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