Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas has been good but different:
A) It's warm and sunny!
B) I am away from home.
C) Germans celebrate it on Christmas Eve so today feels weird not doing something special.

In reflecting on our Christmas, last night I realized that I don't really remember most of my Christmas gifts but nights like last night I will probably never forget. For the past two days we have been using our spare time to bake cookies. We bagged them and attached little Christmas messages to them and then handed out the cookies to people last night. It was really special. One man mentioned that he had wrote on facebook how he wished he could have some Christmas cake and then we came along as an answer to his prayer. We found a group of homeless guys who I think really appreciated their cookies, and the list goes on of cool conversations that we had with people because of a small gift used to represent God's amazing gift to us. Tonight we are going to go to a different area and see where God leads us and who we ended up talking to.

Here are a few pictures from some of our activities over the past week:

Chris and I with a Bulgarian man we have been getting to know, celebtrating his birthday.

Spending a Sunday afternoon at the beach with some people from Argentina that we met.

Our Christmas feast!

Participating in a Christmas service by the beach.

Enjoying our Christmas morning prayer walk.

Have a blessed Christmas!

Week One

Greetings from the island of Tenerife! Early Wednesday morning our team arrived safe and sound on one of the main Canary Islands called Tenerife. Just after we arrived a crazy storm hit the islands. It was said to be the worst storm they have had here in 50 years. The government asked people to stay inside so our first part of the journey was spent indoors in prayer and worship. It was a good start but it was exciting when the sun came out.

 This week we did a number of prayer walks to observe the culture and way of life. We also went to one of the main tourist areas to do street evangelism. I am not very good at talking with random strangers and so it was a stretching experience. Most of the tourists here are from Europe and are older and are physically challenged. Every forth tourist is either in an electric wheelchair or uses a cane or some sort of brace or crutch. A good thing is that a lot of them speak English. They seem very closed to the Gospel.

Finding ways to connect with the locals here will be another challenge--one that even the church here has been finding difficult. I am excited for what will happen as I am believing that God will do some awesome stuff here but it is going to take a lot of prayer and a move of the Holy Spirit.

On the personal side, I am grateful that I have been able to find gluten free food here in the main supermarket. Please continue to pray for healing for me as I am still fighting an ear infection. Our team has been incredibly blessed with a really nice apartment for the girls. The church that we will be helping out is really nice and feels like home. They are open to a move of the Holy Spirit which is totally awesome.

Blessings!

Canary Islands here we come!

Hello everyone,

I am excited to announce that tomorrow my team will be leaving for the Canary Islands for our outreach. Here is a picture of my team.

This time is bitter sweet as, while it is exciting thinking about the outreach, it is also a sad time as it means saying goodbye to some awesome people whom I will see again only briefly in February for our debriefing. Please remember us in prayer, especially me as I have been fighting an ear infection in both ears that does not want to go away.

I am not sure how often I will be able to post anything here while we are gone. We have a team blog but it will be in German (there is a section called English blog...so if someone has a chance to translate it there may be something there). Photos from our trip will also be posted there if you are looking for photos under fotogalarie.  The link is: http://islandmissionaries.webnode.com/

Thanks for your prayers.
Beca

Shalom Prayer

I forgot to mention that I found this prayer on the Stone Church website and it is really cool and worth reading/praying through. You can access it at this link: http://www.stonechurch.ca/site/stone_church/assets/pdf/Shalom_Prayer.pdf

Blessings!

The countdown is on... we leave in 11 days!

I have to be honest in saying that I have avoided writing anything here over the past two weeks because I haven't had any exciting news to share. It started three weeks ago when we were learning some dramas. In one of them I played the part of a crippled person who was limping in pain each day. I felt the pain. I felt the loneliness of the character. Another evening we watched a movie documentary on healing and then we started Holy Spirit week where I felt like I had to start expecting God to heal me. People had crazy visions that matched each other regarding the things holding me back from being healed by God. They prayed for me daily. I felt challenged to start eating different foods in faith. I studied different passages in the Bible and felt like God was telling me that He is healing me. However, instead of having some amazing healing experience I felt the same old symptoms. I kept asking God and continuing to step out in faith. Instead of feeling healed, I ended up with laryngitis. This past week was spiritual warfare week which I thought to be very fitting as I have felt like I have been in a battle. Instead of improving I lost a lot of my energy and got an ear infection. The past couple days I have been really discouraged wondering why God hasn't healed me or if He has healed me and my body is just not getting the message. Today I have decided to stop trying to eat normal food until God clearly shows me otherwise. I am still believing for healing. I know that God is a miracle working God. I know He can heal and He still heals today. I don't doubt this. I just wish I knew why He isn't healing me the way I want to be healed and when I want to be healed...which is probably my problem because that sounds really selfish and demanding when I write it. The Scripture verse that came to my mind as I began to write this blog entry is: " But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33. Time to refocus. Time to just worship God regardless of how I feel and keep believing and asking for a miracle--and wait for Him to do it. 

