Saturday, December 10, 2016
Which Reality
I had a coworker ask me today, if I sometimes think about just packing up and leaving. And the honest answer is, yes. Sometimes, in the middle of hardship and struggle, the easiest thing to do would be to pack up and go. Then he asked me why I haven't yet, what keeps me from actually doing it? I took a minute to look at myself and what I see as my reality: the struggles, my own failures in the practical things and in my character, my lack of qualification, the frustrations and disappointments. But David, the author of the Psalms, says it perfectly; I lift my eyes up to the hills, where my help comes from, from the Lord Almighty. This is a physical and spiritual action. Lifting up our eyes from the situations and hardships to look at the One who makes us walk on the stormy oceans of our lives. When our gaze falters, we will of course begin to drown in the overwhelming circumstances around us. My answer was what it could only be: because I know this is where God has asked me to be. This friend is not a christian, not religious, and probably had no idea that just by asking me these questions, he helped me to stand again on what I know is true. This season is one where I have to tell myself the truth over and over and over and over again, a season where the lies come too fast, and my heart struggles to tune them out. But my spiritual father said something to me the other day that stuck with me: it says in the Bible to "take every thought CAPTIVE." That doesn't say that those thoughts that torment us and keep us trapped in cycles of condemnation and shame will just disappear, or that they will never return to us. It says we are to bind it, to put it back in prison where it belongs, and to take authority back from it, every time that they escape from their jail cell. Some seasons, this needs to happen every 5 minutes, some seasons The struggle between being real and vulnerable, and throwing ourselves a pity party, is huge. This is such a thing for my generation, that when anything becomes too difficult, or we see ourselves inadequate, we give up and walk away. But when we look at things through another perspective, through the eyes of the one who actually sees the real reality, through God's vision for our lives, things become so clear. It doesn't mean that the whole way will be lit up, and all the signs pointing the direction at every turn. But it does mean that we have a hope in Him who will never change, a foundation built on the truth of who He is, and a peace the goes beyond our understanding. And the last thing that has been on my heart and mind, I read in John 15 today, and in verse 3, Jesus says "already you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you." His word, intimacy with Him, makes us clean already. If we could only walk in Him, understanding that He is making us whole by just listening to His word, we would be very different people. I was reading a little bit about the Jewish history of baptism, because we have such a modernized understanding of what that is now. What i found was that for the Judaism, it was known as immersion. This was done before religious festival, after a woman gave birth, and even for dead bodies before burial. It was a spiritual symbol of washing away the old to begin a new process. It was done by oneself, so as to completely be immersed, without help or being held by the priest. Just as cloth needs to be soaked in die without being held so that it can fully take on its new colour. With this in mind, we need to be baptized in the Spirit continually, to be immersed in him in each new season, covered from head to toe with the new, and no longer holding on to the old. This is not my normal monthly update, but I couldn't put anything else down into words. I hope it is encouraging for someone, that in each hardship we pass through, giving up is not an option, because our hope is in Him. Lift your eyes.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
His Present Promises
Here we are in November, getting closer to the holiday season! Our DTS students just came back from a 3 week outreach to Italy, in Rome and the area around Milan. I wasn't able to go because I am still waiting for my visa, but it was a great time for them. There was breakthrough with a place to stay that only could have come from God. A church in Rome decided to say yes to host the team, even though they knew that many other churches had said no, and they felt from God to welcome the team. So the International Arts Gathering was held there in Trastevere, Rome with loads of fellowship, new friends, worship, and crazy times of evangelism. Everyone talked about how the people were so open to receive and be ministered to, and how the times of worship were open and many passerbys came in to join. After that, they headed to an area outside of Milan called Casorate, where some friends of ours are opening a new YWAM base. The team was able to encourage and partner with the group there, with worship and intercession in the area, and some evangelism in the local square and shops and cafes around. The team have come back now, and its incredible to see the transformation in each of them. It was hard to be at home this time, because outreach is one of my favorite things, but God knew exactly why he had me here, and why each person was in what place.
The main thing God has been speaking in this season is about living the present, and walking in trust towards his promises. He is such a good God, a perfect father, and his promises are so good, but when we lack trust, we lose patience and try to take things in our own way or control. But this cannot bring fulfillment, because we have to work and strive for those things that we think we need. But when God fulfills his promises, he fulfills completely and by his grace. Learning to trust God in the time that he has me in, in the things that he has put in my hands now, today, and the people he has surrounded me with, is the only thing I need to look at. He is so good, and completely in control. Something I read from C.S. Lewis basically said that the past is too good at keeping us discouraged (if we have made many mistakes), and the future holds too much fear and false expectations. But the present is the closest thing we as humans can experience to eternity, of understanding how God sees time. And by living in the present, we are our most effective for the kingdom of God, because we take full advantage of every moment. Nothing is lost with God, all of our mistakes and experiences, He can use for His good for those who seek his face. The Psalms say that he is the lamp to my feet, and the light to my path. This means that in different seasons I will see differently, sometimes small steps for just each day, and sometimes a larger focus to keep me going through the circumstances that come. But above all, he is God, and his promises never fail.
We have one and a half more months with this DTS, and then it's Christmas time! Keep us in your prayers as we prepare for our exhibition, and as the students begin to prepare to head home or continue on to the internship in January. Thank you all for the love and support, and if you ever wish for more information or would like to support in any way, shoot me an email at pericarlson228@gmail.com or Facebook message!
The main thing God has been speaking in this season is about living the present, and walking in trust towards his promises. He is such a good God, a perfect father, and his promises are so good, but when we lack trust, we lose patience and try to take things in our own way or control. But this cannot bring fulfillment, because we have to work and strive for those things that we think we need. But when God fulfills his promises, he fulfills completely and by his grace. Learning to trust God in the time that he has me in, in the things that he has put in my hands now, today, and the people he has surrounded me with, is the only thing I need to look at. He is so good, and completely in control. Something I read from C.S. Lewis basically said that the past is too good at keeping us discouraged (if we have made many mistakes), and the future holds too much fear and false expectations. But the present is the closest thing we as humans can experience to eternity, of understanding how God sees time. And by living in the present, we are our most effective for the kingdom of God, because we take full advantage of every moment. Nothing is lost with God, all of our mistakes and experiences, He can use for His good for those who seek his face. The Psalms say that he is the lamp to my feet, and the light to my path. This means that in different seasons I will see differently, sometimes small steps for just each day, and sometimes a larger focus to keep me going through the circumstances that come. But above all, he is God, and his promises never fail.
