OUTREACH LOCATION REVEALED!

Our outreach location was revealed to us yesterday morning... drum roll, please...

PAPUA NEW GUINEA!!!!

Both teams will be going to different areas of PNG. Please start praying for our outreach preparation. I am so incredibly excited to see God move in this nation!!!

Faith In Action

Good morning!

God has been doing some exciting things this week here in the Gold Coast. We have spent our time in lectures, small groups, one-on-ones, doing acts of service, work duties, and community outreach.

We started the week off with church on Sunday. A group of us went to Set Free Christian Church. I really enjoyed it; it reminds me a bit of OCC (not that I could ever replace OCC!) :)

This week, our lectures were on the topics of Intimacy With God and Hearing God's Voice. A staff leader, Dave Barsch, did an amazing job teaching us on these topics. He is so passionate about Jesus and had a lot of great insight on how God speaks to us. He explained that there are three voices that you can hear: God, Yourself, and Satan. It allowed me to realize that I spend a lot of time wavering in and out of the realm of the Holy Spirit and the realm of "self". My own thoughts, emotions, desires, and fears often get in the way of hearing God's voice and hinder my intimacy with Him. By focusing my mind on God, spending time in the Word daily, dying to myself and my own selfish interests so that Christ can live in me, I can walk in the Spirit and grow deeper in my relationship with God.

Some revelations I got out of Dave's lectures this week:

• God speaks to us in a limitless amount of ways, including pictures, visions, an audible voice, music/worship, through his Word, people, nature, during prayer, through feelings/impressions, dreams, revelations, books, dramas/dance, movies, art, etc.
• The more intimate you are with God, the more clearly you will hear his voice. John 10:1-5: His sheep are those who know Him, and those who know Him recognize His voice.
• Listening to God requires a heart committed to understanding his message, even when it is different from what you want to hear. Reading the Word shows commitment to receiving God's message, giving us wisdom and discernment (filters truth from lies).
• Meditate on the truth. Persevere in seeking God and believing his truth.
• Knowing God and hearing His voice are inseparable. The character of God is our compass in every moment and in every aspect of life.
• Hearing God's voice builds faith. Things happen when you believe!
• Our knowledge of God's character changes our lifestyle. Meditate on God's character. Reinforce and confirm those aspects in the Word.
• 1 Chronicles 28:9-10: Know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will be cast off forever. Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.
• We will hear God's voice at the same depth to which we desire to know him.
• There is no relationship without trust and there is no trust without vulnerability. Invite God into all areas of your life, at all moments of your life (not just the storms). Your relationship with God will flourish!
• John 15: Remain in the vine. Stay connected to the life source. Only then will you see the fruit from intimate relationship with God.

• Faith is demonstrating our trust in God by aligning our actions with the truth of who God is.
• Obedience is faith in action!

• His ways are not our ways- Never put limits on God. Our minds are finite- God is infinite!
• Be obedient and trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• When you feel as though you don't hear anything from God, analyze your heart. After analyzing, you may find you are asking the wrong question. Seek and you will find. Request council from other believers- wisdom is found in council. Move from the realm of "self" into the presence of God, and pursue God's heart on the matter. Our minds are confusing, but God gives clear direction and understanding.

We have also done some community outreach this week. On Tuesday, I went with a small group to a homeless ministry through Set Free Christian Church called Set Free Care. Every Tuesday and Thursday, they convert their church into a cafeteria and have a free lunch. After lunch, the pastor gives a sermon for anyone who wants to stay and listen. During lunch, we were asked to go and sit with the men and women to try and stir up conversations about Jesus and just be a light and encouragement. I absolutely LOVED my time at Set Free Care. I was able to move around and talk with several people. I felt God telling me to listen intently to instill Christ's love and value into each person. I had some great conversations about Jesus. Daniel (a staff leader) and I were talking to a man named Mark (seemed to be a Christian) who is an alcoholic and is struggling to get the finances to afford Rehab. I told him my testimony of how God provided me the money to join YWAM, and encouraged him that if God wants him to go to rehab, he will provide the financial means if you put your trust in him. Then Daniel and I spent time praying over him- it was so powerful! The presence of God was so evident in that room. I am excited to go back next week!