Please remember me in your prayers particularly for quick restoration of my voice and for healing of this ear infection...and also for healing for the rest of my body to go with it.

P.S. The countdown is on. In a week and a half I will be on my way to the Canary Islands for the outreach portion of the DTS. It's crazy how fast the time has flown by so far. Please pray for vision and unity for our team and that God would lead and direct us and use us in incredible ways to accomplish His will and purpose. :)

Thank you for your prayers!

Believing for a miracle!

This week we are talking about the Holy Spirit in our lectures. This morning we looked at the different symbols of the Holy Spirit and noticed that it is represented by items such as fire, breath, and water which were, and still are, absolutely essential for life. The Holy Spirit is absolutely essential in the life of believers.

On Friday we are going to have a ministry time to pray for healing and I have asked God and am believing for compelete healing in my body. Please join me in praying and asking God for this miracle.

Blessings!

Islands

Canary Islands

Spanish

Exciting news

About a month ago our island team met to spend time in prayer for our main outreach. We spread out a piece of mural paper on the table and people were to write down any impressions they felt God give them while praying.  In my head I saw a map where there were several islands and a mainland to the left. I didn't draw it and almost didn't share it with the group because I thought it was insignificant. I ended up telling everyone sheepishly and our leader got really excited and asked me to point it out to him on the map. I was looking in the the area of the Caribbean and didn't see it so  I just drew the map that I saw on the paper and forgot all about it. 

Today we found out that the details for us going to the ABC islands were not working out and our leader had the impression that we had the wrong islands. God had not specifically told them what islands we should go to in the first place so they planned on going to where they had contacts. After he felt God wanted us to go somewhere different he had the Canary Islands on his heart and my map confirmed that for him as the image lines up. 

Yesterday morning I was praying and I felt like the Holy Spirit was moving across a strip of land starting in the waters beside China and it flowed west to the waters just past Africa. 

 They told us today about going to the Canary Islands and it blows my mind how the visions line up (the map and the westward direction). I am so excited for our outreach! 

Another amazing thing. Before coming here I decided to get a visa for fun as it was free even though I didn't think I would need it. The Canary Islands are apart if the EU and so I now need a visa to stay here which would cost me money if I had to get it here. Praise God for my free visa that covers all of the EU and is valid until the end of our DTS. 

God is so cool! Please remember us in prayer.

Ps. We started Spanish lessons today :)

Photos

Preaching

A 10 minute lunch break by the Mediterranean Sea after visiting the refugee camp.

Some of our team

Some of us at a pizzeria

Worshiping in the square before doing a skit.

Group Photo

A week in Sicily!

This past week in Sicily has been awesome and it has been really cool to step outside of my comfort zone and see God work. 

I am reading through the book "Radical" by David Platt and he comments: "in direct contradiction to the American dream, God actually delights in exalting our inability"(kindle location 613). I don't want to live a life that is dependent only on my own gifts and abilities but instead I want to live a life that is dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit so that God gets the glory. For me this has been the case this past week. 

One of the highlights for me was preaching at a youth (young adult) service. Friday night we were informed that one of us would be preaching and we were asked to pray about who should do it. I felt nothing and, in wanting to give the others an opportunity, I held back from offering. It didn't help that I was experiencing difficulty in spending meaningful time with God. A couple people came to me and said I should preach but I didn't think anything of it until one of our leaders came to me and said that they too had the impression that I was to preach. Typically when I know I have to preach I like to spend time in prayer and research the passage I will be preaching on at least a week in advance so that I can just spend time meditating on it. Then I write the sermon and go over it so that I know it and can preach from my heart. Needless to say, I did not have the time nor the resources to do this. I went for a prayer walk and asked God to give me something to say. He gave me a passage in Romans 8 and so I spent my afternoon reading Romans and trying to put together some scrap of a sermon. I just asked God to speak through me and I asked specifically for a word of knowledge for someone. It was the largest group of people I have preached to so far and it was a more modern church with the bright lights and stuff which I am not used to. When I saw the platform and the people I felt nervous and intimidated especially seeing as I felt really unprepared. When it came time to preach I just spoke what was on my heart and that was it. I sat down and wished I was sensitive to the Holy Spirit like Jenn Wilton or Robert Martin where they speak effectively and seem to always have an awesome ministry time afterwards--but that wasn't the case. I just sat down when I was done speaking because I didn't feel like I was to do anything specific to conclude. I felt discouraged as usual. The coolest thing happened afterwards. One guy came up to me and told me how the prophetic word that I thought God had given me for their church was exactly what he had asked God for. Another woman around my age came to me and told how one of the stories I shared was a mirror image of her present situation and how it encouraged her. It is incredibly humbling to see God take my insecurities and fumbling attempt to do what He asks and transform it for His glory. 

