The first half of the outreach is already finished! We have been here in Puerto Rico for three weeks, and have three more to go. God has been moving like crazy, in the team and in the activities that we have been participating in. We are majorly blessed to be staying at the YWAM base in San Juan, where the leaders are old friends of Chris and Johanna (my leaders). We have had some busy times and some times of rest, but in everything we can see God moving. Sometimes I get frustrated when plans fall through and churches cancel, or we just don't have a lot of activities, but I feel that God is teaching me that it is about seeing how he is moving in every situation, even when we are not necessarily being intentional about sharing the gospel. For example, we went to do some washing at a laundromat, and ended up sharing about the love of Jesus with the owner of the place. Or we end up chatting with the kiosk owners at the beach, or the cashier at Walgreens. And that's what it's really about, learning how to live a life like Jesus, how to be available at all times to share what God has done in our lives. Even the days that we spend at the beach, God has being speaking to me how much I still doubt that he wants to bless us, that it doesn't matter how much or how little "work" we do, he still is for us and in love with us. If we could only know his ways, maybe the crash of the waves would look different to us. Maybe the hardships and challenges of our lives would have another perspective. Maybe the frustrations and the setbacks we see in or lives would have a different effect on how we live.
Nonetheless, we have been able to connect with a group of churches called Catacumbas here on the island, and have done several different things with them. We had the opportunity to work in the school run by one of the churches, to sing and sane and drum for them, do face painting and balloon animals, and teach some of the older guys some body percussion rhythms. With the same church we spent some time in a government housing neighbourhood to serve food and do some performances. I had a chance to pray for a little boy who stopped by with his mom. I was explaining why we were there, and she was so excited because her son has a missionary calling over his life. So we prayed for him and his mom, and they stayed to chat for a while. It was such a real way to see how we need to invest in the next generation, to not only be an example for them, but to cover them and protect their calling as well. With another church, we performed at a Christmas fair outside one of the baseball stadiums here, and had some good conversations about the real meaning of Christmas, and the hope it brought us. As well we have had several street evangelism times in the evenings (because it is just too warm during the day) and met some really amazing people, and were able to share things we have learned and experienced with God, and just bless the neighbourhoods we were in.
These next three weeks we have some more activities planned with different churches, but as well we are preparing for the festival of San Sebastián. The streets of old San Juan will be full of people, music, partying, and a lot of need. We are going to be hosting a "pre San Sebastián" where whoever wants to join us will come for workshops on evangelism through the arts. Then for the 4 days of festival we will be in the streets during the evenings, performing and hitting the old town with everything we have, and sharing the love of God with anyone we can.
Things to pray for:
-safety for the team, especially during the festival
-breakthrough for the island and for us
-favour of God in the areas we will be going to
-the YWAM base in San Juan
Thankyou all for you love, support, and prayers!
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Sunday, November 29, 2015
In Between the Waves
I always lose track of time. There is not much going on, and then all of a sudden we are running with things, and then two months have passed already. During the last few months, we had several teachers come with topics such as renewing our minds, prophecy, and God's plumb line. In this last week we had some amazing friends from Spain come to teach about hearing God, leaving the desert behind us, and having expectations in God. We were so blessed to have them here, even for just a few days.
We also had several ministry opportunities come up unexpectedly. For example, we found out on the day that Mumford and Sons would be playing at a venue in Camden. So a few of us decided to wait and see if there would be any extras let in. Unfortunately we didn't get in to see the concert, but we spent several hours in line talking with the people around us and sharing about what we do for God. Also, we were interviewed for a crew that was making a video for the band so they could see how their music was influencing people. They asked us why we were there and how Mumford's music has influenced us and others. We were able to share that we are artists as well, and that we actually pray for the band regularly. The camera crew was really touched, and we were really encouraged as well. As well, two of our teammates (who are actresses) received free tickets to the Radio Times Festival here in London, to participate in the audience of a panel of one of their favorite shows, Call the Midwife. They were able to speak to some of the actors, who they as well are praying for, and share some words from God for them.
Just a few days ago, we held our third exhibition of the year, to showcase works from the students and share what God has done in them in these last few months. It is a chance to learn how to set up for exhibitions, practice performances, and also honor them and all they have put into this time with God. We had artwork, sculptures, photographs, clothing, music performances, dances, and live tattooing all in the church where we work during the week. Not many people came, but I could see that the students were proud of themselves and were really encouraging and untied with one another. God has done so much in them, and in us as staff. I only produced one piece for this exhibition, even though I had planned to do more, and I was almost disappointed with myself. I was talking with God about it, and he quieted my heart and told me that it was not about physical things that I or any of us had produced, but that the students were our true exhibition. That everything we have done these last few months has not been for us, but for God's glory in their lives, and I could really see them as God sees them.
