Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Holiday :)
Last week was a four day lecture week. We learned about spiritual warfare. We are constantly in a battle with the powers of darkness and every choice we make either aids or hinders the kingdom of God. This week was very powerful and it is amazing to realize what the devil does to try to take the glory away from God. It was also a good week to realize a few ways the devil attacks us. In our attitudes, with words we say, with what we think and so much more.
For New Years Eve some of the staff planned a photo scavenger hunt in Christiansted, it was fun. Also, on New Years day, Hannah Byrum’s sister paid for all the students to go to Fredericksted beach. We had a lot of fun and we went pier jumping :) On Saturday, I attempted snorkeling, but the waves were making the sand shift too much so I couldn’t see anything :(. Oh well, it was still a great day, ending with watching the Mask of Zorro, I liked it :)
This week is an awesome week of self discovery as well as group discovery. We are learning about Identity and Team Dynamics this week. I am enjoying it a lot. We’ve taken a couple tests to see what our love language is and our personality type. It was very interesting to see what everyone was. We also did a values exercise where we had a list of values and then we had to sort them by Top 8, Other Valuable, and Not so Valuable. Both for us as individuals and as a team. Then we were able to discover what areas different people may struggle in a group because the values clash. I’ve learned so much already and it is only Tuesday Night. Wow! I’m excited to see what God shows me the rest of the week :)
As many of you know, I am going to Nicaragua and Costa Rica for my larger outreach. We leave next week Wednesday, January 14. The time has just flown by me, I can hardly believe it is here already. Here is a little information about my outreach and a few things that you can be praying for. As for my last outreach I will answer a few questions.
*Where exactly is our group going? We are going to the YWAM base in Managua, Nicaragua and to Heredia, Costa Rica.
*What are the needs of the people there? At this point we haven’t been told much information. We know that we will be working with poorer people in Nicaragua more than in Costa Rica. Other than this, I do not know any thing else.
*What are your needs as a group? For us students, we are preparing for our ministry times: testimonies, bible stories, crafts, dramas and worship. Also, we have to completely pack up all our stuff here, so we are all feeling a little stresses. Some more than others. I personally feel a little stresses because of the lack of information, but as I am learning this week, I need to be flexible :). As for the group as a whole we all have a lot of preparations before we leave next week.
*What type of ministry will you be partaking in? Right now we know we will be doing 1 week of Vacation Bible School for about 150 kids, other than this we could be doing work projects, evangelism, and anything else they decide to give us to do.
*What are you hoping to accomplish there? Anything specific? We want to share the Gospel with the people of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, at this point, not really knowing the type of ministry we will be doing, I can’t say there are any other specific goals we have. Just listening for what God wants us to do in these locations.
*What has God shown you all to be praying for so we can join with you...give us the specifics? We are all praying that we can be flexible and have good communication between the team. Otherwise, on Thursday we start taking turns fasting to really see the focus and what’s on God’s heart for these places. We know we are supposed to do the VBS so just praying that everything runs smoothly and that we are able to share what is on God’s heart with the children.
*What are the dates and times of your flights so we can cover you all in prayer? With all flights, we keep an open hand. Knowing that there can always be delays/cancellations. We pray that all will be ontime and go as scheduled, unlike on our way to Haiti.
1/14/09
6:50 AM St. Croix to Puerto Rico 7:32 AM
8:35 AM Puerto Rico to Miami 10:25 AM
1:00 PM Miami to Nicaragua 2:40 PM
2/5/09 (not sure on the exact date yet)
Bus from Nicaragua to Costa Rica
2/27/09
7:00 AM Costa Rica to Miami 10:45 AM
6:00 PM Miami to Puerto Rico 9:25 PM
11:00 PM Puerto Rico to St. Croix 11:34 PM
*Will you be joining another organization/ministry while there? Who are they - names, ministry, needs? We will be working with YWAM Nicaragua and in Costa Rica we will be working with another organization called Pura Vida Missions.
*How are the finances of your group...for the school, and for outreach? Right now, as far as I know we all have our money. The base as a whole is very tight on money and could always use any extra funds. Ligia, one of the DTS staff is not coming on outreach due to Visa/Passport issues and our DTS director, Lori, will only be coming to Nicaragua with us. We have not been told the reason for this. I’m sure that God has a plan for both of them here in St. Croix.
*Do/will you have an outreach itinerary/schedule that we can follow along with dates/activities so we know what to be praying for and when it's happening? We do not have any itinerary/schedule yet. As you can tell the details are not completely all there. I’ve been told it is part of ministry and that sometimes we just have to be flexible with whatever happens. We will most likely will not have access to the internet while we are gone, so I'm not sure if I will be able to let everyone know anything once I am there either. Sorry, I truly wish I had more information to give.
