Destination Paradise Week 11: Peter Warren, the sweeper

Here's all the girls during a fun small group at Jeff and Kristen's (DP staff) apartment

The eleventh week, the last week of the lecture phase has come faster than I could have ever expected. One speaker early on told us that as we got into the flow of lectures the momentum would increase with each passing week, and it certainly has. Our last speaker couldn’t have been more equipped to lead us through this last week. Peter Warren is the director of YWAM Denver and has been involved with the organization for over 30 years. His base is one of the largest in the world and his knowledge of everything from spiritual warfare to relationships to Aussie card games is astounding. During our first session with Peter he asked us what we wanted to talk about this week. So, we developed a list of questions that covered the topics that hadn’t been thoroughly spoken of and we moved from there. It was refreshing to study this was and much easier on our already saturated brains. Peter is such a dynamic speaker and was truly a blessing to us. He took care to make sure no question went unanswered and allowed us to candidly ask anything on our minds. Peter is such a great example of the great things God can do with a willing and surrendered life. Although it was strange to wrap up lectures, it feels good to be moving on to what lies ahead.
As of next Friday we will officially be in outreach mode. This Thursday we will sail up to Corozal, Belize (actually we haven’t decided if it will be Corozal or Chetumal, but they are both in the north of Belize). Friday morning we will disembark the boats with all of our belongings and start the long journey to Nichoxtlan, Oaxaca. I actually have no idea how long it will take, but knowing myself and buses I will most likely sleep a good majority of the way there. There are a few things about outreach that we found out this week! We have accepted the invitation of Bethel Christian Center in Nichoxtlan, Oaxaca, to work with them on the various different ministries they have to serve their community. Nichox is a small community nestled in the Sierra Madre mountains and is still has a lot of indigenous cultural. They also make chocolate! As of now that’s really all I know. There is much to be decided but it will all come together soon and I will let you know soon! I am super excited about travelling into the heart of Mexico and settling in there for a few months. There are a few prayer requests I have for you guys if you could…
1. Health: there are quite a few of our team member that have been quite ill for a few weeks now and we need them to get better!
2. Contacts for outreach and ministry opportunities
3. That I remember how to speak Spanish: I know I will but I am always a bit nervous at first.
4. Warm weather: this may sound a bit silly but we were only allowed to bring one bag and the warmest piece of clothing I have is a zip-up hoodie!
5. General safety in the physical and the spiritual!

Thanks so much for your support, we couldn’t do this without you guys. I am not sure of what my internet access will be while on outreach, but I am hoping to keep up on my blog as much as I can! Blessings and love!

Israel and I...