Another outreach event we did was friendship evangelism. We all went to the mall on Saturday afternoon to try and initiate conversations about Jesus with people. I was not sure how this would go- I was a little nervous. It seemed strange to not really have a reason to talk to someone, but I when I was thinking about it, I talk to people randomly all the time, so I realized I had nothing to be nervous about. I walked around the mall praying "Okay God, who would you like to encourage in here? Please lead me to someone you would like to encourage." I felt God leading me outside to the bus stop. I sat down next to a man, and pretended to wait for a bus. I started making small talk with him, and he asked what I was doing in Australia. What a fantastic question! I told him all about YWAM and what God's been doing in my life these past few months to get me here in Australia. I was so open with him- things just started pouring out in my enthusiastic way. He seemed really interested and asked a lot of questions. I feel like it was totally from God, because I only had 20 minutes before we had to leave, and the man's bus came exactly 20 minutes later, so I was not the one who had to end the conversation. I am anxious to develop various methods of evangelism- I really enjoyed that.

I am missing everyone at home, but know that I am right where God wants me. I am soaking up every moment here. I am in awe of God's goodness and love for me... he must really love me a lot to send me to the Gold Coast with all these wonderful people! I love you all and am so thankful for all of your prayers. Your support means so much to me. Thanks for reading!

Love and blessings,

Stephanie

Amazing First Week

Recap of last week (Sorry it is late!) 2/16-2/19

Our week of classes started with the sharing of our testimonies. Each staff member gave their testimony on Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, each student in the group gave theirs. I feel like God really united us together through our vulnerability with one another... it was amazing to hear each person's journey with Christ and how each person was led to the Gold Coast!

Last Thursday (2/18), we had a lecture on prayer and intercession. This lecture was amazing... I was glued to every word. Kerstin, one of our instructors, had amazing insight on prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us in interceding for people and nations. She explained prayer as a two-way communication with God, both speaking and listening. We also talked about the fact that God chose to work through us to move on earth and accomplish his will- that is why we pray.

God allows us to pray and change nations!

We went through different examples of intercession in the Bible: Ezekiel 22:30, Genesis 18:26-33, Daniel 9:3-4, Daniel 10:12, Acts 12.

Truths that really spoke to me during this lecture:

• Our purpose in prayer is to release God on earth!
• God puts people and places in our hearts to intercede for them.
• When God puts a burden on your heart, don't stop praying until the burden is lifted.
• The key to intercession is listening to the heart of God.
• The Holy Spirit is our helper and will speak to us while we pray. Be obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Be sensitive to the burden He places on your heart.
• Never give up praying for someone or something that God places on your heart, even if he does not answer right away. The enemy will try and discourage you. It is important to pursue and press-in until a breakthrough is released.
• Examples of this in the Bible: Matt 26: 36-46, 1 Kings 18: 41-45, Revelations 5:8.

Joy Dawson's Principles for Effective Intercession:

Sin- Have a clean heart before God. Sin comes between us and God. Ask God to convict you of any sin and ask for forgiveness before you begin to intercede.
Self- Die to yourself, your thoughts, your own mind. Let the Holy Spirit guide your thoughts. Submit your thoughts to his thoughts so your prayers are from the mind and heart of Christ. Surrender what is in your mind to Him.
Satan- Come against any distractions of the enemy.
Spirit- Invite the Holy Spirit in your prayer time. The Holy Spirit knows what to pray. He will lead you and guide you in your prayer time.
Thanks- Raises an expectancy that God will release his power to change hearts and situations.
Wait- Be silent and listen to what God is saying. TRUST that what you hear is the heart of God. He may speak directly or give you pictures, visions, scripture, etc.

I am so blessed by this teaching. I know when I begin to apply these truths and principles, God will really transform my prayer life.

On Friday of last week, (2/19) we had a guest speaker, Aaron, talk to us about Worship. He is on the worship team at Set Free Christian Church. He had some amazing things to say about offering worship to the Lord, just as you are, giving thanks and praise for who he is, what he has done, and the promise of his enduring love.

Some key statements really spoke to my heart:

• God is looking for real worshippers. He cares about the heart. Come as you are and receive his grace.
• Worship is a response to the love and grace God gives us.
• The whole point of Christ's death on the cross was so that he could be with us. He is madly, deeply in love with us. Out of response from understanding this deep love, we worship God. Meditate on the promise of God's enduring love.
• Worship is a lifestyle. Worship God in everything you do. (Romans 12:1)
• There is such power in praising God in the midst of difficult circumstances. Don't let the enemy take your praise- Nothing can separate you from God's love!
• Be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

After the lecture, we spent time in worship together. I felt God's love pouring out on me, saying "I delight in you". I felt consumed in the joy of God's presence. I realized how much God desires to spend time with me, and is just waiting for me to be still and enjoy his presence. I feel so blessed to have a Father who is just crazy in love with me and is always there to fulfill me with every good thing.

A Crazy Orientation Day

Good Morning!

