Last post before outreach.

Hello!
For outreach, I will be with a team of 9 other people, going to Indonesia for one month, and Thailand for one month.
Not exactly sure what we will be doing during these two months.
If you would like to pray for us, please pray that we will not see this as just another part of our DTS, but rather as a chance to serve people as Jesus did, and also for protection. (Spiritualy and Physicaly).
Thank you all for your support, and constent encouragement! I love you all!
God Bless you, and keep you.
David.

Kingdom of Heaven, and Prayer week...

Hello!
I did not post last week because I felt that the past two weeks worked hand in hand. One week ago, the topic was the Kingdom of Heaven. NOT Heaven itself. The Kingdom of Heaven is simply the physical acts, and effect of the people who serve Jesus by being the example of what Jesus did, which was serve others. The parable of the leavened bread is a perfect example of The Kingdom. Even though there is only a little bit of leaven in the bread, it is leavened all the way through. Example: if some a church were to build a playground for every one to use, and some of the mothers got together, and started just building friendships, and spreading joy, THAT is the Kingdom of God at work. Then if some of the mothers there found out that one of the families that uses the park is struggling to make ends meet, and they all pitch in to support them in a rough time, THAT is the Kingdom of God at work! When Jesus said "The Kingdom of God is at hand," he meant it. The Kingdom of God is not the Church either. The Church is not a building that we all gather at, but the body of Christ. The Church and the Kingdom work hand in hand. When the Church benefits the Kingdom, the Kingdom will in turn start to bless the Church. That is what I love about how God sets things up! To work hand in hand. Also, in the Lords Prayer, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven." Heaven is perfect. God desires us, all of us to live within the Kingdom. When we pray, we are to pray as Gods will, not our own be done. Ya, that can be a scary thing, but when we are truly fearing God, we will be obedient to him up to death.


Prayer Week.
This week, we had groups of five people switching off praying every three hours for five days. Literally, the whole week, we were praying. Prayer is so much more powerful then we think. Christians in China pray three to five hours a day. Christians in South Korea pray two to three hours a day. Christians in North America, three to five minutes a day. Look to China! Look to South Korea! Those are the places that Revival is happening! Before every great revival, some one started praying. China, a Communist nation, South Korea, not a Communist nation, are seeing revival, despite persecution, or despite living comfortably, without the immediate threat of Death.
This week, God has Blessed us greatly. People in our group who are Narcoleptic, Celiac, people with swollen ankles, and people with painful knees were all healed this week! Why? Because of Prayer. God wants us to talk to him. It is a two way relationship with God. There is no waiting around for God to just show up. The more we press in to God, the more he will reveal His awesomeness to us. Some times it does not happen instantly. Even if we do not see results, God is still working. One of my leaders went on an outreach and had the group that he lead pray for two hours every day before they started anything. Six weeks went by, and they saw no results of their prayers. Then, they were preaching to an unreached peoples group, and God started to use them like they have never seen before. People were getting healed, and people were getting saved! Some times, we wont even see the fruits of our labor though. Because two people prayed with an eight year old sixty eight years ago, then never saw the boy again, three generations of a family are now Christians. Prayer is essential, the the essence of communicating with God. Through prayer do we talk with God, and through prayer does God answer us.
At the end of the week, we went down to the beach, and sang some worship music for hours. After about three minutes though, we had people coming up to us, and asking us questions. It was great! At one point, there was about thirty people just standing around us, listening, and some were worshiping with is too! We even saw a few non Christians come to know the Lord that night!
God Bless you all!

David

Just some feelings...

These are just some random thoughts that I have been having. Not to be taken seriously or anything.

1. I really miss my guitar.

2. I really miss my Ipod, BUT if I had my guitar, I could play all the songs that are on my Ipod...
3. I even if i had my guitar here, there is no way I would be able to play it because I would also need my amp, and I'm not sure I would be able to lug an amp around Indonesia and Thailand when I am out-reach.
4. I want to write some songs. I cannot do that here because I do not have my Guitar.

5. I miss the good old Mennonite cooking. I should really whip up a batch of Perogies or something.

6. I'm usually in the mood to go play football or soccer or something.

7. Why is there no Ozone layer above Australia? SPF 50 barely keeps you not burnt.

8. I'm in Australia.

9. Water is good for you!

10. Tim Tam SLAM!!

11. Room mates do NOT appreciate it when you are up half the night coughing.

12. People say the funniest things in their sleep.

14. Cordial is best mixed with water. NOT strait up.

15. Why is there no Morning Tea back at home?

16. What will a Christmas without snow be like?

17. Who is Melchezideck?

18. BOOM, Roasted.

19. The Sage of Washington Oaks - The Color Morale.

20. I skipped #13.

Destiny by Design...

Hello!