This week has been joyous, decisive, fun, full of laughter, confusion, sorrow and lots of questions. I would like to introduce all of you to a friend of mine, Israel Daniel David. He was the first person I met in San Pedro, the waiter at our favorite spot called La Playa. The people at La Playa are exceptionally generous and kind, the let us use their internet, play volleyball and their seating is all over stuffed cushions, like large couches every which way. However, Israel certainly made the experience of being in San Pedro one I will never forget. He was always interested in hearing about our week on the boat and was truly a pleasure to be around in every way. Last Sunday we were able to have him over for dinner, which was so much fun, he was a little weirded out but nonetheless he was able to share a meal with us. That turned out to be the first and last meal we shared with Israel, Thursday night he had a stroke that would eventually take his life. Israel was only 33, he left behind a wife and three children, one of which is not even a year old. Today we will help with a fundraiser at Playa to help cover the medical and burial costs. It’s strange in that I was one of the only people who has any pictures of Israel. There are a lot of questions still lingering about everything that has come to pass, but I feel lucky to have known Israel and gotten to be a part of his life for this short while. Your prayers for his wife would be much appreciated.
Like I said this week has also been filled with joyful things as well, namely, Brenda Lewis, our speaker for the week. Brenda is one of those people, not matter who you are, you just seem to have an instant crush on and I am sure you know what I mean. She brings joy and laughter wherever she goes and the sense of life being lived to the fullest, when you are with Brenda you have the sense that you are right where you are supposed to be. I have been looking forward to her coming since week two of this adventure because she co-directs a community in New Haven, Connecticut called YWAM Axiom, along with Jeff Pratt (our speaker from week two). It’s a community that is intentionally trying to be the church in a new way that will directly influence the post-modern society we live in. Check out their website: www.ywamaxiom.com. Brenda spoke to us this week about Destiny and G, tod’s plan for us as individuals and as a whole church body. It is so excited to dig into the scriptures about God’s heart for us. Our memory verse for the week was Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans that will prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” and as much as we turn to these passages for security and comfort , they can start to become numb to us. Brenda breathed new life into these scriptures and blessed us all with a deeper understanding of the great purpose in which we live our lives, to be in a deep, intimate, relationship with God. We talked about our dreams and hopes for our future, and it was really exciting. Brenda and I had some great chats about many things this week but mainly about my internship and beyond.
Sometimes we have thoughts that linger with us, dreams or plans that we push to the side for a later time, or because they seem to ridiculous or impossible. One of those thoughts for me was joining the Axiom community. There is an organization that works within this community call Love146 (www.love146.org). Love146 has a mission to free the millions of children who are enslaved within the sex trade. Little girls who are sold or kidnapped with the purpose of become sex slaves for the rest of their lives. There are more people who are working in the bond of slavery right now that any other time in history. Love146 sets up safe homes for girls who have been rescued from slavery in Thailand and Cambodia. They provide the girls with everything they need to restore their lives, from food to trauma counseling to teaching them how to play children’s games to reuniting them with their families. Love146 was started by Rob Morris in New Haven and continues to be run by volunteers from all over the world. At the end of January I will be moving to New Haven for my internship to work in both of these organizations, Love146 and YWAM Axiom. Ideally for the first month of my time there I will assist Rob with basically whatever he needs while simultaneously learning the ins and outs of Love146. Then in March Jeff Pratt and Brenda Lewis will be directing a Justice and Mercy DTS at Axiom and I would staff the school all the while continuing to work with Love146. Then in June/July we would head over to India and possibly Thailand to work with projects Axiom has going there. I am incredibly excited about all of this but much of it has yet to be defined, so I would LOVE it if you would pray for me in this process and I would appreciate any input you might have for me. I will keep you updated as I learn new things. I am so blessed to have these plans and feel like they are completely where God has for me to be for a while…love and blessings!

Faith Week!

Hey everyone! Last week I was not able to write an update for a couple of reasons: 1. Limited internet access and 2. It has taken me all week to try to find the words to tell you all that has been going on. Last week was faith week quite possibly my favorite week thus far. Faith week started with us answering a series of very challenging questions in small groups about, you guessed it, faith. After taking about a day and a half to hash through the scriptures and our minds in search of a deeper understanding to what faith is we were all sent out in our small groups to serve people, in faith, trusting that God would provide every step of the way. Our group was sent to San Ignacio, a town nestled in the Western mountains of Belize, right on the boarder of Guatemala. There we were introduced to some incredible people who were preparing to do relief work in the rural villages due to the overwhelming flood waters that have ravished Belize and beyond. The people of Calla Creek, the village we went to, had very little left but what they did have they were clinging on to for dear life. Our group, along with the amazing people at Maya Walk Tour Company, were able to give out packages full of food and basic necessities to help these people along for the time being. We were also able to provide clean water and some basic medical attention. Hannah, who is a nurse, was in our group and led the way in instructing us on how to provide care for the kids. We basically bathed their feet in hydrogen peroxide and handed out anti-fungal cream to everyone we could. Because there was no clean water in the town, the kids were left to bath in the germ infested flood waters, which gave most of them ‘jungle rot’ all over their feet. Most of the people were immigrants from Guatemala, so I was able to chat with them quite a bit. The kids were priceless and totally intrigued by us. There is so much more to say about faith week but that is a basic overview, feel free to ask any questions!
The structure of our school has truly been remarkable. Each speaker has come quite literally at the perfect time. This week we had our first female speaker, Bethann Kern! She is a fiery New Yorker who has been in the mission field for the past 15yrs, a worship leader and true inspiration to us all. She told stories of the work she did in Africa and her incredible testimony. She was encouraging, challenging, inspiring and really influenced me in some of the decisions I have been wrestling with. I am still working out many of the details for internship but feel like I am getting closer and closer every day. God has really opened my eyes to ministries of redemption, especially for young women trying to get out of the sex trade. I have come across a couple of organizations that provide holistic care to women and young girls that are either at risk for abduction in to the sex trade or simply have no other means for livelihood. The organizations take care of emergency needs first and then begin a process that helps these women receive job training, health care and education and any counseling or community they might need. I would greatly appreciate prayer while trying to decide and also prayer for outreach as we begin to plan the next phase of our DP journey. Thank you for your prayer support, I know it has made all the difference. Again, I would lOVE to hear from you guys, let me know how you are doing! Blessings and Hugs!