*How about you? How can we pray specifically for you!? I am a little stressed because of the lack of information, even things to pack. As I’ve mentioned before, I am learning to be flexible, but any prayers in this area would be most welcomed. I am a little nervous about speaking in front of people and preaching. Testimonies we will be doing often, but I’ve never given a longer speech before, so I am nervous about that. Also, I am the main character in one of our dramas. (The skit is: Everything by LifeHouse--check it out on You Tube, its the one with the most hits :) Otherwise, just pray for safety and that I will be able to decipher God’s voice clearly, to truly get out of this outreach what He wants me to learn/see.
Thank you all for your prayer support and encouraging notes! I hope to get a few more pictures up before I leave and get some more information so that you know what best to pray for :)
Thanks a ton!!!!
Love,
Kathy
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3 comments:
No, thank you!!!!
- more later;)
I miss you! I think about you often. You are an amazing woman of God and I am so proud of you.
Love always.
Misty
Hey you!
How are you?! Thanks for the information – though there are some unknowns, something is better than nothing and I for one am grateful for any knowledge you can send my way to give me some more ammo for my prayer warrior adventures.
So get this, as you know I’ve been taking my pickles off of my McRonald’s sandwiches since was but a young lad, I can’t remember ever liking them – but something has changed…I now eat my McRon’s sandwiches…with pickles…with glee! I can’t explain it outside of the fact that I used to not like mustard or onions either, but now I do. So this just goes to show, you’re not the only one whose changing;) I consider my pickle loving phenomenon equal, if not greater, than all of the changes you’ve experience thus far:)
Also, while we’re on the subject of food, lets transition over to drinks. You know I have a Bigby coffee really close to my house right? Well, guess what they were doing this whole week? No, incorrect – try again. Nope, not that either. Give up?....fine, you win, I’ll tell you. They were giving away free coffee all week – any size - as many times as you want! It was their customer appreciation week and needless to say, I have been more coff-eine-ated than I’ve ever been my entire life. But just for one week, so I think I’ll be o.k.:) My AmeriCorps peeps and I are regulars there anyways, so it’s been a real hoot to stop by multiple times each day and walk out without paying a cent:)
Alright, not impressed yet, try this on for size: Josh and I are going up to Traverse City the first weekend in February to volunteer at the Special Olympics and set up a booth for AmeriCorps/Red Cross. It’s gonna be sweet! For some reason a lot of the projects and service opportunities that have been coming my way at the Red Cross have involved working with people with physical/mental disabilities. It’s something I didn’t initially factor in with my time of service there, but I’m really excited that it’s happening.
And while we’re on the topic of Special Olympics, the boys and I from the 1079 (with reinforcements) are having a Nerf battle with a youth group a couple weekends from now. Little did I now when I moved in here that at any given moment I could be barraged with Nerf darts from an arsenal of Nerf guns that my housemates have accumulated over the years. I have yet to really join in because one, I don’t have a gun…yet. And two, once I own a gun, I’ll be getting shot even more because I’ve been using the, “I’m unarmed!” excuse as a means to not getting shot…as much:) Generally I just pick darts up off the floor and start throwing them:) So this Monday I’m caving in and we’re going out before band practice to get me a gun or two for our upcoming war…and so I can start exacting some revenge on my housemates;)
Oh, how about this? During your first day basking in all of the beauty that is Ni-ca-ra-gua, our forecasted temperature is a high of 8 and a low of 3 degrees…you win this time Kathy Beth Miersma (pause…wait for it…in a deep, low, raspy voice), this time …
Side note: did I ever tell you that my roommate while in Jamaica and the D.R. was from Nicaragua? If he represents even a fraction of the kindness, smiles, and joy that you’ll encounter from the people there, you and your team will be blessed indeed – not only as you minister to them, but as their lives minister to you!
I know it's kind of cliche to post this right before an outreach, but every time I'm about to embark on a similar adventure as yours, I've read this passage over and over (mainly NIV, but The Message is cool too) and it always put a smile on my face and a sense of purpose/courage in my heart - I pray it does the same for you...
Matthew 28:18-20 (The Message)
Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: GO OUT and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’LL BE WITH YOU AS YOU DO THIS, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
He’s going to shine so bright in you! I can’t wait to hear of all the tales of His marvelous work...both in you and through you! So get excited lady, you have been commissioned for this – He is ALWAYS with you - He'll NEVER let you go!
I'm sure this could go without saying, but know that I will pray for you everyday:)
I love you much Kathy Beth,
Grace, Hope, Peace, Faith, Trust, Patience, God Time, Rest, Courage, Discipline, Focus, Service, Humility, Joy, Wisdom, Strength, and Love…no matter what trials or difficulties you face along the way, remember, love NEVER fails!
Your friend,
Matthew
PS - If you learn any more before you actually leave, please don't hesitate to let us all know anything else to be praying for!
PSS - There's a part of me that hopes where ever you go the mosquitoes are crazy bad - so bad that each bite represents a shovel full of snow you've missed - or at least every time you've avoided scrapping the ice and snow off your car;) But it's a very tiny hope - that's fair, isn't it...?
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