This week we are preparing to leave for outreach to Puerto Rico. As of now, we have decided to break up the parts of the theatre production and just perform them on the streets. We will be spending time where the people are, and also spending time in different churches on the island, sharing what we do and how we do it with God. It will be a really good time, but also a new and different time. Outreach always brings a new dynamic, new growth, and new struggles. I'm so excited to see what God is going to bring to the area and to the hearts there.
Lately, God has been using the ocean as a way to teach my heart. I feel like right now we are in between waves. Not in the way that we are in a lull, but in a way that we have a time of quiet and rest before we need to gear up and hold tight. Like when you are body surfing, when the wave comes you tense up and you jump, sometimes turning your face away so you don't get splashed. But then there is the in between, where you can just float and rest for a moment. This is how I feel God working right now. He never brings more than we can handle, and as we continue to grow, he can bring bigger waves. But for now, I feel at rest in between the waves.
Thank you all for your continued love and support!
Bless you
We also had several ministry opportunities come up unexpectedly. For example, we found out on the day that Mumford and Sons would be playing at a venue in Camden. So a few of us decided to wait and see if there would be any extras let in. Unfortunately we didn't get in to see the concert, but we spent several hours in line talking with the people around us and sharing about what we do for God. Also, we were interviewed for a crew that was making a video for the band so they could see how their music was influencing people. They asked us why we were there and how Mumford's music has influenced us and others. We were able to share that we are artists as well, and that we actually pray for the band regularly. The camera crew was really touched, and we were really encouraged as well. As well, two of our teammates (who are actresses) received free tickets to the Radio Times Festival here in London, to participate in the audience of a panel of one of their favorite shows, Call the Midwife. They were able to speak to some of the actors, who they as well are praying for, and share some words from God for them.
Just a few days ago, we held our third exhibition of the year, to showcase works from the students and share what God has done in them in these last few months. It is a chance to learn how to set up for exhibitions, practice performances, and also honor them and all they have put into this time with God. We had artwork, sculptures, photographs, clothing, music performances, dances, and live tattooing all in the church where we work during the week. Not many people came, but I could see that the students were proud of themselves and were really encouraging and untied with one another. God has done so much in them, and in us as staff. I only produced one piece for this exhibition, even though I had planned to do more, and I was almost disappointed with myself. I was talking with God about it, and he quieted my heart and told me that it was not about physical things that I or any of us had produced, but that the students were our true exhibition. That everything we have done these last few months has not been for us, but for God's glory in their lives, and I could really see them as God sees them.
This week we are preparing to leave for outreach to Puerto Rico. As of now, we have decided to break up the parts of the theatre production and just perform them on the streets. We will be spending time where the people are, and also spending time in different churches on the island, sharing what we do and how we do it with God. It will be a really good time, but also a new and different time. Outreach always brings a new dynamic, new growth, and new struggles. I'm so excited to see what God is going to bring to the area and to the hearts there.
Lately, God has been using the ocean as a way to teach my heart. I feel like right now we are in between waves. Not in the way that we are in a lull, but in a way that we have a time of quiet and rest before we need to gear up and hold tight. Like when you are body surfing, when the wave comes you tense up and you jump, sometimes turning your face away so you don't get splashed. But then there is the in between, where you can just float and rest for a moment. This is how I feel God working right now. He never brings more than we can handle, and as we continue to grow, he can bring bigger waves. But for now, I feel at rest in between the waves.
Thank you all for your continued love and support!
Bless you
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Autumn Comes to London
It's September! A new season, new things, new opportunities, new ways to see God moving in the city. These last weeks have really been for digging into God. Discovering identity, intimacy, surrender, and so many other things. God has been showing me so many new sides of himself, of his character, his justice, his Father heart. One of the key verses for me in this time is Ezekiel 3:10 "Moreover, he said to me "Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.'" That it's not about hearing first, but about the time I spend opening my heart to God to receive from him. The thing about this month is I don't know what else to talk about other than God, to be honest. We are not doing anything lately except preparing for the outreach and the theatre production, and having teachings and track time. But God has just been moving so much. We have been learning about forgiveness, faith, grace, truth, rejection, authority, and too many other things that God really is bringing out of our lives. He is awakening things in each and every area of our lives right now, I almost feel like I can't catch up, but he still keeps showing us more of his goodness and faithfulness. I have my ticket to Puerto Rico! Which is just one miracle of many in the last months.