We have one and a half more months with this DTS, and then it's Christmas time! Keep us in your prayers as we prepare for our exhibition, and as the students begin to prepare to head home or continue on to the internship in January. Thank you all for the love and support, and if you ever wish for more information or would like to support in any way, shoot me an email at pericarlson228@gmail.com or Facebook message!
Monday, October 10, 2016
Trusting in Love
Hello everyone! The autumn has definitely come to London, time for boots and sweaters already! We are two months in to the DTS (discipleship training school) now, and they are soon leaving on outreach to Italy. After we finished the Carnival outreach, they had almost 2 weeks of a mini-outreach in Brighton, a seaside city here in England. Partnering with a local church, they spent the days with worship, teaching, intercession, and evangelism. We had many testimonies of the students experiencing people receiving healing for the first time, and just overall good conversations with people and very open hearts. They saw a lot of blessings from God, and came back so encouraged to continue the school. During these weeks, a few of the staff stayed in the houses in London to continue the projects we have running, and I was one of them. It was also a time to settle again after the Carnival, to work bit, and finish a lot of practical things (newsletters, taxes, etc). A few days after the students returned, we moved into our third house in Kings Cross!!! This is an amazing miracle, and the house is located only 10 minutes walking from one of the biggest international train stations in London, and so close to many other areas we work in, and in ZONE 1 of London! We have been praying for so long to get further in to the city to key locations, and in this we can see God's timing is perfect and His faithfulness is abundant.
The last weeks we have had many good teachings. We began with hearing from the students on topics that God had put in their hearts. They each had a time to share, and it was so beautiful to see them open their hearts, share testimonies, and challenge all of us to go deeper in many areas of our lives with God. We also had two good friends come from Spain, one teaching on the Father heart of God, and the other about the importance of renewing our mind. Living in YWAM, its easy to get used to hearing these teachings, but God really brought something fresh for each of us, and a lot of revelation and breakthrough for the students as well.
This last weekend we had the privilege to be a part of two of our beautiful friends' wedding. It isa always hard work to decorate and plan and organise these sort of events, but also a huge blessing and privilege to be a part of their wedding and celebrate with them. It was a great time with friends and their families, and I also was able to make the cake for them! It was a challenge, but ended up well.
A few things personally that God has been showing me is mostly about love, and trust, and commitment. Because I tend to be very task oriented, I focus on the commitments I have made, what I need to do, and how well I can do it. But something I heard in a preaching recently is that LOVE overcomes all things, but our COMMITMENT dies with the tasks. This has challenged me a lot to see how I am loving people, not just how I am able to serve or work. What is commitment if we lose out on building real relationships based on godly love? This also challenges my trust, because to love is to trust someone else with your heart, and giving them the ability to love or hurt you, it's a risk. This goes for God, as well as for others, and I have been shown my heart a bit more clearly than before, and how much I don't really trust, and therefore hold things back. But God is always good, and His love is perfect. With all of this, my biggest desire is to learn how to grow in the areas God is challenging me, without becoming the center of the universe and losing focus on the ways God is moving in the students, and the projects, and the city. He has been so good and so gentle in showing my heart.
A few things to pray for
-outreach to Italy (we still need a LOT of breakthrough with places to stay!!!)
-visa process (still haven't heard anything back)
-thanks for the miracle of the three houses!
-wisdom, grace, and favor for our leaders (Chris and Johanna) in general, but also as they apply for British Citizenship for their family
Thank you all for the love and support, and if you ever would like to donate, or are curious for more information, my email is pericarlson228@gmail.com or just message me on Facebook!
The last weeks we have had many good teachings. We began with hearing from the students on topics that God had put in their hearts. They each had a time to share, and it was so beautiful to see them open their hearts, share testimonies, and challenge all of us to go deeper in many areas of our lives with God. We also had two good friends come from Spain, one teaching on the Father heart of God, and the other about the importance of renewing our mind. Living in YWAM, its easy to get used to hearing these teachings, but God really brought something fresh for each of us, and a lot of revelation and breakthrough for the students as well.
This last weekend we had the privilege to be a part of two of our beautiful friends' wedding. It isa always hard work to decorate and plan and organise these sort of events, but also a huge blessing and privilege to be a part of their wedding and celebrate with them. It was a great time with friends and their families, and I also was able to make the cake for them! It was a challenge, but ended up well.
A few things personally that God has been showing me is mostly about love, and trust, and commitment. Because I tend to be very task oriented, I focus on the commitments I have made, what I need to do, and how well I can do it. But something I heard in a preaching recently is that LOVE overcomes all things, but our COMMITMENT dies with the tasks. This has challenged me a lot to see how I am loving people, not just how I am able to serve or work. What is commitment if we lose out on building real relationships based on godly love? This also challenges my trust, because to love is to trust someone else with your heart, and giving them the ability to love or hurt you, it's a risk. This goes for God, as well as for others, and I have been shown my heart a bit more clearly than before, and how much I don't really trust, and therefore hold things back. But God is always good, and His love is perfect. With all of this, my biggest desire is to learn how to grow in the areas God is challenging me, without becoming the center of the universe and losing focus on the ways God is moving in the students, and the projects, and the city. He has been so good and so gentle in showing my heart.
A few things to pray for
-outreach to Italy (we still need a LOT of breakthrough with places to stay!!!)
-visa process (still haven't heard anything back)
-thanks for the miracle of the three houses!
