Intimacy

I want intimacy with someone. Someone to hold hands with, hug often, sit next to, talk to about little things, think about during the day, and have inside jokes with. I don't have that person, and it's frustrating just once in a while...

"James. I live inside you! I listen to everything you say. I know what you think about. In fact, I will be involved in your daily life as much as you want me to be. Eat my flesh and drink my blood."

How's that for intimacy?

...

This song has changed me. (Thanks sis)

Outreach to Thailand and Malaysia!

Outreach!!!

I'm so excited to say that I'm on a team of 13 going to Thailand and Malaysia on a mission trip for a total of three months! We leave December 5th, will spend one month in Penang, Malaysia, and then two months in Thailand (in Pattaya and Nangbualumphu).

As far as Penang, Malaysia, the details aren't totally worked out, but it will probably include spending time at a homeless drop-in shelter, a 24-hour prayer center, and helping people who have a ministry with the prostitutes there.

As far as Thailand, God spoke to us about children, so we're working at a children's center in Pattaya (central/southern Thailand). We're going to use our musical talents to spread the gospel as well.

As staff of the mission trip, one of our goals is to set up many opportunities for the students to share their faith and to spread the gospel through works of love. Our team represents the USA, Scotland, Finland, Switzerland, South Africa, Brazil, and Australia!

The team!

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,"

So we're going out in the authority that Christ gave us, the same authority that he used to do his mighty works, expecting mighty, world-changing things, trusting that, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."

If you would like to be a part of this, pray for us: (the staff) Me, Heidi, Mike and Jessi, and their two boys Kael and Owen, and (the students) Hugo, Chloe, Stefan, Esther, Linda, Michi, and Meg. Another way to be a part of this is to help fund the journey financially.

If you're from the U.S. of A., you can send money to 

YWAM

PO Box 3000,

Garden Valley, TX, 75771-3000

If you're from Canada, you can send money to

Project Funding

PO Box 57100 Vancouver, BC

V5K 1Z0

If you don't need a tax receipt, you can send electronically

Go to Paypal

I feel strongly that the Lord will provide all the money, but if you want to claim ownership in what God will do through us, this is how you can give. :-)  Peace to all of you who reads!

Wow!

Wow. So this Discipleship Training School has been one of the best things for me. Even as a staff member, simply being present for the lectures has caused so much thought and heart-change. 

Being in a place of leadership, too, has helped me grow in maturity and the challenge that people are watching how I walk is sobering. Too long had I worked in ministry and only haphazardly pursued a friendship with God. "Too long" was actually only 9 months of being on staff, but far too much time to only be focused on looking after numero uno. In a house of a dozen men, there's more motivation to get up early and have a quiet time. Both because it sets a good example, and also because Lord knows I need it.

Nexia Outreach leaders
From left - Jessi, Heidi, Me, Mike

The lecture phase is over half over now! Outreach is coming up fast, and I'll update you all on that soon. But I wanted to say that I'm growing and changing, that the couple dozen other people in this community are growing and changing to be more like Jesus. It is largely due to prayer and intentional acts. That's a decent amount of what we do - pray, and intentionally seek ways to encourage growth. By "growth" I'm implying a personal, passionate relationship with Jesus, the Savior, and the journey that inevitably accompanies being best friends with the holiest Being in the universe.

I find so much joy in this! It's work with reward and a sense of fulfillment I couldn't find almost anywhere else. The most significant thing that's happened to me recently is a deeper love for Jesus. I'm finding that, more and more, he's the apple of my eye.

Anyway, here's a poem I wrote during worship yesterday.

Jesus! 

Saying your name makes me smile inside

Jesus! 

Your love and your grace make me lighter in stride

Jesus! 

There is no other name that touches my soul

Jesus! 

There’s no other one who makes me feel whole

I see your beauty throughout my days

Your peace and joy clear away the haze

I wave goodbye to fear, doubt and strife, cause

To know you, God, is eternal life

Treasure Hunt

A Treasure Hunt is where a small team prays together for signs, for clues, and then tries to find them, looking to God to provide these people he's highlighted.

A couple weeks ago, these are some of the clues we received:
Hugo - A girl sitting down at Nanaimo park. A worker at the Thai Restaurant on Hastings St.
James - Checkered shirt. Orange.
Linda - Purple and yellow stripes. Children's section at the library.

And these are the things that happened:
The girl sitting at Nanaimo park was talking on her phone. After 10 minutes we started to leave and I saw a guy in an orange shirt. I was outgoingly rejected, though!Then the checkered shirt lady (Linda recognized her earlier) rejected prayer as well, followed by an elderly cycling lady who parked for a moment at the closed library, only to shortly after, shaking her head at me.

Linda then prayed for 2 girls together, one wearing a purple jacket and the other a yellow, and they were open to it! This was in front of the children's section of the library. Hugo had to go to the bank where I spoke to an Irish lady selling Visa cards inside the door. Naomi said we could pray for her grand-dad, Patty. No specifics, but we said, "okay," and prayed after leaving the bank. Then, guess who we saw!The lady from the park! She was off her phone, now, and Linda stopped her, told the whole story, and then asked if she wanted prayer. She was excited to say, "Yes, for me and my boyfriend." So Linda prayed.

Then we went to the Thai Food place, where the owner said her family was suffering from the flooding in Thailand. At the end, Hugo and I offered prayer to Gao, and she said, "I'm Buddhist, so I don't know." So Hugo said, "Okay, I pray at home."

Just another day in the Discipleship Training School.