The same thing happened later on in the week. We were in a city center area and one person had the impression that we should do a skit so we set it up right in front of a bar patio for them to see. I got elected to quickly share after the skit with only a couple minutes to prepare. I had never preached on the street before and was nervous and I had no clue what to say so I just gave a brief summary about how only Jesus can fill the longings in our heart. Afterwards, one man got up from the patio and came to us saying that what we did spoke to him. It was really cool.

Another stretching event for me this week was our faith walk where we walked around the city and asked God to lead us to people He wants us to speak to. We also visited a refugee camp, and did a children's program at a church and on the street. I have been reminded of our need to be reliant on the power of the Holy Spirit, because it is only through Him that anything we do has any value.

All in all, our time in Sicily was fantastic! Thank you for your prayers.

Lesson from Haggai

This week we are doing a survey of the entire Bible. So far it is probably my favorite week of the DTS.

This morning we read the book of Haggai and I found it very applicable to us now. Haggai's message was to call the people to rebuild the temple. He gets their attention by pointing out how they work hard but somehow they never have enough. It is like their money bag has holes. How often have we felt this way?! We work hard. Sometimes the money just doesn't cover all we want, like a new pair of shoes, or even what we need. 

God tells them that they never have enough because He is blowing it away. Why? They cared more about their own homes and needs then God's. But, when the people  changed their ways and were obedient to God and invested in building His temple God encouraged them to be strong and to not fear. He reminded them that He is with them and He blessed them with His glory and His peace.

I just thought this is a cool message for us today. We need to remember to surrender our finances to God rather than chasing after financial security, because ultimately it is Him who provides for our needs.

Blessings!

Week at an Evangelical Convent

This past week I had the opportunity to go to an evangelical convent called Kanaan. It was really cool. I had a bedroom to myself which was really nice change after sharing a room with 8 other girls. It was also a really refreshing week of contemplating on all that Jesus has done for us and just taking time to smell the roses. There were roses everywhere--different kinds and colours and they smelled so wonderful. 

The following are a couple of quotes that spoke to me this week from Mother Basilea Schlink:  
 
"I never want the Holy Spirit to have to tell me something twice."

"My gift of love has no equal. But there is one condition: that you make room for it... Empty your heart of everything filling it, and you will find the most valuable gift, the most wonderful gift in all the world: a love relationship between you and Me--the deepest, closest, purest, holiest and strongest possible. Surrender all else, and you will find it!" My All For Him page 28

"Jesus as Love everlasting

Descended from on high

To show to sinful beings

The way of love divine.

Jesus as Love everlasting

Enkindled many souls

To dedicate their everything 

For love of Him alone.

Jesus with love still seeking

For hearts aglow with love

Their lives and longings yielding

To Him who's from above.

Once more the Saviour is knocking

At every heart and door.

Oh, can't you hear Him pleading,

Accept me as your Lord."

My All For Him page 28-29

And here are some pictures:

Picking apples to help the sisters get all the apples off the trees before the frost. They have so many apple trees and other fruits and veggies too.

 A view of part of their property.

They publish material to share the Gospel in so many languages around the world. It is really awesome to see it all. I even found a bookmark in Khmer but I couldn't read it...as it has been too long.

Here are some of the sisters leading worship.

 Here is a picture of myself and two of the sisters who are from Canada.

Two girls from our team in their main chapel where we went for a liturgical prayer service every day.

Here is another picture of some of the grounds.

They have a special path where you can walk through and reflect on the suffering and resurrection of Jesus. It is a really cool experience to go through each station and really reflect on Jesus' actions and what they mean for us today.

 

 

 

 

It was an amazing week! I recommend checking out this place if you are ever in Germany and remembering the sisters (and there are a couple of brothers too) in prayer for all the work they do to bring Christ's love to this world.

Happy thanksgiving!

Happy thanksgiving!

This week the topic was on the father heart of God and it was very good. Last weekend I found myself dealing with painful memories and I was wondering why God was showing them to me. This week felt like God was bringing healing to the repressed pain just because He loves me. It is really cool to be reminded of how much God loves us. The scripture verse that I keep coming back to is 1 John 3:1a "See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God's children, and that is what we are!" (CEV) God really loves us! He loves us so very much! I am so grateful to have parents who have shown me a reflection of the Father's love!