-wisdom, grace, and favor for our leaders (Chris and Johanna) in general, but also as they apply for British Citizenship for their family
Thank you all for the love and support, and if you ever would like to donate, or are curious for more information, my email is pericarlson228@gmail.com or just message me on Facebook!
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Beginning Again
The end of August more or less marks the end of one year, and the beginning of a new one. Our biggest outreach is on the last weekend, and after that, we begin again planning for the next year. Our interns have graduated, and we have our DTS students on a mini-outreach in Brighton this week. With the interns, we went on outreach to Brussels and the north of Spain, and we spent two weeks with the Salvation army in Chelsea, an area in southwest London. The Salvation Army was a small building located in the middle of an estate. Estates are government housing, usually big buildings with lots of small apartments, not very friendly environments, and too many people with low income living inside. This specific estate is largely populated by Muslims. In the physical, it didn't seem like we did much. We had a few times of prayer and intercession, in the Salvation Army, but also around the area, some times of evangelism and worship, and we worked a few days with the children's program in the estate. But more than that, we were able to invest in the spiritual atmosphere that is present there. The impressions that we had there were a mix of despair, fear, hopelessness, and intimidation. But in praying over that, we felt that God has a lot in store for them, with hope, his provision, his protection, and his restoration. Restoration is the theme we had the most for that area.
After those two weeks, we moved to our home church in Notting Hill to begin preparations for the Bones Camp. This is our annual camp held for our outreach during the Notting Hill Carnival, and this was our 8th year being involved with the carnival and running the camp. Personally, it was my 5th year this year, and God always manages to surprise me. In some ways, this year felt like less work, but also felt like we had less time. This year we changed the focus of the camp to include the whole city of London, instead of just the area of Notting Hill. During the afternoons we went out in groups to the city centre, to the east, to main international train stations, and a few other places, to worship and perform and declare the kingdom of God all over our city. Miraculously, as always, things came together, and we went out the two days of carnival with our drums, stilts, face paint, cut-out promises, and hearts of worship. The theme of this year was based around Revelations 4, of the 4 beings that are worshipping around the throne of God constantly, so our theme was WORSHIP. We incorporated more times of worship and intercession into the timetable of the camp, and also into our personal lives.
I learned that the Hebrew word RUACH means breath, but it also means Spirit. So it says that God breathed life into us, he breathed his spirit into us. And it also says in the Psalms, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. In this way, our lives should be a cycle of inhale Spirit, exhale praise. This confronted me a lot, because how much of my day is spent complaining, controlling, speaking with anger or frustration, gossiping. None of that is praiseworthy. I want more than anything that every time I open my mouth, it praises the Lord. But how can we do this, when we are always at odds between our spirit (that is in connection with His spirit) and my own flesh and desires? The answer is: I can't. God has been speaking to me over and over again about what it really means to FALL on His grace. That means I don't deserve it, I don't have any right to have it, but He gives me the chance to fall into it, with all my mistakes on the daily, my failures, and even my "successes" are all a part of walking in His grace. And by His grace, we are able to walk in the fear of Him. Another thing God is clarifying for me is that its very easy to welcome Him to my life, to make changes, to bring revelation and healing, whatever; but to actually walk in fearing God and making decisions based out of that kind of love and awe of who He is, that is a whole other way to live. This is impossible without His grace as well, because we will continually fail if we try to do it on our own merit. At first, I felt completely overwhelmed, but God has been speaking so gently to me, to just see how I need His grace to walk in fearing Him, and I need to walk in the fear of Him to understand more of his grace. They go hand in hand, and its actually quite simple when I stop trying to over-complicated the things of God. He is completely beyond our understanding, but that doesn't mean it is complicated to follow Him and live my life in obedience to Him.
Now that we have finished the Carnival outreach, we will continue with our DTS students until the end of December. We are planning an outreach in October to Italy, including the annual International Arts Gathering. These are two things we really need prayer for, for contacts, and for host locations. We have a few teachers coming in the next few months from different places in Europe and South America, and I'm so excited to see what God will do with this group. Each school is so different, and God has amazing plans for them, and for the ways that they will impact us full time staff, the city, their outreach locations, and wherever they go afterwards.
Things to pray for:
-Italy outreach
-visa process (waiting for them to respond)
-new house in September
Thank you all for you love and support!
After those two weeks, we moved to our home church in Notting Hill to begin preparations for the Bones Camp. This is our annual camp held for our outreach during the Notting Hill Carnival, and this was our 8th year being involved with the carnival and running the camp. Personally, it was my 5th year this year, and God always manages to surprise me. In some ways, this year felt like less work, but also felt like we had less time. This year we changed the focus of the camp to include the whole city of London, instead of just the area of Notting Hill. During the afternoons we went out in groups to the city centre, to the east, to main international train stations, and a few other places, to worship and perform and declare the kingdom of God all over our city. Miraculously, as always, things came together, and we went out the two days of carnival with our drums, stilts, face paint, cut-out promises, and hearts of worship. The theme of this year was based around Revelations 4, of the 4 beings that are worshipping around the throne of God constantly, so our theme was WORSHIP. We incorporated more times of worship and intercession into the timetable of the camp, and also into our personal lives.
I learned that the Hebrew word RUACH means breath, but it also means Spirit. So it says that God breathed life into us, he breathed his spirit into us. And it also says in the Psalms, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. In this way, our lives should be a cycle of inhale Spirit, exhale praise. This confronted me a lot, because how much of my day is spent complaining, controlling, speaking with anger or frustration, gossiping. None of that is praiseworthy. I want more than anything that every time I open my mouth, it praises the Lord. But how can we do this, when we are always at odds between our spirit (that is in connection with His spirit) and my own flesh and desires? The answer is: I can't. God has been speaking to me over and over again about what it really means to FALL on His grace. That means I don't deserve it, I don't have any right to have it, but He gives me the chance to fall into it, with all my mistakes on the daily, my failures, and even my "successes" are all a part of walking in His grace. And by His grace, we are able to walk in the fear of Him. Another thing God is clarifying for me is that its very easy to welcome Him to my life, to make changes, to bring revelation and healing, whatever; but to actually walk in fearing God and making decisions based out of that kind of love and awe of who He is, that is a whole other way to live. This is impossible without His grace as well, because we will continually fail if we try to do it on our own merit. At first, I felt completely overwhelmed, but God has been speaking so gently to me, to just see how I need His grace to walk in fearing Him, and I need to walk in the fear of Him to understand more of his grace. They go hand in hand, and its actually quite simple when I stop trying to over-complicated the things of God. He is completely beyond our understanding, but that doesn't mean it is complicated to follow Him and live my life in obedience to Him.