This week the topic was "Destiny by Design," spoken to us by Ryan Kirk. He opened up the week with a trip to the Graveyard to look at all those who have passed away, and to see how they are remembered by what the inscription on the Gravestone says. This got us to thinking how we would like to be remembered, and other thoughts about Heaven and such. There was a reoccurring verse that went along with his speaking. "Naked I was born into the world, and naked I will depart..." - Job 1:21. This idea about how we should live a life like we have nothing to lose, except the things that will be eaten by moths, or be withered away to nothing by rust.
A lot of the time, we are consumed with our well-being, and storing our security in our materials and our money. God can take it away in a matter of seconds and then where does our security go?
Mr. Kirk also talked about the future. Our future should be involving the gifts that God has given us. If some one is good at Wood working, he would not go and pursue a career in fishing, trying to be the next host of a fishing show. He would use what he has been given, something that has come natural to him, and pursue a career in wood working. Take Barnabas. His gift was encouragement (hence being called the Son of Encouragement). He followed Paul from Church to Church encouraging Paul and the Church. When Paul was fed up with Mark, and how he did not evangelize enough, Barnabas kept encouraging Paul to give him another chance. Two chapters later, Paul was asking for Mark to come with him because, "He is a useful tool to me."
Another point that came across, and struck me like a book was, "how does living with an eternal perspective change the view we have on the unsaved?" How do we view those who are unsaved when we are going to Heaven, and you know very well that those who are unsaved are going to die into an eternity of physical and spiritual anguish? We should never let an opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ slip away. Plant seeds, and save lives.

Thank you for your continual support and prayers. They mean more then words can ever express.

David

Missions Week...

Hello!
This week, Chris and Susanne Donaldson, from Christchurch New Zealand, came to speak on the Missions heart of God.
One fact that they shared is that only 2% of all missionaries are reaching to the people who have not been reached. Only 2%.
God is a God of Missions. In the Old Testament, God sets up the Israelites to be missionaries. In Deut. 4:5-8 Moses says that if you follow the Law, the Nations will see how we are at peace, how we are not sick, and how we are in tune with our God.
And in Joshua, the cities that are to be conquered by the Israelites are trembling with fear because God has delivered them from Pharaohs hand by parting the Red Sea.
Every one around them were seeing, and recognizing that their God is a God that was real.
Chris also talked about the different roles that missionaries are to take on, according to their gifts.
Paul was the Pioneer. Romans 12:20, 2nd Cor. 11:22-24, Acts 20:3,4
Phillip was the Evangelist. Acts 8:4-8, Acts 8:26-36, Acts 11:19-20
Barnabus was the Encourager and Supporter. Acts 4:36-37, Acts 9:26-27, Acts 13:1,2
Gaius was for Hospitality. 3rd John 5-9
And there are many more to add to the list...
We then talked about how even when there is former existence of God in Nations, he will still make himself known.
In Athens when Paul was visiting, he went to debate with the scholars of the day. He then brought up the alter to the "Unknown God." Who that Unknown God was, was the Lord Almighty.

In the 6th Century BC, there was a very bad plague that was going around Athens. Once they had all offered sacrifices to the major gods (Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, ect...) they then went to the Oracles of the day. God gave a vision to the Oracle of Delfi to go see the Poet Epimenides regarding the matter. Epemenides said that you should get sheep to fast for several days, and when the days are up, send them out. Where they lay down, you will build an alter, and sacrifice to this God. Epimenides did not give the name of the Lord, because he did not know it. One thing about sheep is that they will not lay down until they have been feed, and their stomach is full. For the Greeks to see starving sheep laying down was a sign to them that this "unknown god" was the true God. Once they made the sacrifice, the plague stopped, and they want back to their ways.
God will make himself known to nations, but needs us to be his hands and feet to reach to the nations that are waiting, and hungry for the truth. When God calls you to a certain area, he will also call others to support you.
God is a God of Missions. Amen?
Thank you for your continual prayers and support!
God Bless you all!
David.

The Nature and Characteristics of God...

Hello!
Week 4 has come to and end. This week, Judy Smith (the speaker) talked about the Nature and Characteristic of God. She opened up the week by looking at the first three chapters in Genesis, and breaking down the original intended relationship that God wanted with us. One thing that she stressed is that God wants community with us. She looked at how important the concept of the Trinity was. It tells us that God has been living in Community with Jesus and the Holy Spirit for an eternity before the earth was created. She also looked at how Isahia 53 is the exact prophecy of Jesus, and how every verse fits the life of Jesus perfectly.
She then looked at the Servent Characteristic of God. Jesus came to serve us, not to rule us. if you look at the world, and its view on things, you come up with words and phrases such as: Dictator, Power, Personal Gain, Controling, The American Dream, Selfish, Fear, Abusive.
If you look at what Jesus was trying to do, you get words like: Humble, Self Sacrificing, Love, Last, Caring, Good Heart, Selfless, Thoughtful, Generous and Respectful. It is good to look at things with the Jesus point of view. It makes things much more enjoyable in the World.