Also, it has been a dream of mine to open a cafe here in London, but obviously I have no idea how that will happen, but I know it is something from God. As a team, we have been praying about the cafe, as well as a tattoo shop, a clothing store, and a hairdressers. In the last months, God opened a door for me to be able to volunteer, and later work, in the cafe in East London. After a few weeks volunteering there, they were looking for someone to work on just the weekends, and they ended up hiring me! So I've been able to work on the weekends, take the Food and Hygiene course, and have barista training. The people I work with are so gracious, funny, and willing to teach me. It's such a miracle in my life, I still can't believe it sometimes. With it, God is really stretching me to depend on him, to be intentional in everything, and to be grateful in every moment. It's so easy to start complaining about having to go to work, or being called in on a day I wasn't supposed to work, when really it should be impossible for me to have this job, and a job that I love and is also supporting what we are moving towards with the YWAM ministry. I feel like I'm talking in circles, but I hope you all catch what I mean with this. I'm just overwhelmed with God.
These next few months we will be running with the theatre production, designing the scenery, writing scripts and music, practicing movement and percussion, and all the choreography possible. We leave at the beginning of December, and will be performing the show in different locations. The theme is about the fight we have with our logic in our mind. I know that God is going to take us all through this process personally before we are able to perform it, so it's going to be some crazy months coming.
things to pray for:
-an answer to prayer first: my ticket is paid for!!!!!
-a few others in the team are still waiting for the finances for the ticket and the outreach
-continued open doors in all the areas of the arts
-we are having and Arts Gathering in Berlin next week, for artists to come together and share vision and inspiration
Also, it has been a dream of mine to open a cafe here in London, but obviously I have no idea how that will happen, but I know it is something from God. As a team, we have been praying about the cafe, as well as a tattoo shop, a clothing store, and a hairdressers. In the last months, God opened a door for me to be able to volunteer, and later work, in the cafe in East London. After a few weeks volunteering there, they were looking for someone to work on just the weekends, and they ended up hiring me! So I've been able to work on the weekends, take the Food and Hygiene course, and have barista training. The people I work with are so gracious, funny, and willing to teach me. It's such a miracle in my life, I still can't believe it sometimes. With it, God is really stretching me to depend on him, to be intentional in everything, and to be grateful in every moment. It's so easy to start complaining about having to go to work, or being called in on a day I wasn't supposed to work, when really it should be impossible for me to have this job, and a job that I love and is also supporting what we are moving towards with the YWAM ministry. I feel like I'm talking in circles, but I hope you all catch what I mean with this. I'm just overwhelmed with God.
These next few months we will be running with the theatre production, designing the scenery, writing scripts and music, practicing movement and percussion, and all the choreography possible. We leave at the beginning of December, and will be performing the show in different locations. The theme is about the fight we have with our logic in our mind. I know that God is going to take us all through this process personally before we are able to perform it, so it's going to be some crazy months coming.
things to pray for:
-an answer to prayer first: my ticket is paid for!!!!!
-a few others in the team are still waiting for the finances for the ticket and the outreach
-continued open doors in all the areas of the arts
-we are having and Arts Gathering in Berlin next week, for artists to come together and share vision and inspiration
Monday, September 7, 2015
Catharsis
And so begins another month! I can't believe it September. we are almost one month in to the DTS, and finished with Bones. Tomorrow we start with the regular time table (finally). The last few weeks have been a blur almost. Carnival flew by, as did the time with my family. I guess I should start there. It was amazing to have my brother her again for Bones, and to see him really enjoy and learn how to love God in a whole different way. But not only was my brother here, my mom came, and surprised me with my sister and my high school art teacher/friend Denise Mahoney. Having everyone here during the camp was sometimes difficult, but at the same time incredible for me and them to be able to experience what I live and love as normal life. I am really hoping that my teacher will be able to bring a group next year from my old high school, to experience urban missions and missions using art. This year the camp felt very different. The work seemed like it was going to be a lot more than previous years, but everything came together so smoothly, and we didn't really have to rush so much. But beyond the work, the spiritual atmosphere felt different. It was almost...easy. It was lighter, worship was smoother, and even conversations that we had with people were amazing. I think God was trying to show us that he has already done it, the victory has already been taken, and this year was a year of harvest, of moving in a land that already belongs to us. It was quite a shift, and its hard to not fight after being used to fighting for so many years. But once we settled into the groove, it flowed. For me, it almost felt surreal this year, especially having my family around, and the time flew by. The carnival days were madness, in a good way. We had built a giant eagle structure to represent God, and being under the shadow of his wing. Also we had some square structures set up, where there was guys doing parkour, and at some point the drummers played from the platforms. We were all dressed as factory workers, and the idea behind that was that God is the original dreamer, the original worker, and we are all a part of his plan and his dreams, working in his kingdom. One of the days, we had our friend and fellow YWAMer, Felix, who is a dj, set up his speakers in the church doors, and we threw a massive party out front. We danced until we couldn't any more, and then kept dancing. People stayed for the whole 5 hours that he was mixing, and at the end were sad because they felt a difference, they said they felt safe and comfortable where we were, that they didn't want to leave. It was a huge testimony of God's presence in that place. We also threw out little strips of paper with promises from God written on them. People were so surprised when they read what was on them. One girl I spoke with really could not comprehend the idea that it was a message of love straight from God FOR HER. She repeated it over and over, and let me pray for her and give her more words from God. It was amazing.