Now that we have finished the Carnival outreach, we will continue with our DTS students until the end of December. We are planning an outreach in October to Italy, including the annual International Arts Gathering. These are two things we really need prayer for, for contacts, and for host locations. We have a few teachers coming in the next few months from different places in Europe and South America, and I'm so excited to see what God will do with this group. Each school is so different, and God has amazing plans for them, and for the ways that they will impact us full time staff, the city, their outreach locations, and wherever they go afterwards.
Things to pray for:
-Italy outreach
-visa process (waiting for them to respond)
-new house in September
Thank you all for you love and support!
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Extended Family
The longer I live in YWAM, or just in the mission field really, the small and more familiar the world gets. It is a strange and beautiful thing to have family all over the world. Not only our YWAM family, but missionaries that were sent out of our local church 22 years ago, or a church that was planted 40 years ago from the same congregation. Sometimes we think that we are making our own decisions and following our own plans, but we don't realise how much God is orchestrating everything until we really look at the picture.
With our wonderful interns, we began our outreach in Brussels in the YWAM base. Back in April, a few of us went for a gathering of different leaders and bases, and while there we felt that we needed to come back and bless the base and the city. In the meantime, all this mess with Brexit happened, and where is the centre of the EU but in Brussels. So already we were amazed by how God had planned something that we only thought was a good idea. While there, we helped to reconstruct their cafe space. It used to be open, but closed down a while ago for reasons I don't know. They as a team have felt that it's time to reopen it, but it needed a fresh start. We demolished, plastered, painting, sawed, screwed, and stenciled for a long week that was physically demanding. In the end, we saw a miracle in the transformation of the place, and the team there was so happy with how it came out. As a barista, I felt so privileged to be a part of the new birth of this place, and am looking forward to working with them in the future in that specific area. To bless someone else's vision/dream in a way that you have also been blessed by other people is almost indescribable.
After that, we spent one night (6 hours) in London before traveling to Vigo, Spain. It's near Santiago de Compostela (famous for being the end point of the Camino de Santiago), and is also a YWAM base that was planted a year ago by some very close friends of ours. The leaders there came to Spain at the same time Chris and Johy came to England, and we have know them for at least 4 years now. We were prepared to do the same as in Brussels, to help them finished getting their house and property ready for the students they are receiving in September, but it turned out to be a very different week. There was a DTS outreach team there from Caceras, another city in Spain that this new base was birthed from. And on top of that, there was a team of 20 American students on a school trip staying with us as well. On the way there, God was talking to me about resting and being family, and I had no clue what that was going to look like, but this week in Spain was so refreshing. We did a lot of outreach in the city centre, and some times of worship and intercession for the region, and a lot of fellowship and team building activities. They were celebrating a Catholic holiday over the weekend, so there was a local fun fair going on, which gave a great opportunity to get to know the locals and talk with them about God. One of our signs simply asked "how was your day?" and so many people were open to sharing about their day, and their life. We got to pray for many people, and encourage others as well. The time there was also so important for the team working there. They have only been there for one year, getting to know the area, getting involved in local churches, and planning for the first DTS that will be in September. It was so good to just be a family, to encourage them, pray for them, and support them.
Now we are back in London with a local outreach for 2 weeks, and then we will begin preparing for the Bones camp and the Notting Hill Carnival! This is my favorite time of year by far. Our DTS also begins on the 2 of August, and we have 14 students coming so far. They will combine with our interns, who will then graduate at the end of August after the carnival.
In this time, I also realized that I need to start my paperwork for renewing my visa! This is a pretty big cost, because they have put new regulations that we need to pay a certain amount for the national health care on top of the visa costs. I have about 2/3 of the money that I need, and I am trusting God for the rest. I need to send my papers by the middle of August, so if you feel to send any sort of support, that would be greatly appreciated!
Things to pray for:
-the rest of the outreach in London
-the Notting Hill Carnival outreach
-the new students coming
-preparations for moving into a 3rd house!
-visa paperwork
Thank you all so much for your continued love and support!!!
With our wonderful interns, we began our outreach in Brussels in the YWAM base. Back in April, a few of us went for a gathering of different leaders and bases, and while there we felt that we needed to come back and bless the base and the city. In the meantime, all this mess with Brexit happened, and where is the centre of the EU but in Brussels. So already we were amazed by how God had planned something that we only thought was a good idea. While there, we helped to reconstruct their cafe space. It used to be open, but closed down a while ago for reasons I don't know. They as a team have felt that it's time to reopen it, but it needed a fresh start. We demolished, plastered, painting, sawed, screwed, and stenciled for a long week that was physically demanding. In the end, we saw a miracle in the transformation of the place, and the team there was so happy with how it came out. As a barista, I felt so privileged to be a part of the new birth of this place, and am looking forward to working with them in the future in that specific area. To bless someone else's vision/dream in a way that you have also been blessed by other people is almost indescribable.
