Hello and G'day!
Hope you are having a fantastic week! It is definitely warming up here in Perth. We've had some very hot days this week.
I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I've been a bit behind in posting my blog updates. This post is from last week. Our topic was Cross-Cultural Communication by YWAM Lausanne base director, Markus Steffen, a Swiss-German, who we had the tremendous honor of learning from this week.
Click here to see my lecture notes :)
Cross-Cultural Communication is an essential teaching for the evangelist. It all starts with loving the person, considering them and their interests above our own, and taking the time to fully engage them. Once the connection takes place, our message can come alongside this loving connection.
I was personally challenged this week in the area of controlling my tongue. In times of frustration, I too often let my flesh speak negativity. I realize that I have self control available from the Holy Spirt to help me through frustration, but God took me a step further in this teaching. My tongue should be set apart for the glory of God to bring fruit and life into the world. Our words matter all the time. I want to submit my words to Him, speaking only the truth onto myself and others, despite how I feel. God has given each of us the powerful responsibility to use our words wisely. It is the power to bring life or death (Proverbs 18:21).
A base event...
This Thursday evening, we had a event at Scarborough beach, run by a YWAM Perth ministry called Island Breeze. Island Breeze is a Polynesian cultural ministry that shares the Gospel through music and dance. They do an AMAZING job! Very talented men and women, and it is fun to watch. In the event, they had musical performances by the Island Breeze dancers and had a few testimonies in between the performances, with a Gospel invitation at the end. Earlier in the day, Danny asked if I would be willing to share my testimony. I was nervous at first, but once I started speaking, the words just flowed out of my mouth. It was amazing to share with so many people and I pray that God used my words to stir hearts and bring others closer to Him. The night was definitely a memorable one for me, and a tremendous opportunity to share with the people in the community.
One story to share from evangelism this week:
Before evangelism on Friday, Danny got the words "lost sheep" from God and felt to send us out in pairs to find one person that God leads us to minister to.
I partnered with a guy named Jeffrey from Indonesia. We both felt led to go to a nearby park. In the park was an aboriginal woman who was sitting alone in the grass. We walked over to her, introduced ourselves and started making conversation, then asked if we could sit down with her to continue to talk. We spent time getting to know her and had the most amazing conversation. There seemed to be a lot of pain in her life as she copes with it through alcohol which has gripped her for many years. She recognizes the destruction of it and had stopped drinking for about a week now, so she is in a place where she desires to make things better. Jeffrey shared his testimony with her and it was so powerful- going from the depths of despair to finding hope in Christ. After this, she started opening up to us about her past, and sharing her story with us. We listened intently for 10 minutes and as she cried and told us her pain. It was a beautiful and amazing thing to speak truth into this woman’s life and tell her the hope of the Gospel. We spoke of the redeeming and healing power of God with the hope that these words will take root in her spirit. We prayed over her and by the look of her eyes, she was completely touched by the love of God. She received a Bible from us and I pray that God continues to gently pursue her.
God, you are incredible. Your love is amazing. You are a God that goes after the lost sheep, the One that comes searching for us when we go astray. Thank you for your unfailing love and devotion to leading us in right relationship with you. What an honor it is to be used by you.- I have been feeling sick this week. Sinus pressure, cold symptoms. Please pray for quick healing, as I do not have finances right now to buy medicine.
- Speaking of finances, please pray for God's provision for the remainder of my lecture fees. About another $500 to go. I also need to raise $4,500 for my outreach to Mexico City in about a month's time. I will give you more details of my outreach needs by the end of the week.
God help you... you will be fine hurry.
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