The teams from the Snowboarding DTS leave for outreach next week! A lot of the students still had outreach fees that they didn’t have the money for. Every quarter, our base does a “giving day.” This is an opportunity for every member of the base to invest in the teams being sent out as well as to listen to the Holy Spirit and respond to what He is saying by giving generously. The students leaving for outreach needed a total of about $26,000 – a task that seemed nearly impossible for most of them. Some individuals still owed upwards of $5,000! We took an hour of the morning and started to worship the Lord and declare His faithfulness over the need. IN ONE HOUR, we raised nearly $28,000 for the students... ALL DONATED BY YWAMERS!!! SERIOUSLY I AM STILL SHOCKED, but that is GOD! Always doing more than we can ask or imagine! Some of the students left with an ABUNDANCE and WAY MORE than they even needed. I totally believe that is the mindset of the Kingdom of God!
GUESS WHAT! It was my birthday on September 8th! I turned 23 years old!!! THAT IS CRAZY TO ME! I am growing up! I feel so loved here, even though I am thousands of miles away from the people closest to me. The highlight of my day was Skyping Sarah back home, as this was our first birthday apart from each other. I miss her like crazy, of course! I am growing increasingly thankful for the people that are here, and it is starting to feel a little more life family! Here's a picture of me as a 23 year old loving life!
Just kidding, here's a better one.
There are ten of us staffing the October DTS so we have really been getting to know each other over the past couple of weeks of staff training. We have had speakers come in and speak on topics like leadership, relationships, and authority. I have already started planning for outreach with my coleader (this means I know where I am going, but shhhh, I can't tell anyone yet!) We have also spent a ton of time in prayer for the students coming and have really been seeking the Lord for what He is saying over the October school. During this time, we believe that God is increasing our capacity to go deep with Him and with each other as well. The Lord is cultivating a culture of family and hunger here, even before the students come. We also believe that this school is going to be marked with identity and holiness. We know that God is outpouring His Spirit on His sons and daughters and we believe that we will experience what that means on this school. STUDENTS GET HERE IN A WEEK Y'ALL SO BE PRAYING FOR THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS!
Here’s a cool story! So we had Amy Ward, the founder of Circuit Riders and the Fire and Fragrance DTS at YWAM Kona, come and speak on our school. She taught on the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. I know that I have the gift of discernment and her teaching gave me so much clarity on how to use my gift with the guidance of Holy Spirit. One night after one of her lectures I was lying in bed talking with the Lord and He showed me a picture of me going up to the microphone during worship at our base and giving an “altar call” for ministry. The Lord told me, “Step out and be bold.” He said to speak to the people that are struggling with body image and the people with overpowering thoughts about food. He told me that He wanted to shake off shame and release freedom over their minds. I felt the nearness of God and said back to Him, “Reveal your beauty God; I feel it stirring in me.” I wrote all of this down in my journal after God spoke to me, but I had no idea what it was for. I prayed into the word for a little bit and then went to sleep.
The next day we had a base-wide worship night and the Lord told me to go up to the microphone and release the word He had given me the night before. Doubt came over me with questions like, "Was this even God? What if no one responds to this and I just look like an idiot in the front of the room?" I decided in that moment to take a risk on what I felt like God wanted to do in the room and I went to the front. The power of vulnerability in the room completely obliterated shame and more than 20 people at our base came up to the front to receive prayer and the freedom that God has for them. PEOPLE WERE SET FREE THAT NIGHT BY THE KINDNESS OF JESUS AND THE TRUTH ABOUT THEIR IDENTITY. It was such a cool learning moment for me too because I know that I am learning more and more what the Father’s voice sounds like and what He wants me to do with what He is speaking to me.
The next day we had a base-wide worship night and the Lord told me to go up to the microphone and release the word He had given me the night before. Doubt came over me with questions like, "Was this even God? What if no one responds to this and I just look like an idiot in the front of the room?" I decided in that moment to take a risk on what I felt like God wanted to do in the room and I went to the front. The power of vulnerability in the room completely obliterated shame and more than 20 people at our base came up to the front to receive prayer and the freedom that God has for them. PEOPLE WERE SET FREE THAT NIGHT BY THE KINDNESS OF JESUS AND THE TRUTH ABOUT THEIR IDENTITY. It was such a cool learning moment for me too because I know that I am learning more and more what the Father’s voice sounds like and what He wants me to do with what He is speaking to me.