After that, we spent one night (6 hours) in London before traveling to Vigo, Spain. It's near Santiago de Compostela (famous for being the end point of the Camino de Santiago), and is also a YWAM base that was planted a year ago by some very close friends of ours. The leaders there came to Spain at the same time Chris and Johy came to England, and we have know them for at least 4 years now. We were prepared to do the same as in Brussels, to help them finished getting their house and property ready for the students they are receiving in September, but it turned out to be a very different week. There was a DTS outreach team there from Caceras, another city in Spain that this new base was birthed from. And on top of that, there was a team of 20 American students on a school trip staying with us as well. On the way there, God was talking to me about resting and being family, and I had no clue what that was going to look like, but this week in Spain was so refreshing. We did a lot of outreach in the city centre, and some times of worship and intercession for the region, and a lot of fellowship and team building activities. They were celebrating a Catholic holiday over the weekend, so there was a local fun fair going on, which gave a great opportunity to get to know the locals and talk with them about God. One of our signs simply asked "how was your day?" and so many people were open to sharing about their day, and their life. We got to pray for many people, and encourage others as well. The time there was also so important for the team working there. They have only been there for one year, getting to know the area, getting involved in local churches, and planning for the first DTS that will be in September. It was so good to just be a family, to encourage them, pray for them, and support them.
Now we are back in London with a local outreach for 2 weeks, and then we will begin preparing for the Bones camp and the Notting Hill Carnival! This is my favorite time of year by far. Our DTS also begins on the 2 of August, and we have 14 students coming so far. They will combine with our interns, who will then graduate at the end of August after the carnival.
In this time, I also realized that I need to start my paperwork for renewing my visa! This is a pretty big cost, because they have put new regulations that we need to pay a certain amount for the national health care on top of the visa costs. I have about 2/3 of the money that I need, and I am trusting God for the rest. I need to send my papers by the middle of August, so if you feel to send any sort of support, that would be greatly appreciated!
Things to pray for:
-the rest of the outreach in London
-the Notting Hill Carnival outreach
-the new students coming
-preparations for moving into a 3rd house!
-visa paperwork
Thank you all so much for your continued love and support!!!
Monday, June 20, 2016
Dreams Coming True
It's June! Actually, more than half way through June already. We have been running two weeks already with the internship, and in two more weeks, we head out on outreach again. The month of May flew by. We welcomed three new staff, and one more returning from a year at home. We worked on retouching our house to make it ready for our new interns, and also moving into a SECOND house!!! God is always faithful, and we know this, but in the times of testing it is a harder fight to hold on to these truths. We saw God's faithfulness in a tangible way, from when we thought we needed a second house, until the time we actually received a new house (at least a year and a half) God stretched us so much. He always sees how much more we can grow, and he believes in us more than we believe in ourselves. I love these lessons that we learn by his hand. So we moved into a second home, and we also built from scratch The Hub cafe in Notting Hill Community Church. This church is where we have been planted in London since the ministry began 7 years ago, and it is a privilege to bless it in this way. We cleaned, designed, painted, built, and began using a corner of the church as a cafe area to serve the church and the community of Notting Hill. This is where our barista track time is being held. We had a few miracles (MANY) along the way, especially with the coffee equipment and installation. This Sunday was the first of many that we will be open and serving coffee to our church community.
Sometimes, I look at the things we have in our hands, or the things we have accomplished, and all I can think is, how? How did we do this? How did we finish on time? How, how, how? And the answer is simple: we DIDN'T do it. God has done it all. Without him, none of what we do would be accomplished, or would even be worth it. I'm realizing this more and more. I cannot put my worth in anything I do or produce, because it all comes from him, and is for him in the end. Nothing is for me, and that is incredibly freeing.
In this internship, we have visual artists, creative writers, fashion designers/bloggers, actors, and baristas. With them, we continue to serve in Notting Hill, Camden, and Soho. All of our previous projects and areas of ministry continue to run, and we are excited to have new people to serve with. The church plant in Camden continues, sometimes we have new members, and sometimes it is just us, but we continue with the word God gave us to be there. We will be abroad on outreach for the month of July (in Europe) then back to London for August and the Notting Hill Carnival. As one of my favorite times of the year, I can't wait, also because my brother is coming to visit again. Keep us in your prayers as we continue to share who God is with our artistic skills.
It is a turbulent time to be living in the UK. Just last month, we voted a new Mayor of London into office, and this month we will vote on whether to stay in the European Union or leave. I do not actually get to vote, as I'm not yet a citizen, but some of my teammates are. If the UK leaves, it could affect many of the Europeans we have in the team, with border controls and entry requirements of living in the UK. Pray for wisdom of the vote, and for the nations involved. This could be a turning point in history for many nations. Just this week there was a member of Parliament that was killed for leading a campaign to leave the EU. The vote will be on the 23rd of June, and we will know soon after that.
Thank you so much for your all your love and support!
Prayer points:
-thankfulness for the opening of the cafe
-outreach locations for July
-the UK (and Europe) as they vote for the UK to stay in or leave the EU
-August Carnival (Bones camp)
Sometimes, I look at the things we have in our hands, or the things we have accomplished, and all I can think is, how? How did we do this? How did we finish on time? How, how, how? And the answer is simple: we DIDN'T do it. God has done it all. Without him, none of what we do would be accomplished, or would even be worth it. I'm realizing this more and more. I cannot put my worth in anything I do or produce, because it all comes from him, and is for him in the end. Nothing is for me, and that is incredibly freeing.
In this internship, we have visual artists, creative writers, fashion designers/bloggers, actors, and baristas. With them, we continue to serve in Notting Hill, Camden, and Soho. All of our previous projects and areas of ministry continue to run, and we are excited to have new people to serve with. The church plant in Camden continues, sometimes we have new members, and sometimes it is just us, but we continue with the word God gave us to be there. We will be abroad on outreach for the month of July (in Europe) then back to London for August and the Notting Hill Carnival. As one of my favorite times of the year, I can't wait, also because my brother is coming to visit again. Keep us in your prayers as we continue to share who God is with our artistic skills.
It is a turbulent time to be living in the UK. Just last month, we voted a new Mayor of London into office, and this month we will vote on whether to stay in the European Union or leave. I do not actually get to vote, as I'm not yet a citizen, but some of my teammates are. If the UK leaves, it could affect many of the Europeans we have in the team, with border controls and entry requirements of living in the UK. Pray for wisdom of the vote, and for the nations involved. This could be a turning point in history for many nations. Just this week there was a member of Parliament that was killed for leading a campaign to leave the EU. The vote will be on the 23rd of June, and we will know soon after that.