Now that we have finished Carnival, we are moving forward with the DTS on a project we are calling, Catharsis. We are going to develop a theatre production involving all the arts to take with us and perform in Puerto Rico. The word "catharsis" means a purging of the mind and emotions through the arts. We are basing the show off of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas' arguments for the existence of God, and setting the stage inside the mind of the main character. It is going to be a spiritual battle to put this show together, but the end result is going to be incredible. I really feel that God is going to be treating us in different areas of our life as we prepare and produce, before we are ever ready to perform. If we haven't received from Him, how can we give to others? It's usually the way God works, at least with me. We are really excited as a team to do another theatre production, and I personally am so excited to see what God is going to do in my life and in all of our lives through this process. God is already doing so much in the lives of the students, and in all of us staff as well.
Still I am in need of some of the finances for the trip, but God has always been faithful and always will be. If you feel to donate or support in any way, please let me know via Facebook or email. Prayer points continue to be:
-finances for Puerto Rico
-house/commercial space in Camden
-the production, for us to find the right theatre ahead of time
-for the DTS students, for their lives to be changed radically
Thank you all for your continued love and support!
Bless you
Now that we have finished Carnival, we are moving forward with the DTS on a project we are calling, Catharsis. We are going to develop a theatre production involving all the arts to take with us and perform in Puerto Rico. The word "catharsis" means a purging of the mind and emotions through the arts. We are basing the show off of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas' arguments for the existence of God, and setting the stage inside the mind of the main character. It is going to be a spiritual battle to put this show together, but the end result is going to be incredible. I really feel that God is going to be treating us in different areas of our life as we prepare and produce, before we are ever ready to perform. If we haven't received from Him, how can we give to others? It's usually the way God works, at least with me. We are really excited as a team to do another theatre production, and I personally am so excited to see what God is going to do in my life and in all of our lives through this process. God is already doing so much in the lives of the students, and in all of us staff as well.
Still I am in need of some of the finances for the trip, but God has always been faithful and always will be. If you feel to donate or support in any way, please let me know via Facebook or email. Prayer points continue to be:
-finances for Puerto Rico
-house/commercial space in Camden
-the production, for us to find the right theatre ahead of time
-for the DTS students, for their lives to be changed radically
Thank you all for your continued love and support!
Bless you
Friday, July 31, 2015
Extending the Tent
As the DTS is only two weeks away, God is again asking us to stretch the lines of our tent, to strengthen the stakes, and to open our arms and our hearts. These last few weeks and the next few to come, we are really taking time to prepare for the school. Beyond prepping the house and fixing things up, we are preparing our hearts. Because the only results we will see comes from the amount we pour into it. What you reap you will sow. I was reading in Ecclesiastes the other day, which is a really hard book for me to understand. But I read a verse that says "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap." Basically, don't lose your time. Whatever effort I put (or don't put) into these people coming, into my art, into the ministry, into anything, is the amount God will be able to use me and the amount I will be able to reap. It is a sobering lesson to learn, but so very important. I'm excited for this DTS, and I feel that God taught us so much through the one before that we are able to come at this one in a new and fresh way, with renewed strength and excitement. I realise that I love to experience change, to refresh the house, to have new people, to work in new areas. As amazing as these few months of "rest" have been, I am so ready for the new things God is bringing.
