asked God two things: "What do you think of me, Lord?" and "What would you have for me in these six months?" One of the things we learned about was deciphering between hearing our own voice, and the Lord's voice. So the first thing I did was ask God to let me only hear His voice. Immediately I couldn't hear my own thoughts. The very first thing that came to my mind was the word "Limestone." I knew it was God for sure because there is nothing in me that would make me think of limestone on my own. So I used my handy-dandy iPhone and looked up limestone. The very first words that came up were "elegant in appearance", "pure", and "strong." That was EXACTLY what I needed to hear God say that he thinks of me. That was such a cool experience.
During this week, we also got our Family Chores, Work Duties, and Bands. Family chores is something that YWAM Perth feels very strongly about. YWAM Perth feels called to be as much of a family as it can, therefore we don't have a separate cleaning crew, but instead we all pitch in. For the next three weeks, I am on lunch set up every morning from 8:00-8:25. In three weeks, it will change, so that we all experience other areas of base. My work duty however, is lunch dishes. For the next three MONTHS from 1:30-3:30, I will be scrubbing pots and pans and then begin dinner preparations. God has such a sense of humor considering dishes was the LAST thing I wanted to do. HAHA.
Yesterday, we found our band assignments. Our DTS of 37 people was split into 7 bands. We each have 2 hours a week to practice. Our assignment is to cover 2 songs and write an original. I am so excited about becoming close with my band and blending each of our styles. In 8 weeks we will be holding a fundraiser and performing these songs for an outreach fundraiser.
This weekend has been so fun. Our DTS went to Fremantle (a local beach) yesterday and had the best fish 'n' chips ever. Other than that, this weekend has been full of heart-to-hearts with my fellow dts-ers, mile long walks to a caffissimo for coffee and internet usage (Facebook is currently down on base), and many laughs. I am so in love with these people, the city, and the iced coffee.
Next weeks post will be pretty great considering tomorrow we start morning workouts at SIX AM!
I applaud you if you have read this whole post.
See you next week mates!
This past Monday, and Tuesday were full of orientation and registration. Mainly, we learned about the base, Australian lingo and culture, and the history of YWAM Perth. EVERY-single-thing on my base happens because someone on base leadership heard from the Lord. Everything from why we have a coffee shop, why we do family chores, and why our building is mostly glass and windows has God's hand in it. It is so awesome. During these two days, we had a base wide barby, school worship, and many times devoted to fellowship.
Wednesday we officially started our lectures. This past week our lectures were on Hearing the Voice of the Lord and Quiet Times. Our speaker was one of the base leaders from South Africa. She was so good, and the things she said really hit home for me. On Thursday, she made us practice hearing from the Lord and it was so great. We all went to a quiet place on base and asked God two things: "What do you think of me, Lord?" and "What would you have for me in these six months?" One of the things we learned about was deciphering between hearing our own voice, and the Lord's voice. So the first thing I did was ask God to let me only hear His voice. Immediately I couldn't hear my own thoughts. The very first thing that came to my mind was the word "Limestone." I knew it was God for sure because there is nothing in me that would make me think of limestone on my own. So I used my handy-dandy iPhone and looked up limestone. The very first words that came up were "elegant in appearance", "pure", and "strong." That was EXACTLY what I needed to hear God say that he thinks of me. That was such a cool experience.
During this week, we also got our Family Chores, Work Duties, and Bands. Family chores is something that YWAM Perth feels very strongly about. YWAM Perth feels called to be as much of a family as it can, therefore we don't have a separate cleaning crew, but instead we all pitch in. For the next three weeks, I am on lunch set up every morning from 8:00-8:25. In three weeks, it will change, so that we all experience other areas of base. My work duty however, is lunch dishes. For the next three MONTHS from 1:30-3:30, I will be scrubbing pots and pans and then begin dinner preparations. God has such a sense of humor considering dishes was the LAST thing I wanted to do. HAHA.
Yesterday, we found our band assignments. Our DTS of 37 people was split into 7 bands. We each have 2 hours a week to practice. Our assignment is to cover 2 songs and write an original. I am so excited about becoming close with my band and blending each of our styles. In 8 weeks we will be holding a fundraiser and performing these songs for an outreach fundraiser.
This weekend has been so fun. Our DTS went to Fremantle (a local beach) yesterday and had the best fish 'n' chips ever. Other than that, this weekend has been full of heart-to-hearts with my fellow dts-ers, mile long walks to a caffissimo for coffee and internet usage (Facebook is currently down on base), and many laughs. I am so in love with these people, the city, and the iced coffee.
Next weeks post will be pretty great considering tomorrow we start morning workouts at SIX AM!
I applaud you if you have read this whole post.
See you next week mates!
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