The last thing that Judy said was the God raises the Dead. This was important because if he did not raise the dead, then how are we to get to Heaven when we die?

Thank you for support and prayers!
David

Hearing Gods Voice...

Hello!
This week, our topic was Hearing Gods Voice. The speakers name was Jason Solari, from Sarasota, Florida. He intentional left out ways of hearing Gods Voice until the last day so that we would not be just expecting to hear Gods voice in every little thing that we did.

He started off the lectures with an exercise that was rather interesting, but very practical. He made us pair up, then stare into each others eyes for 3 mins. The rules were that we could not talk, laugh, and we have to learn something new about the person that we are paired up with. I learned that Jared Brown does not give up to easily.
The next day, Mr. Solari then talked about communication. 93% of communication is non-verbal. The basics in communication is that there is a Sender, a Message, and a Receiver. What prevents that Message from coming to us is something called Noise. The noise that is in our lives that separates us from receiving Gods message varies. It could be anything from stronghold that Satan has in our lives. It could be a bad relationship that we are not letting go of, and not forgiving. It could be something that is not a sin, but effecting our time spent with God.
In the end, God can communicate with us through many things. Through other people, through reading his word, through animals (refer to the story of Balem), and many more ways.
Mr. Solari is really practical with his teachings, and making every day situations on how to communicate with God, and how to communicate with others. We can not have a one sided relationship with God, just asking, and asking, and asking for things. We have to talk, and listen. God will always answer us, even if it is in a way that we are not expecting (ie. in animals) ;)
In Genesis, when Adam and Eve were hiding from God, the bible says that God was walking in the cool of the day, and searching for Adam and Eve. He longs to talk to us, and longs to have a relationship with us, despite us not being worthy, and constantly taking his grace for granted.

Thank you for your continual support, and prayers!
God Bless you!

David

Fear of the Lord...

Hello!
This week, we had a speaker who came in to speak on the topic, "Fear of the Lord". His name is Glen Vine, and he was a missionary in Tibet for 12 years.
A lot of the things he said was on marriage, more then Fearing God, but when he did talk about the subject at hand, he said a lot of things that really hit home why we are to Fear the Lord, and how to do so. He talked about how a lot of Christians place following God into Law, or Grace. Those who live by the Law are those who are like the Pharisees. They draw lines that must be followed so that they do not break the covenant that God has made with them. The ones who live by Grace are those who will sin, and just say, "God will forgive me of it later." and they do not repent and change their ways. Mr. Vine says that we are to have a plumb line hanging between Law and Grace, and that we are to not sway one way or another. We are supposed to have not laws, but the values that Christ has given us are to govern our lives. If we do fall away from those values, we are to repent of or sins, and seek a change in our lives so that we do not fall that way again.

Glen talked a lot about spiritual warfare. He talked about the different spirits (fear, guilt, depression...etc.) and that even when we are deep with our walk with God, they can still have an influence on us. He also talked about how to stop them from accomplishing their mission. He said that when we have fear of the Lord, the spirits would fear us.
Summed up in one sentence, the Fear of the Lord is to respect and honor the values of God, and to fear the consequences of not following the values.
What I really liked about Glen was that at the beginning of the week, he made the statement, "Some of the things I will say might not be of the bible, but of my own opinion. If you disagree, or have different feelings about a certain issue, talk to me about it, pray about it, and check in the Bible about the subject." There was one or two things that I did not agree with him, and I still don't, a lot of the things he said this week were really truthful, and biblically correct.
Again, thank you for your Prayers and Support!
God Bless
David

Week One, Orientation

Hello!

Week one was orientation/getting to know every one that we will be working with for the next 3 months. We had a few days of every one telling their story of faith. It was extremely moving to see where some of the people have come from. Seeing how God has moved in these peoples lives to bring them to where they are now, is truly amazing.
Worship. We have only had 3 worship sessions, but they have been spirit filled and God provided. Every time, God has brought me to tears because of his grace and beauty. But they were not tears of sorrow, or of guilt, but tears of great Joy! Joy because of the gift of Jesus Christ.
"And I tell you this, that there is no greater love that a man lays down his life for his friends..."
Already, this has been a trip where God has revealed himself, and his will to me. Thank you all for praying for me, and encouraging me.
God Bless
David

The Starting...

Hello!
On September 24th, at 4:00PM, Steven Robinson and I stepped off the airplane to the beautiful land of Sunshine Coast, Australia! With the warm temperature of +23 Degrees Celsius, we felt extremely blessed to finally be in Australia, where God has placed our hearts. One thing that I have already noticed, that not even after twenty four hours of meeting every one who has come to the YWAM base, we already feel extremely unified! I thank God for this very much.

Well, we have not had any classes or anything yet, so I can not write anything more (unless you would like me to continue to describe the scenery).

Thank you all for your Support and Prayers! your encouragement and blessing mean more to me than I can ever express!

God Bless

David.