In these last few weeks, I have been able to spend more time in the cafe, working and getting to know the business and people a bit more. It is an amazing ministry. Beyond the cafe, they help support a group of women that run Luminary Bakery, who give baking workshops to other women in need of community, life skills, and work experience. Another ministry, called Ella's Home, is in the process of acquiring a house to be able to be kind of like a half-way house. Here in England, after people are released from prison or any rehab program, they are allotted a certain amount of days in a half-way house. But after that, they have to sort themselves out basically. So the idea of Ella's Home is that it will be for people whose time is up in half-way house, and it will be a christian community and environment. It is such a blessing to work alongside these visions and be a part of another community in London, while at the same time learning more about coffee and running a cafe. It is an amazing gift from God, because I will be receiving barista training and food hygiene certification. The way that God starts to push us in the dreams and visions he has given us is incredible, and in ways that I never could imagine. I feel so unworthy of all the things that I am living right now, and all I can say is that God is so good, and he is always faithful.
Things to be praying for:
-commercial space in Camden
-finances for outreach to Puerto Rico
-the students that are coming
-the Notting Hill Carnival and Bones Camp
Thank you so much for all the support and prayers and love!!!
In these last few weeks, I have been able to spend more time in the cafe, working and getting to know the business and people a bit more. It is an amazing ministry. Beyond the cafe, they help support a group of women that run Luminary Bakery, who give baking workshops to other women in need of community, life skills, and work experience. Another ministry, called Ella's Home, is in the process of acquiring a house to be able to be kind of like a half-way house. Here in England, after people are released from prison or any rehab program, they are allotted a certain amount of days in a half-way house. But after that, they have to sort themselves out basically. So the idea of Ella's Home is that it will be for people whose time is up in half-way house, and it will be a christian community and environment. It is such a blessing to work alongside these visions and be a part of another community in London, while at the same time learning more about coffee and running a cafe. It is an amazing gift from God, because I will be receiving barista training and food hygiene certification. The way that God starts to push us in the dreams and visions he has given us is incredible, and in ways that I never could imagine. I feel so unworthy of all the things that I am living right now, and all I can say is that God is so good, and he is always faithful.
Things to be praying for:
-commercial space in Camden
-finances for outreach to Puerto Rico
-the students that are coming
-the Notting Hill Carnival and Bones Camp
Thank you so much for all the support and prayers and love!!!
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Building the Wall, Restoring a City
It's July already! Which means its time for my June update. Two months in a row, I'm getting better at this. At the end of May I had the opportunity to be in one of my good friend's wedding in Toronto, Canada. It was such a blessing to see her, as it had been almost two years since we had last seen each other. It was so much fun to see the city, meet her family and friends, and be a part of celebrating her wedding. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony under some weeping willow trees, and later we took wedding party photos with colored smoke bombs! After the ceremony, there was another HUGE blessing: my mom came to pick me up! She and my brother took a long weekend off of school and work to come out and see me. We drove from Toronto to upstate New York and spent two too-short days together, and then I flew home to London.
God has been speaking to us about Nehemiah, who was sent back to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon to rebuild the walls of the city. But there were many people against him, and they had to have a sword in one hand and a shovel in the other. So they were building and defending at the same time. It talks so much about how even if we don't have students or aren't doing many outreaches and "ministry" things right now, we are still in a battle and still facing opposition. We still have to keep our swords in hand and be ready, we can't let out guards down and let the enemy sneak in and whisper in our ears. While we are doing physical things, we are also building something spiritual for the generations and people who are coming in the future.
Speaking of people coming, we are having our next DTS in August!!! As of now we have about 13 students coming! From Sweden, Switzerland, the USA, Australia, Argentina, Germany, and Brazil. We are continuously preparing the house, making more space, getting new kettles, pots, and pans, rearranging luggage, and doing a lot of paperwork for visas. God has been so good to us in that he never gives us more than we can handle, but he definitely has a better picture than we do, and is stretching us in great ways. Our outreach is planned for December 9-January 20th in PUERTO RICO!!! We are preparing a theatre production to go and perform around the island as a whole team. We see the importance of finding a way for all the arts to work together, because now a days artists are so individualistic and proud, that whenever we can combine our strengths, we do. We have some contacts on the island that are already checking different theaters for us, and places we can stay. As well, the annual festival of San Sebastian is on the third week of January, and we will be participating in that. This outreach is going to be more expensive, as it is further away than where we usually go in Europe, and I really am praying for God to provide. I need about $700 for the flight alone, and right now I do not have any of the finances. We are hoping to buy the tickets as soon as possible before the prices go up. If you would like to support me in this please send me a message or email, or you can get in touch with my mom, who is helping manage my banking in the States.