Thank you so much for your all your love and support!
Prayer points:
-thankfulness for the opening of the cafe
-outreach locations for July
-the UK (and Europe) as they vote for the UK to stay in or leave the EU
-August Carnival (Bones camp)
Friday, April 15, 2016
Perspective
A bit late once again, but nevertheless here it is. How to express the last month or so in words is always hard for me. So many moments pass and are lived in a context that is also hard to describe. For this outreach time, we have been in London, investing in our city. We have been staying mostly in the the Notting Hill area, but during the weeks have been all around the city. Between times of evangelism in the streets around the church, to intercession walks through St. Pauls, Soho, Camden, Notting Hill, Brick Lane, and all the areas in between, to preparing for an exhibition next week, we have seen God move so much. We have met so many beautiful people that are really longing, and desperate for a change in their lives. Yet we also met many who are not. One of my greatest joys is the Thursday evenings we spend either serving dinner to our local homeless/low income friends or in Soho giving teas and coffees to passerbys. These evenings are full of conversation, of sharing love and joy and hope, giving our own testimonies many of times, and speaking truth into people's lives. Being able to share a few minutes of conversation with someone who is willing to tell you their story, that they are depressed and stuck in alcoholism, desperate for a change, and having the privilege to share with them that there is hope for change, that Jesus Christ came and set us free from all our bondage. That is an inexpressible moment. Have you ever felt God's heart for someone else? It opens your eyes and gives you a perspective that is much bigger than our own lives and our own problems. What is all the grace and forgiveness we have been given worth if we don't ever share it on with others trapped just as we were in our own mess? God has been stretching my heart, and my mind to be honest. I know we usually talk about the heart, but God has been stretching my understanding, my mindset, to see my days and situations as more than just MINE. What we live, how we live, whether regardless of being "in missions" or not, is for the kingdom.
Outreach in your home city is hard. We are comfortable here, we know how to get around, we know the currency and the language. We have such a wrong concept sometimes that missions needs to be outside of where we live. So yes, we stayed in London for outreach. We didn't travel more that an hour to any of our outreach locations or prayer walks or even the grocery store. This city knows us well, the enemies and the strongholds have had their time to get to know how we move and where we are strong, and where we are weak. As a team, we have had learned how to stand up together in our own city, to fight for it, pray for it, and love it deeper. That would not have been possible if we had left to another country. I'm excited to see how God takes this further.
Since we have stayed in the city, I was able to continue working at the same time. This job has been such a blessing. I love to be able to work with more English people, to be in an area of London that I would not normally go to, and to develop more in the coffee/barista area. We have three potential students coming for the barista track in June, and I have a lot of homework to do. The London Coffee Festival was also on last week, and it was a blast. There were so many suppliers, companies, roasters, and cafes to chat with. And SO MUCH COFFEE. Definitely over caffeinated. It was extremely inspiring.
A few prayer points:
-a coffee machine for the track
-housing (we are still growing in numbers and soon out of space)
-upcoming schools/outreaches
-finances for my visa renewal in september
Thank you all so much.
Outreach in your home city is hard. We are comfortable here, we know how to get around, we know the currency and the language. We have such a wrong concept sometimes that missions needs to be outside of where we live. So yes, we stayed in London for outreach. We didn't travel more that an hour to any of our outreach locations or prayer walks or even the grocery store. This city knows us well, the enemies and the strongholds have had their time to get to know how we move and where we are strong, and where we are weak. As a team, we have had learned how to stand up together in our own city, to fight for it, pray for it, and love it deeper. That would not have been possible if we had left to another country. I'm excited to see how God takes this further.
Since we have stayed in the city, I was able to continue working at the same time. This job has been such a blessing. I love to be able to work with more English people, to be in an area of London that I would not normally go to, and to develop more in the coffee/barista area. We have three potential students coming for the barista track in June, and I have a lot of homework to do. The London Coffee Festival was also on last week, and it was a blast. There were so many suppliers, companies, roasters, and cafes to chat with. And SO MUCH COFFEE. Definitely over caffeinated. It was extremely inspiring.
A few prayer points:
-a coffee machine for the track
-housing (we are still growing in numbers and soon out of space)
-upcoming schools/outreaches
-finances for my visa renewal in september
Thank you all so much.
Active Stillness
The ebb and the flow,
the push and the pull,
the in and the out.
The ocean and the heart,
dancing to make a rhythm of each other.
One so massive with one so small,
who could contend against such a force?
And they merge, and they match,
an ebb and a pulse.
A heart given over
to the stillness of the ocean,
at peace in the arms
of one greater and stronger,
at rest in a presence
that it could never control.
Not sure when to resurface
but content to be carried
to places yet unknown
in a strength beyond its own.
The storm above now a place far away,
the howl and the rage quieted
finds a heart matching pace
with the one that holds it.
An ocean full of love
making a rhythm,
dancing on a current,
in a stillness that is active.
the push and the pull,
the in and the out.
The ocean and the heart,
dancing to make a rhythm of each other.
One so massive with one so small,
who could contend against such a force?
And they merge, and they match,
an ebb and a pulse.
A heart given over
to the stillness of the ocean,
at peace in the arms
of one greater and stronger,
at rest in a presence
that it could never control.
Not sure when to resurface
but content to be carried
to places yet unknown
in a strength beyond its own.
The storm above now a place far away,
the howl and the rage quieted
finds a heart matching pace
with the one that holds it.
An ocean full of love
making a rhythm,
dancing on a current,
in a stillness that is active.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Perfect Timing
It somehow always amazes me how much God really knows what He is doing. I know it in my head, but when circumstances come to pass that really confound my human brain and I struggle to trust, He always shows how much He is in control. And the best part is, I don't have to understand or comprehend or know. He just is. I don't have to worry at all. I just get to trust. We heard a preaching last week about how it is good for us to suffer. Psalm 119:71 says "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes." Sometimes we romanticise being Christian, believing in God. Yes he is always good, but sometimes it is good for us to go through hard times, for us to learn who he is more and more. And God knows exactly when we need these times. I'm not saying I am living a terribly difficult season, but it is always good to bring it back into perspective.
