STEPHANIE UNGARO
Serving with YWAM Australia

Thursday, March 24, 2011

A New Chapter

Hi everyone!

It's been a bit of time since I've been able to update. I've sent out newsletters and e-mail updates throughout my outreach to Mexico City. If you did not receive any of these, please feel free to e-mail me and I can send the updates to you!

LOTS has been happening these past few months. Please take a look at what's been happening :)

Perth Reflection
It is hard to believe six months has gone by and the season of my life with YWAM Perth has come to an end.

What an amazing season it was! I grew in so many ways- going deeper with God, being trained and equipped in evangelism, growing in my gifts of teaching and discipleship, and emerging as a leader. I was mentored and given many opportunities by the staff to plan and lead groups of people out on evangelism, encouraging other people to step out and be used by God to influence the world for Christ. I am amazed at the grace of God - I never thought I would be able to do many of the things I now find myself doing. Starting out with insecurities in leadership, I grew in confidence each time I led, trusting God to help me every step of the way. Looking back, I can see exactly why God wanted me to do this school before coming on staff with YWAM Gold Coast!

Life on the Goldie
I arrived on the Gold Coast on March 20th. I took a week to relax and to pray and fast for my upcoming season with YWAM Gold Coast. It was a week of adjusting back to life here and for God to fully prepare my heart to give in everything I do here. He spoke to me words of encouragement and also confirmed some things He spoke to me in the past of how He wants to use me here. By the end of the week, I felt refreshed, ready to serve, and feeling incredibly honored and privileged to be used by God in this capacity.

The Local Evangelism Team (LET)
I am serving the Local Evangelism Team (LET), a ministry branch of YWAM Gold Coast. The LET aims to reach the community through several different ministries:
  • Coffee Van- A ministry to bless our community (many poor and needy) in a practical way by handing out free coffee, tea, and food items.
  • Set Free Care - A free lunch to serve the homeless, building relationships each week.
  • Beach/Sports Outreach - Send teams to beach on Saturdays to play sports with tourists and locals to make friendships and share about Jesus.
  • Religious Education - Twice weekly, we teach "Religious Education" in two different public primary schools, with the amazing freedom to share about God, the Bible, Christianity, etc.
  • Kids Programs and Camps - Run a kids program called "Supa Club" at two primary schools where we play games, activities, and share a message to the kids. We invite these students to a weekend camp that we run twice a year.
Our desire is to use each of these ministries as an opportunity to share Jesus in a unique and personal way.

The Internship
In addition to serving in these ministries, I have also been given the Internship to look after. We have one intern, Cassie (19 years old, from Chicago) who is joining us for 6 months. I have the privilege to mentor and disciple her in evangelism, ministry, and discovering her gifts and calling. She joins us in each of the above ministries and also has assignments and curriculum to follow such as book reports, a journal, special projects, etc. We are connecting really well and having fun getting to know each other!

A Thankful Heart
"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." Hebrews 13:15


God has blessed me tremendously with a strong sense of home on the Gold Coast, which is something I am very thankful for. There is no doubt in my mind that I am exactly where God has called me to be. I am also so very grateful to all those who are continuing to support me through prayer and finance. I have been able make ends meet with my staff fees, airfare and other necessary purchases. Thank you so much for your faithful obedience to God!

Be Encouraged
I stand in awe of the amazing God we serve. His plans are so much greater than our own and He wants to do things that go far beyond our own lives. When we sacrifice our lives to God, He not only satisfies our own needs and gives us purpose, He actually uses our lives to impact and influence those around us - our communities, cities, our nation, the world!

"In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work."
2 Timothy 2:20-21, NLT


What is God speaking to you about? As believers we have a choice to be ordinary or we can be set-apart for Kingdom use, ready for every good work. God desires all of us to step into the glorious life He has planned and purposed for each of us. Ask God to refine your heart for honorable use. Ask him to show you or remind you of dreams and visions he has placed in your heart. He has a unique plan for you, a destiny that will bring life to your spirit and bring transformation to a world that needs Jesus.

Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful week.

Love and Blessings,
Stephanie

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