As well, God opened up a door for me to volunteer in a cafe in East London on Brick Lane called Kahaila's. It is a Christian cafe that runs as a charity organization and partners with a bakery that helps at-risk and recovering women. I don't get paid, but it is an incredible opportunity to have more experience in a cafe before we start towards opening our own. It is a dream of mine to run a cafe/restaurant here in London, and I can definitely see God starting to open doors in that area. It is so exciting!!! The ways that we have been praying into this city of London that we love so much, God is so faithful to move. We don't always see it when WE want or think it should happen, but God doesn't move in human ways. He is so much bigger and better than I can ever imagine, and he is SO good.
Some other prayer points are:
-we are still looking for a house/commercial space in Camden
-finances for the outreach to Puerto Rico
-more doors to open for the cafe/tattoo shop/restaurant/clothing shop we are wanting to open
-a smooth process for the students who are coming in august
Thankyou all so much for yours prayers, love and support!!!
God has been speaking to us about Nehemiah, who was sent back to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon to rebuild the walls of the city. But there were many people against him, and they had to have a sword in one hand and a shovel in the other. So they were building and defending at the same time. It talks so much about how even if we don't have students or aren't doing many outreaches and "ministry" things right now, we are still in a battle and still facing opposition. We still have to keep our swords in hand and be ready, we can't let out guards down and let the enemy sneak in and whisper in our ears. While we are doing physical things, we are also building something spiritual for the generations and people who are coming in the future.
Speaking of people coming, we are having our next DTS in August!!! As of now we have about 13 students coming! From Sweden, Switzerland, the USA, Australia, Argentina, Germany, and Brazil. We are continuously preparing the house, making more space, getting new kettles, pots, and pans, rearranging luggage, and doing a lot of paperwork for visas. God has been so good to us in that he never gives us more than we can handle, but he definitely has a better picture than we do, and is stretching us in great ways. Our outreach is planned for December 9-January 20th in PUERTO RICO!!! We are preparing a theatre production to go and perform around the island as a whole team. We see the importance of finding a way for all the arts to work together, because now a days artists are so individualistic and proud, that whenever we can combine our strengths, we do. We have some contacts on the island that are already checking different theaters for us, and places we can stay. As well, the annual festival of San Sebastian is on the third week of January, and we will be participating in that. This outreach is going to be more expensive, as it is further away than where we usually go in Europe, and I really am praying for God to provide. I need about $700 for the flight alone, and right now I do not have any of the finances. We are hoping to buy the tickets as soon as possible before the prices go up. If you would like to support me in this please send me a message or email, or you can get in touch with my mom, who is helping manage my banking in the States.
As well, God opened up a door for me to volunteer in a cafe in East London on Brick Lane called Kahaila's. It is a Christian cafe that runs as a charity organization and partners with a bakery that helps at-risk and recovering women. I don't get paid, but it is an incredible opportunity to have more experience in a cafe before we start towards opening our own. It is a dream of mine to run a cafe/restaurant here in London, and I can definitely see God starting to open doors in that area. It is so exciting!!! The ways that we have been praying into this city of London that we love so much, God is so faithful to move. We don't always see it when WE want or think it should happen, but God doesn't move in human ways. He is so much bigger and better than I can ever imagine, and he is SO good.
Some other prayer points are:
-we are still looking for a house/commercial space in Camden
-finances for the outreach to Puerto Rico
-more doors to open for the cafe/tattoo shop/restaurant/clothing shop we are wanting to open
-a smooth process for the students who are coming in august
Thankyou all so much for yours prayers, love and support!!!
Thursday, May 28, 2015
May 2015
I am so bad at doing these posts. I think its been since November that I sent an update out. Well, we finished the DTS that we had running, and all the students graduated. It was a crazy time for us as a team, for both students and staff. We grew so much, learning how to depend more on God, trust more in one another, and push more in the things God is asking of us. We finished in January, and had two weeks of rest and fixing up the house. Then we welcomed a new group of interns.
8 new people ready to seek God and discover more of Him in the talents that He gave them. We continued our weekly trips to Camden, an area of London that is subversive, alternative, and grunge (just our style). We go there at least once a week to pray, talk to people, and see what is happening in the area. As well, we are looking for a house there and making contacts with different church bodies. And actually, now this Sunday we are going to be a part of a new church body that is beginning there. As well with the interns we went to Soho, which is another area we focus on in London. It is the red light district, as well as where the West End (main place for theatre) is in London. We partner with a church that is a cafe, and we serve teas and coffees in the street late in the night. We talk with many amazing people, who just need the love of God, and share with them why we are standing outside in the middle of the night for them: because Jesus loved first. It is one of my favorite things that we do here in the city, and its crazy to see how it changes the area. One week, one of the drug dealers from the area bought us milk because he saw we were running out. I was blown away.