This time around, we are on outreach with our January internship which one other girl and I are leading. We are spending 8 weeks in London, in different boroughs and with different churches, investing in the city and taking ground for God. So far we have had some music gigs, some art workshops with primary students, times of serving the homeless community, and some street evangelism. It has been so exciting for us to connect more with the other artists in our area. The church that allows us to use its space as a studio is located just on the street parallel to Portobello Road. We have got in touch with several of the cafe/bars to be a part of their weekly music events, and God has opened some doors that have been shut before. This outreach was a bit of a surprise, and at first I thought it was almost on accident. Now I can see how much God really wants and needs us to be here in this season for the team and for the city. It is a really key outreach, and the first time we spend so much time specifically for outreach since 2012!
As well, I have the privilege to continue working in the cafe a few days a week. I really love to be there, even if it is mostly on the extra busy days. It makes the slower days much more enjoyable. I work with amazing people, mostly English people, which is a miracle for London. Just another reason to love it. God continues to teach me how to be a better servant and worker, and also what things to teach on during our barista track that is coming in June! We have three possible students, and I am so excited. We have a ways to go before we are ready, but God is moving already and doing so many miracles. A few weeks ago I received an offering of £600 specifically for the barista track. I cried a little. God really does know the deep desires of our heart, but he also knows perfect timing.
For me, this season God is teaching me that not only do we trust him, but he trusts us as well. He trusts what he has taught us, what he has revealed to us, and what the people around us have helped us learn. He trusts us with the lives of other people, with the city of London, and with sharing what we have from him. This is a big deal, because a lot of the time I feel like I have not much to give. But when I realise that God has my back, and he trusts me to make decisions and move the way I know he would, that changes my whole perspective. God is so big, and so good.
This time around, we are on outreach with our January internship which one other girl and I are leading. We are spending 8 weeks in London, in different boroughs and with different churches, investing in the city and taking ground for God. So far we have had some music gigs, some art workshops with primary students, times of serving the homeless community, and some street evangelism. It has been so exciting for us to connect more with the other artists in our area. The church that allows us to use its space as a studio is located just on the street parallel to Portobello Road. We have got in touch with several of the cafe/bars to be a part of their weekly music events, and God has opened some doors that have been shut before. This outreach was a bit of a surprise, and at first I thought it was almost on accident. Now I can see how much God really wants and needs us to be here in this season for the team and for the city. It is a really key outreach, and the first time we spend so much time specifically for outreach since 2012!
As well, I have the privilege to continue working in the cafe a few days a week. I really love to be there, even if it is mostly on the extra busy days. It makes the slower days much more enjoyable. I work with amazing people, mostly English people, which is a miracle for London. Just another reason to love it. God continues to teach me how to be a better servant and worker, and also what things to teach on during our barista track that is coming in June! We have three possible students, and I am so excited. We have a ways to go before we are ready, but God is moving already and doing so many miracles. A few weeks ago I received an offering of £600 specifically for the barista track. I cried a little. God really does know the deep desires of our heart, but he also knows perfect timing.
For me, this season God is teaching me that not only do we trust him, but he trusts us as well. He trusts what he has taught us, what he has revealed to us, and what the people around us have helped us learn. He trusts us with the lives of other people, with the city of London, and with sharing what we have from him. This is a big deal, because a lot of the time I feel like I have not much to give. But when I realise that God has my back, and he trusts me to make decisions and move the way I know he would, that changes my whole perspective. God is so big, and so good.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Change of Tides
The more we are vulnerable and real about our weaknesses, the more God can use us. This outreach has been amazing. When I look at it just based on the events and activities, I can almost say it was easy. Most things flew by, people enjoyed, many heard about the love of God. But I know on a personal level for everyone, we struggled. God was doing a surgery with us, as individuals, and as a team. I forget so easily with schools that it is not just in the lecture phase that God wants to teach us things. Our life is learning, and God is the most patient teacher we can have. He has taught me what it really means to love people unconditionally, to let go of my judgment and focus on what other people need, to see people as he sees them beyond their faults. I've seen more of my struggle with control, my lack of trust, my self-doubt, and more in this last month and a half than ever. But also I have seen more the love of God, his gentle hand working in my heart, his patience and passion for restoring, and his grace in pushing me forward.
I can talk about how amazing the fiestas of San Sebastian were, how many people stopped to stare at the dances and the percussion, how many conversations we had with people interested in the meanings of our paintings, being in the opening and closing parades held by the main Catholic church, getting to declare God's victory by playing with the drummers on the highest roof in Old San Juan and in the "door of the city." There are so many amazing things that God did, and I enjoyed every exhausting second of those three days being in the streets. But what I feel needs to be talked about more is the heart. We say too often, "this is just the way I am." That's crap. God made us with our character and gifts and emotions, yes, but we live in a broken world. I need to recognize my weaknesses and face my reality, but I can no longer afford to just accept them as who I am. God calls us to wage war against the flesh, to put on his armor and fight with Him. This means that I don't have to stay "the way that I am." Watching all of us, staff and students, be so confronted with our weaknesses was so beautiful. To know that God put us all together for this time to carry each other, and to learn to love even more is insane. And that's the thing, we don't have to be completely discouraged when we realise our weaknesses and faults, because it means that we are closer to God, closer to the light, and more willing to learn and change. I never want to say that it's "just who I am," because I know that my God is bigger, and has more work to do, and is faithful to do it. So many of our conflicts come from not trusting that we are loved, first by God, and then by those around us. We think that if we change, people won't like us anymore, or that it's too hard to change and we are just stuck this way. But when my identity is really in God, I will naturally start to become more like Jesus. This means leaving what I think makes up who I am, and taking up what He really is. It also means trusting that He is working in the lives of those around me, and that His grace and love flows through them as much as He is showing me. God never ceases to amazing me with the depth of who He is and how much He loves.