What a week! Monday kicked off with an "orientation"- a scavenger hunt around the Gold Coast! On Sunday, we received notice to wear clothes that can get dirty, walking shoes, to bring a swim suit and a packed lunch, and to be ready to be picked up by 9am. We spent the entire day, from 9am- 4pm, running around the Gold Coast, going from clue to clue, until we reached the "Ainsley House" (the boys' house) where we went swimming and had a barbecue set up for us. They had us doing crazy things! We were split up into three teams.

Our first challenge was a water bucket relay (which my team won!) where we had to relay buckets of water to fill up a tub. The clue brought us to a shopping plaza where we received a list of 10 things to find in that mall. Once we got all the answers right, we got a clue that directed us back to the base (about a mile walk) where we had to make these Australian desserts from a given recipe.

The next clue told us to get on a bus to Surfer's Paradise (the downtown beach area) where we had to find Kerstin (one of the staff leaders) who gave us a list of 20 questions to ask random Australians. The questions included things like Australian pop culture, history, animals, and for the last question, we had to find someone to sing the Australian National Anthem, in which we had to write down and recite back to Kerstin in order to get the next clue. Once accomplished, our next task was for each team member to make and eat a vegimite sandwich. They were so gross! Our team actually opted to take a 10 minute penalty rather than suffering through the entire sandwich, I just couldn't do it.

Next, we had to find Daniel (another staff leader) at a McDonald's by the beach who gave us a list of landmarks to find in Surfer's Paradise. We had to take a picture of each landmark while wearing an Australian hat (looked like a cowboy hat), holding an Australian flag, with red, white, and blue paint on our faces. Hilarious, right?

Once our list was complete, a staff member drove us back to the base where we had another challenge ahead of us- the best one yet. I see a slip and slide with a bowl of jello at the end of it. "What in the world??" I wondered to myself. Our task was for each team member to slide down the slip and slide and put our faces into the bowl of jello to find hidden puzzle pieces that we had to pull out with our teeth! The puzzle constructed a map that led us to the Ainsley house. It was a riot. We all had such a blast.

Looking forward to classes starting tomorrow!

Hello from the Gold Coast!

Hello Friends and Family!

After much prayer, preparation, and traveling, I have safely arrived in the Gold Coast! It is now my third day here, and I am settling in very well. The weather is very hot and humid… it feels like Florida in August, but with more intense sun. There is a nice breeze during the day, and the temperature cools down beautifully at night. It is only day three, but I feel like I have been here for weeks! I think it is partly because the days are so long (the sun rises at 4:30am, and wakes me up), and also because I feel right at home here. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming.

I was the third person to arrive, so more people have been trickling in these past few days. We are still waiting on 5 more to come. The group is much smaller than I expected… there are going to be 11 of us (9 girls, and only 2 boys). There are 11 people, but 8 different nationalities!! American, Canadian, Sweden, Finnish, Irish, Brazilian, and only 1 Australian. It is such an interesting mix of cultures. There has been a lot of laughter and discussion about all the differences between what we are used to back at home. There are many differences, but we all share a love and passion for our Lord and Savior who brought us here together.

Our group has been having a blast thus far. We all get along very well. Everyone is just so excited to be here and has gone through so much in obedience to God's call to come do this DTS. School does not start until Monday, so we have been exploring the area together and shopping for items that we were unable to bring, like certain toiletries, bedding, groceries, etc. Yesterday, we spent the day at the beach. It was a beautiful beach called Surfer's Paradise. The waves are much stronger than Florida waves, similar to how they are in Hawaii. They about knocked us over!

I am living in a house with 6 other people. Rochelle is our house leader and also one of our teachers when classes start. I share a room with 3 other girls (only one has arrived so far, Amy Joy). There is no air conditioning in the house, but the breeze and fans cool the house down nicely. We live in a nice neighborhood surrounded by beautiful plants and trees, the sounds of birds ringing through the air all day long. The layout of the base is ideal… our house is situated across the YWAM office, separated by a soccer field, and the other girls house is down the street from ours- everything within walking distance. The guys house is located in the neighborhood next to ours, about a 20 minute walk away. There is a plaza with a grocery store, ATM, and pharmacy (they call it a "chemist"- very funny!) right next to the YWAM office. I love walking and being outside, and it seems we will be doing much of that :)

A couple of prayer requests: Renada is still in the process of getting her visa and has not been approved yet. Nathaniel is still waiting on money to purchase his plane ticket. Please be praying for these students!

Thank you for all of your prayers- I feel them all day long. God's presence fills my heart, bringing me much joy and peace. I love you all. I will continue to send updates!

Stephanie



Surfer's Paradise












The girls house down the street













Down our street











The house I am staying in









My room!