Double Update!?

Well, I know I told you I would send pictures of the new home. But I've been busy, its been raining a lot and I wanted a sunny day, and the house has been a little messy. But I wanted to update anyway, and maybe later today because its sunny I will also put some pictures on of the new house that me and my 4 other friends have moved into. I will however post pictures of my time in Hong Kong when I came home. I really love cultures, there are so many beautiful people groups out there and I was blessed to be able to use my life as ministry and bless these people even just over the hours I was there. Despite it not being a "mission trip" if I am going to own Christs name, I better look similiar to Him in at EVERY moment, or risk blaspheming. I got to play hacky sack and talk to many of the locals and they were amazing. They just LAUGHED AND LAUGHED when I was playing hacky sack, they thought I was really good, I don't know about that though, haha. The man in the picture on the left is like 98 or something. Everyone there loves outdoors and is so healthy and fit and they all live so long. Its amazing, such a healthy culture.

Anyway, there is a new school up and running, and while managing the many roles I seem to have picked up around base, I am also trying to focus on this school and plan for the next which I will be school leader of. I am feeling pretty stressed lately to be honest. God has been convicting me on that though, because I have taken on roles He has asked me to, therefore with my efforts He will so what I cant and work all things for good. I don't need to worry, but be at peace, knowing God wants to use me to disciple these missionary's and leaders. I am also anxious about being a young leader over maturing people. Sometimes students are even up to 35...usually in their 20's. But I have been placed in a discipleship role of them. I am excited to see how God will use me and am secure in this role. But its definitely going to take some getting used to.

The new school is full of students all over the world who all came here for the right reasons. I can forsee a few barriers they may come up against though. It seems they do WANT God and a relationship with Him, but don't want to work for it, they just want it handed to them. Not to say that works give you a relationship with God, but they don't want to go through the refiners fire and shed some of their current desires, or be healed of things from their past, or forgive people who have hurt them. It just seems like tough soil. But once the soil is tilled the harvest won't be long after.

This past weekend we went to a campsite in the Sunshine coast and just spent some time getting to know each other, telling our testimony's and desires of our hearts. Its amazing the amount of depression these guys have struggled with and even suicidal situations. God wants to redeem their hopelessness and build a character that is built on hope and joy. I know God is going to prepare them for the work He has for them. A DTS generally starts with healing and preparation and then leads to destiny and identity, figuring out callings and whatnot. So I hope that we can push through this tough first phase to release them in the next stage. After that weekend everyone was very close and realized we cannot judge anyone, because you never know the story that lies behind them. We had lectures from an amazing teacher, Anna Temple, who spoke on the Character and Nature of God this past week and really opened the students minds to the bigness and power of our God, but even more to the grace and desire of His heart to be near to us.

As for myself, I feel that I'm in a bit of a trasitional period as God prepares me for ministry in the future and even leading a school I am going to be tested and disciplined so God can build character in me over this school. God has really released a lot of insight and discerment in me lately to help me feel like I'm not so alone in this transitional, and somewhat stressful time. I know He's there because He is constantly giving me insight and even prophetic knowledge quite frequently lately. Its really amazing. But it also lets me know that I'm probably heading into tough times where I will need to wait on the Lord to succeed in my mission. Hear His voice.

Anyway, thanks for reading as usual, and I will have some further pictures of the house I know live in up either today or tomorrow I hope.

Home Sweet Home

Hey everyone!! I hope all is well. I have been busy preparing for the new school! During the preparation time a lot of things are on the go, but its mostly just "needs to be done" stuff, so none of it is overly exciting. Which is why I haven't updated in a while. But once the school is on the go things will pick up and I'll will have plenty to say and stories to tell. The School starts on Feb. 14th, so only about a week and a half left. We have 20 students, 13 girls and 7 guys. They are mostly from Canada and America, but there are also a few from Europe (Norway, Belgium, Germany, etc...).

Theres is some big news to report on though, me and four other amazing, solid, passionate guys have moved into a house off base that we are renting. Our rent has gone up about $15/week, but its great to finally have my own room to worship in and now that I am getting more opportunity to teach, I need a quiet place to study. Most people on base when on staff and here long enough will be given the opportunity to move off base. But we decided to pursue the endeavor on our own and found a Christian guy who cut the bond from $1500 to $500 and the weekly price by 50 dollars. He is really amazing and left a bunch of furniture as well. So we have been so place and really see Gods favour on the situation. The man (Don) said has lived accross the street from some of us for a very long time and said "[he was] excited to be able to help us because we are partners in the mission we have" and he realizes we don't get paid. It was such an amazing example of love to us. We didn't really expect it at all. Even though we were praying.

And I mentioned about praying for vehicles before, but part of my intention was to get the word out there and I was wondering if anyone had any connections in the business world or any creative fundraising ideas to help us out. Have a think and a pray and let us know. We have people who do some public relations, but mainly our vehicles and expenses are often paid by pastors in local churches. They are constantly fundraising to help us as the mission focused arm of the church. Its really awesome to see the reputation YWAM has in the community and churches in the area, they really to love us and enjoy partnering with us. But aside from the churches Dave (our base director) has many connections in the business world and in politics as well. But sometimes God wants us to "expand our tent pegs" and go to knew places for our resources! So let me know if you have any ideas, you can email me at adam@ywamoz.com.

I had a revelation today while in lectures on Biblical worldview about a couple things. We were talking about how welfare and reaching the downtrodden is actually the churches job not the governments, biblically anyway. I started thinking how the reason the church is in effective and the world is in the shape it is, is because of the mis-conception of what church is. We, very often, here that its the churches opportunity to reach these people and take care of and love those around us and look up the chain of command. I do this as well, its just as much a mindset in me that needs to be broken. But we look to the church as an organization, rather than what the church actually is, the BODY of believers...US people, we are "living stones" and therefore, when the bible says its the churches job that means specifically ME, and YOU and joe in the pew next to us. haha Its a real issue that can't just be tolerated, but needs to be changed. We need to take ownership and started to shift our mindset, remember that the "church" building should be our outreach centre and a place we facilitate the things we do as THE church. Rather than shifting our responsibilities up the chain of command, I want to start saying "I AM CHURCH". And Christ is my head!

Blessings!