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!
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!
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