May you have a blessed thanksgiving!

Some Photos of our DTS Group

Identity!

Who am I? How did I become the person that I am today? What has shaped me? This week our lectures were on identity and it was a really good reminder of who I am. It is so easy for us to look to others to shape who we are- to constantly seek the approval of others. Past hurts and feelings of rejections, unforgiveness, and bitterness take root in our lives and begin to shape who we are. 

A couple of months ago i was at the gym doing some stretches and I looked into the mirror and I did not like the person looking back at me. I saw all my flaws. My eyes were void of joy. I felt trapped and disappointed with life. I wondered how I got to this place. How did I lose my joy for life? How did I become this person that I didn't like looking back at me in the mirror? I remember crying to God to restore His joy in me and to help me be the person He wants me to be. 

This week really spoke to me. The core message was that our value has to be found in God. It's a simple Sunday school message but it was a good reminder. I don't need to find acceptance by constantly doing things and trying to achieve and impress. I don't have to prove myself to anyone because I am loved and accepted by God. I have listened to all the negative words spoken over me and have worked so hard to try to prove that they are wrong. I was told I was lazy, selfish, stupid etc... some were lies i told myself. I have been living my life trying to prove that these lies are wrong. I felt like a failure in relationships so I felt like I needed to prove that I was strong and could do it on my own. To show that I wasn't lazy I tried working hard and taking on more then I could handle because then everyone could see that I am not lazy. In the end I just felt like a failure because I could not live up to my own expectations for myself. I became a miserable person who would lash out at those I loved the most. 

It is freeing to know that my identity is received not achieved. "In all of this, i remember that success or failure changes nothing about who I am... I must remember that my sin means I couldn't prove myself worthy even if I wanted to, but that Jesus has done everything for me. There is nothing for me to prove to anyone if I am in Christ." (Author unknown)

Tag der Deutschen Einheit

Yesterday we celebrated the anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany. In our castle evening a couple people shared their experience growing up in the east. They shared about the role of prayer in bringing about this change in their nation. One person brought a piece of the wall to show us. It was really cool to share in celebrating the day of unity. I am so grateful for the freedom I have known.

International Evening

I love the fact that I live with people from all over the world. It is so cool. Tonight we celebrated the different nations represented among us at the castle including Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia, India, and the Cook Islands. Each country provided their own food and a number of people dressed up in traditional garb. It was fun. My fellow Canadian and I put on some winter gear. Somehow we have managed to acquire the title "crazy Canadians."

Hearing God's Voice

This week the emphasis for out DTS has been in learning to hear God's voice. It has been cool because a lot of time has been spent in worship and prayer which I love. Yesterday was a little different as we had to break into small groups and take turns standing in the center. The group would then pray and ask God for words for that person. I was very skeptical  at first but then it my turn to be spoken over and it was crazy how the things that were spoken lined up with what God had already been telling me.

On a different note, in October our team will be going on a mini outreach to Sicily which is exciting. For my main outreach in December I will be going with half of our group to the Islands, one of which will be Aruba, so I guess I will be spending my 30th birthday in the Caribbean. 

As a praise report I have been able to cook for myself here at the castle and so I have been doing really well physically. Please pray for me regarding when we go on outreach as I do not know what I will do for food or how my body will handle it--healing would be nice too.

Thanks for your prayers.

A couple pics

Here are a couple pictures of the castle. The first is of the part where we have our lectures located on the upper level. The second picture is a random shot of part of the castle. The third picture is the view of the village of Hurlach taken from the gym at the very top of the castle. Enjoy!

Welcome to the castle

Guten Tag!

As most people who will read this know, I am now in Germany to do a DTS with YWAM. Since arriving on Saturday, life is starting to get into a routine. I share a room with 7 other girls. It's actually not so bad--at least not yet. This week we have a guest speaker from Australia sharing with us on discipleship. At first I wondered how I would find the lecture sessions with my seminary background,  yet I find it rather refreshing to approach the Bible with faith that what it says will happen. Already I feel like God is starting to do some surgery on my heart revealing areas that I need Him to change. I think it will be a valuable 6 months.

As far as my diet goes, they have allowed me to use the staff kitchen to make my own meals. While the food everyone eats looks good its nice not to have to worry about being sick. One benefit of doing this is that it gives me the opportunity to get to know some of the staff on the base.

All in all it has been good. I will keep you posted on some of the things I am learning and life here at the castle.