During the fiestas, we did have amazing opportunities. We set up in the corner of a plaza that is on the Calle de San Sebastian, where most of the foot traffic is. It's not quite a festival, more of a giant block party spread out over the streets of Old San Juan. There were several main stages with performances from different groups, tons of food and drink stalls, and lots of people making their own fun. We realized quickly that people were desperate for a place to be. Every time we took a break from our performances, the crowd seemed to either stay until the next set, or wander about lost for a place to go. It was so different from the Notting Hill Carnival. The atmosphere was heavy spiritually, but light at the same time. People really celebrate and enjoy, they play music together with strangers, they find random people to enjoy the streets with, and share everything with everyone. Every person I talked with was so willing to stand around and hear what we were doing and who we do it for. So many people stopped to ask about our paintings (7foot hand-made easles) or ask what we were chanting during the percussion (declarations of God) or just to ask where we were all from. We had at least 10-15 people join us for a three day camp the days before the fiestas, to practice with us and join us. They were all from different churches in San Juan, which was so cool to see. Puerto Ricans reaching Puerto Ricans. The plan is to continue holding this Pre-Sanse and the outreach during the fiestas for many years to come. It was an honor and a blessing and a challenge to be part of the spearheading of this outreach. We had the opportunity to partner as well with the main catholic church of San Juan to open and close the fiestas with a small parade each day. We drummed and danced and sang the few blocks of Calle de San Sebastian, and participated in the closing Saturday Mass as well. It's interesting the doors that God opens sometimes for us to be able to declare His presence and give Him the glory. I feel like there are so many small moments that I would want to share, but its so hard to remember them all. But God was carrying every moment of those days, and it was incredible to see Him work in and through all of us.
Watching our students graduate is always an emotional moment. I couldn't be more proud of all of them for what they have walked through with God and how much they pushed during this outreach to see God more. The amazing thing is that the majority of them are joining us again this week for our January internship! Evidently, God was not done yet with them here, and I'm so glad to get to continue this process with them. We will have 6-7 weeks of practical track time here in London, and then 5-6 weeks of outreach here in the UK. It is a fast turn around from one school to the next, but we are so excited for the next season.
I can talk about how amazing the fiestas of San Sebastian were, how many people stopped to stare at the dances and the percussion, how many conversations we had with people interested in the meanings of our paintings, being in the opening and closing parades held by the main Catholic church, getting to declare God's victory by playing with the drummers on the highest roof in Old San Juan and in the "door of the city." There are so many amazing things that God did, and I enjoyed every exhausting second of those three days being in the streets. But what I feel needs to be talked about more is the heart. We say too often, "this is just the way I am." That's crap. God made us with our character and gifts and emotions, yes, but we live in a broken world. I need to recognize my weaknesses and face my reality, but I can no longer afford to just accept them as who I am. God calls us to wage war against the flesh, to put on his armor and fight with Him. This means that I don't have to stay "the way that I am." Watching all of us, staff and students, be so confronted with our weaknesses was so beautiful. To know that God put us all together for this time to carry each other, and to learn to love even more is insane. And that's the thing, we don't have to be completely discouraged when we realise our weaknesses and faults, because it means that we are closer to God, closer to the light, and more willing to learn and change. I never want to say that it's "just who I am," because I know that my God is bigger, and has more work to do, and is faithful to do it. So many of our conflicts come from not trusting that we are loved, first by God, and then by those around us. We think that if we change, people won't like us anymore, or that it's too hard to change and we are just stuck this way. But when my identity is really in God, I will naturally start to become more like Jesus. This means leaving what I think makes up who I am, and taking up what He really is. It also means trusting that He is working in the lives of those around me, and that His grace and love flows through them as much as He is showing me. God never ceases to amazing me with the depth of who He is and how much He loves.
During the fiestas, we did have amazing opportunities. We set up in the corner of a plaza that is on the Calle de San Sebastian, where most of the foot traffic is. It's not quite a festival, more of a giant block party spread out over the streets of Old San Juan. There were several main stages with performances from different groups, tons of food and drink stalls, and lots of people making their own fun. We realized quickly that people were desperate for a place to be. Every time we took a break from our performances, the crowd seemed to either stay until the next set, or wander about lost for a place to go. It was so different from the Notting Hill Carnival. The atmosphere was heavy spiritually, but light at the same time. People really celebrate and enjoy, they play music together with strangers, they find random people to enjoy the streets with, and share everything with everyone. Every person I talked with was so willing to stand around and hear what we were doing and who we do it for. So many people stopped to ask about our paintings (7foot hand-made easles) or ask what we were chanting during the percussion (declarations of God) or just to ask where we were all from. We had at least 10-15 people join us for a three day camp the days before the fiestas, to practice with us and join us. They were all from different churches in San Juan, which was so cool to see. Puerto Ricans reaching Puerto Ricans. The plan is to continue holding this Pre-Sanse and the outreach during the fiestas for many years to come. It was an honor and a blessing and a challenge to be part of the spearheading of this outreach. We had the opportunity to partner as well with the main catholic church of San Juan to open and close the fiestas with a small parade each day. We drummed and danced and sang the few blocks of Calle de San Sebastian, and participated in the closing Saturday Mass as well. It's interesting the doors that God opens sometimes for us to be able to declare His presence and give Him the glory. I feel like there are so many small moments that I would want to share, but its so hard to remember them all. But God was carrying every moment of those days, and it was incredible to see Him work in and through all of us.
Watching our students graduate is always an emotional moment. I couldn't be more proud of all of them for what they have walked through with God and how much they pushed during this outreach to see God more. The amazing thing is that the majority of them are joining us again this week for our January internship! Evidently, God was not done yet with them here, and I'm so glad to get to continue this process with them. We will have 6-7 weeks of practical track time here in London, and then 5-6 weeks of outreach here in the UK. It is a fast turn around from one school to the next, but we are so excited for the next season.
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