3...2…1…Launch

It has been an exciting weekend here in Harpenden. One of the tings which I personally love about working with YWAM is the values, and I saw several of them actively lived out this weekend, with the launch of an album by a band here on the oval.  The band in question is called Evergreen (which comes from the verse in Hosea 14v8) (http://www.evergreenband.co.uk/ or http://www.facebook.com/evergreenbanduk), and is made up of 4 guys, one Mexican, one Englishman, and two Americans. Their heart and focus is going into pubs etc where not many people currently reach out to and playing music they have written as praise to God, alongside over bands, with people also praying and chatting to people in the places they pray. It is an amazing ministry opportunity and has lead to so many amazing stories of Gods faithfulness. I love these guys, and they had the amazing pleasure of heading to northern Island at the end of last year to record a professional album.

So, on Friday the 4^th March the base hosted an album launch event, to which over 100 people came. They were also supported by a couple of other acts, one guy who helped to start the band but then moved on to other things he felt god call him to, and the other was a band who the boys have played alongside a lot over the last year. The whole evening was amazing, so much fun. The boys really put their all into the gig, and the crowd was amazing, each feeding off each other.  I have always enjoyed hearing these guys, and the heart behind the music, it always speaks of hope.

This whole Launch is in itself a testimony to the way God has had his hand in this journey, and his faithfulness in providing the finances etc to actual come to the point that these guys now are.

So what values have we seen lived out through this? The first has to be “Be Visionary” the pioneering of new ideas, and listening to where God is leading, and these guys have really run after a new way to reach out from this base here in Harpenden. The other is “Champion Young People” I think the guys would agree that the eldership and leadership of the base here has been an amazing support for them as they have sought and run after what they felt God had called them into.

The Call

“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honour, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?”

~ David Livingstone ~

This quote was used by one of the teachers here on the current discipleship training school while teaching the staff team last week, and it really hit home for me, in a good way. You know when something really significant is said to you, and it really gets you thinking, it really goes deep, this was one of those moments, and I wanted to share some of the things I really felt God challenge me on and speak to me about.

I think the biggest thing was to do with where I came from. When I came into mission I gave up a very good job, in the seychelles, which I absolutely loved. I moved back to the UK to join youth with a mission to be a part of their discipleship training school, to invest into and equip young people to take up the call God has for their lives. I have always said that I would not want to be doing anything else, but I do miss the life I had in the seychelles, which was something I know God had also called me into for a time. I guess deep down I looked at it like I had made a big sacrifice to come here and do this, but in actual fact, what a privilege it is to be asked by the creator of the universe to do something for his kingdom.

This lead to me praying and talking to God about what it is I am doing, and he told me that I am helping to give skills to and equip all those people who come and do a discipleship training school here at the base so they can walk into the different commissions he has for them. Be that in full time missions work, or in business, science, at home, overseas, wherever it is, what a privilege it is for each one of us to embrace the thing that God has set aside for us to do. Paul, one of the writers of the bible, wrote this in one of his letters, and after hearing the above quote, it suddenly meant something more significant:

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

We all feel good when we are given a promotion at work, or a special contract, or are recognised for our hard work in this world, this is certainly not wrong, but how do we look on it when God has asked us to give up something, to walk into something he has for us. and how willingly do we do it? I will not lie, it is not an easy thing to give something up we enjoy, but when the king of kings has something that only we can do for him, should we not run into it willingly, I know my attitude has been challenged on this over these last few months.

Truly, what a privilege it is for us to do something everlasting for God's kingdom, I am so excited to see what the next couple of years brings, and where God calls all these amazing young people that I will have the pleasure of spending time with.

A Graduation Happens

Well, if you have been following this blog then I hope that you know I am involved with the DTS (Discipleship training school) centre here at the YWAM (youth with a mission) base in Harpenden. If you did not already know that then…..now you do!

This last week has been exciting for us as a team as we have had the graduation of the school that started in September. Although I was not one of the official school staff, as we run several a year, we all get involved in some way behind the scenes, and it is an amazing privilege to see where God has brought all of the trainees that have been a part of this school. The main focus of the graduation is to celebrate the faithfulness of God in bringing these young people to a new place with him, and it is done by the trainees, with a little help from us as staff.

We had to spilt the September school into three teams for the actual outreach phase of their school, which is where we take them for close to three months of practical short term missionary work. One team went to Chile and Paraguay, the second team went to Thailand, and the third were in Germany and France. They also spent 2-3 weeks in the UK as we are a UK base we always want to do outreach into this country as well, so one group were in Scotland, one in Northern Ireland and the other spent time in England (spending 10 days in Manchester, which is my home).

All the teams came back with incredible stories of how God provided for each team (none of the teams went with enough money, but felt God had said go and so did, and all of them saw God provide what was needed where they went!) They also came back with such amazing stories of how God healed people, such as one guy who was blind, but also of how God had challenged their world view and had broken all of their hearts for the various issues of injustices they faced. The other awesome thing is that they are all determined to return home and make a difference where they find themselves next, some at university, others at home, and a few even feel that God is asking them to return to the mission field in some of the places they visited.

It is always such a joy to see how God has grown them other the time of DTS and to know that they are all on fire for God. The graduation is also a great time to think back on my own DTS and see where God has brought me since, and be so thankful for his provision, and joy in life. God is so amazing, and I never want to live another day without that relationship with him, he saved my life in a very real way, and I will forever be grateful to him.