In the 6 weeks we had in London, we prepared for outreach music, dance, visual, photography skills, and much more. We travelled to Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and Milan for one month, a week each city. It was so interesting to see a whole other side of Europe, as many of these cities used to be under communist control.And actually, we didn't do anything. God did everything. Each thing we tried to plan, it seemed that God had a different idea. The first day in Berlin, we were supposed to do some evangelism in a heavily Muslim-populated area, but (not so randomly) we had the opportunity to go inside the Parliament and meet one of the Christian members and pray with him and for the government. It was crazy. One day in Prague, we had planned to perform in the street, carried all the instruments down, and it started to SNOW! So we had to improvise. We ended up splitting into pairs and going to different coffee shops and shopping malls in the area, and it turned out to be the best time of evangelism each person had the whole week. In Vienna, they told us that if we performed in the platz (plaza) without a permit, the police would come in seconds, and they would give you a huge fine. And on top of that, it was after the "quiet hour" in the city. But we just started playing some worship songs to close a , and all of the sudden, faster than anything I've ever seen, a huge crowd of people surrounded us. We started playing some of the covers we had practiced, and the people in the crowd were going nuts. We shared with them why we were there, and at the end spoke with a few people individually that had caught our eye. It was so from God, and so unplanned. And then in Milan, everything was up in the air! But by then, we were so comfortable to just let God do His thing. He taught me so much more how to just depend on Him, and to let go of all my plans, and how to stop defending myself when things go wrong. Sometimes, we can't know everything before we start to do things, and we have to just learn along the way, and learn from our mistakes. But that takes humility and vulnerability, to be able to look weak in front of others, and admit when we made a mistake.
Then we came back to London and had one week of preparing and finishing our work for an exhibition. We love to honor the interns and show the community what they have been working on, and what God has been doing in their lives. As well, we take it as an opportunity to share with people outside of our community, as that is what we are for anyways, right? So we opened the exhibition to the public, hung up all the visual art, photography, sculpture and mixed media works, creative writing; we placed the piano in the middle and had performances every 15 minutes to infuse the place with the presence of God; all the while we were talking with the people who came in to see. It went really well, and we even got to pray with one woman about a surgery she had coming up, and all the fear that comes with that. Then we had a small graduation ceremony with just the team for the interns, and closed an amazing season.
Now it is May, and supposedly we were going to have an internship starting next week. But because we did not have any students, we are not running the school. This gives us time to work more in developing our areas of the arts, as well to prepare for the next DTS in August and the theatre production we will be doing, and to work on the house. This time is really precious, and we try to take advantage to grow as a team and invest in the city. Things to be praying for:
-we are looking for a new house
-we are looking for commercial space to start a tattoo shop, and also a coffee shop
-opportunties to work, as my visa only allows me to work for churches or Christian charities
-opportunities to connect more in the city
-favor in the government as we continue to receive people on visas and process papers
Thankyou all so much for your prayers, love and support, and I am hoping to get better at this and post at least once a month how we are going as a team, and how God is working in my life personally. Bless you!
8 new people ready to seek God and discover more of Him in the talents that He gave them. We continued our weekly trips to Camden, an area of London that is subversive, alternative, and grunge (just our style). We go there at least once a week to pray, talk to people, and see what is happening in the area. As well, we are looking for a house there and making contacts with different church bodies. And actually, now this Sunday we are going to be a part of a new church body that is beginning there. As well with the interns we went to Soho, which is another area we focus on in London. It is the red light district, as well as where the West End (main place for theatre) is in London. We partner with a church that is a cafe, and we serve teas and coffees in the street late in the night. We talk with many amazing people, who just need the love of God, and share with them why we are standing outside in the middle of the night for them: because Jesus loved first. It is one of my favorite things that we do here in the city, and its crazy to see how it changes the area. One week, one of the drug dealers from the area bought us milk because he saw we were running out. I was blown away.
In the 6 weeks we had in London, we prepared for outreach music, dance, visual, photography skills, and much more. We travelled to Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and Milan for one month, a week each city. It was so interesting to see a whole other side of Europe, as many of these cities used to be under communist control.And actually, we didn't do anything. God did everything. Each thing we tried to plan, it seemed that God had a different idea. The first day in Berlin, we were supposed to do some evangelism in a heavily Muslim-populated area, but (not so randomly) we had the opportunity to go inside the Parliament and meet one of the Christian members and pray with him and for the government. It was crazy. One day in Prague, we had planned to perform in the street, carried all the instruments down, and it started to SNOW! So we had to improvise. We ended up splitting into pairs and going to different coffee shops and shopping malls in the area, and it turned out to be the best time of evangelism each person had the whole week. In Vienna, they told us that if we performed in the platz (plaza) without a permit, the police would come in seconds, and they would give you a huge fine. And on top of that, it was after the "quiet hour" in the city. But we just started playing some worship songs to close a , and all of the sudden, faster than anything I've ever seen, a huge crowd of people surrounded us. We started playing some of the covers we had practiced, and the people in the crowd were going nuts. We shared with them why we were there, and at the end spoke with a few people individually that had caught our eye. It was so from God, and so unplanned. And then in Milan, everything was up in the air! But by then, we were so comfortable to just let God do His thing. He taught me so much more how to just depend on Him, and to let go of all my plans, and how to stop defending myself when things go wrong. Sometimes, we can't know everything before we start to do things, and we have to just learn along the way, and learn from our mistakes. But that takes humility and vulnerability, to be able to look weak in front of others, and admit when we made a mistake.
Then we came back to London and had one week of preparing and finishing our work for an exhibition. We love to honor the interns and show the community what they have been working on, and what God has been doing in their lives. As well, we take it as an opportunity to share with people outside of our community, as that is what we are for anyways, right? So we opened the exhibition to the public, hung up all the visual art, photography, sculpture and mixed media works, creative writing; we placed the piano in the middle and had performances every 15 minutes to infuse the place with the presence of God; all the while we were talking with the people who came in to see. It went really well, and we even got to pray with one woman about a surgery she had coming up, and all the fear that comes with that. Then we had a small graduation ceremony with just the team for the interns, and closed an amazing season.
Now it is May, and supposedly we were going to have an internship starting next week. But because we did not have any students, we are not running the school. This gives us time to work more in developing our areas of the arts, as well to prepare for the next DTS in August and the theatre production we will be doing, and to work on the house. This time is really precious, and we try to take advantage to grow as a team and invest in the city. Things to be praying for:
-we are looking for a new house
-we are looking for commercial space to start a tattoo shop, and also a coffee shop
-opportunties to work, as my visa only allows me to work for churches or Christian charities
-opportunities to connect more in the city
-favor in the government as we continue to receive people on visas and process papers
Thankyou all so much for your prayers, love and support, and I am hoping to get better at this and post at least once a month how we are going as a team, and how God is working in my life personally. Bless you!
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Real Life King
This is the love of a real life king,
who was a prophet and a baby and a son all the same.
He gave his life at the full measure,
when the weight was so much no one else could bear
to look upon his face as they sneered and they scorned.
But who am I to judge those who came before.
My redemption sets me apart,
but does not raise me above,
because my king is real and alive and full of love.
There are no boundaries, no limits, no lost ones too far,
because he went to the furthest when he died on the cross.
Beyond grace, beyond mercy, beyond being free,
I have a saviour that loves me, died for me,
and more, lives again for me.
What a love I've received that I do not deserve,
but I do all the same because he gave me my worth.
It's the same choice for everyone,
but I can see it's quite hard
if you haven't met the one who lived and died for your heart.
Only a real life encounter with the king of kings and lord of lords
will make you able to proclaim him yours.
He came for our souls, and our hearts, and our minds.
The greatest battle is over his will, or mine.
I want to follow him, to give to the end,
because that was His sacrifice before I ever even sinned.
This is the love of a real life king,
who is my saviour, my Jesus, my father, my everything.
who was a prophet and a baby and a son all the same.
He gave his life at the full measure,
when the weight was so much no one else could bear
to look upon his face as they sneered and they scorned.
But who am I to judge those who came before.
My redemption sets me apart,
but does not raise me above,
because my king is real and alive and full of love.
There are no boundaries, no limits, no lost ones too far,
because he went to the furthest when he died on the cross.
Beyond grace, beyond mercy, beyond being free,
I have a saviour that loves me, died for me,
and more, lives again for me.
What a love I've received that I do not deserve,
but I do all the same because he gave me my worth.
It's the same choice for everyone,
but I can see it's quite hard
if you haven't met the one who lived and died for your heart.
Only a real life encounter with the king of kings and lord of lords
will make you able to proclaim him yours.
He came for our souls, and our hearts, and our minds.
The greatest battle is over his will, or mine.
I want to follow him, to give to the end,
because that was His sacrifice before I ever even sinned.
This is the love of a real life king,
who is my saviour, my Jesus, my father, my everything.
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