Hello everybody!
I hope you are all doing fantastic! Things here are great. We have just finished our first term of SBS, and are on our week long break that has been very refreshing so far. I was able to get out camping for a night, which was brutally hot and I ended up sleeping outside on a picnic table, but gave me a chance to spend some time at the beach with some friends and we had an amazing time. The rest of the break so far has just been relaxing, spending time with my classmates and enjoying each other's company and fellowship, and really trying to spend some time connecting with God.
I've really found it difficult connecting with God on a deep level since I've been here and my prayer and worship and study times have been a little dry. I've struggled with making my studies into a homework assignment and just trying to get through books, which is difficult because we are so crazy busy and always moving, and have really been trying to hear God through His word. It's great to get the head knowledge of the bible, but the real reason I'm doing this is so that God can continue to make me into the man He created me to be. So I've really been trying to seek God and really see how I can connect with Him more deeply and personally and to really be seeking Him through my work. So far the time I've been spending with Him has been great. I've been reading Can you hear me? by Brad Jersak, which is a great book on hearing God that I started reading a while ago, but never finished, and have just been spending time each day praying and worshipping Him. It's been great kinda saying alright God, I want to hear you like I used to so lets get back to the basics, which is also kinda humbling for me too since I used to hear God pretty well and may have taken that for granted.
Other than that, I'm just really reflecting on first term and really focusing on getting reenergized for our second term, which I've heard is the toughest term of SBS. First term was an amazing time and even though my studies did seem a little dry and trivial at time, I did feel God speaking to me and changing me and doing work in me, and I can't wait to see what else He has in store. I have been able to make some great connections with people here, despite being so busy, and have really been forging great friendships with people and have been able to enjoy living my life here, even if it is crazy sometimes and I struggle with the language.
Something that has been really tough for me is that my best friend that I've made here, Breno, who I've spent a lot of time in prayer with and talking with has decided to leave SBS. He was having trouble focusing on the work a little, and although we both believe that God brought him here for a reason, through prayer and discussion with friends and family, he really feels like his time here has passed and that he is supposed to move on from SBS. This has been really tough for me, because as I learned at the end of DTS, one of the hard prices you pay with being in YWAM and missions is that you make these great friendships and then are split up from the people you just became so close with. So it's been hard seeing my friend go through a difficult decision and letting go of him and encouraging him in moving on, but I know that this is all part of God's plan for him and I really feel like we became close friends for a reason and that God will use that friendship for His glory.
So please be praying for me that God will be speaking to me and guiding me and that through this break our relationship will be refreshed and renewed and that He will fill me up and give me the energy and focus to have an amazing second term. Please also be praying for Breno as he seeks God's vision for what's next and follows Him where He leads, that God will be opening doors for him and will be speaking to him and really just filling him with His love and joy during this time of transition.
Please also be praying that God will continue to provide for me, and maybe even pray about if God wants you to help support me as well. I actually just found out how to add a donate button to my blog, which is kinda exciting for me because it gives people a quick, easy and secure way to donate money to me using a credit card or paypal instead of the only way to support me being to send a cheque or cash to my parents. So if you want to make a donation to help support me, even if it's only a dollar or two, every little bit helps and is greatly appreciated, just click the donate button on the right side of my blog. Like I've said before, unfortunately tax receipts aren't available right now because I'm only a student with YWAM, but hopefully in the future I should be able to start providing people with receipts because I'm starting to think more and more that God is leading me to start staffing DTSs and to help disciple people into following Him and experiencing the joy and love that He gives.
Another thing that is kinda exciting is that they've recently added the ability for people to subscribe to receive blog updates through email, so for those of you who would like to receive my updates, but don't have a gmail account that allows them to just click follow, you can just enter your email address where it says follow by email.
I hope you all are having an amazing summer, and although I miss home an it's really hot here and we don't get to use A/C during the day, I still know 100% that this is where I'm supposed to be and am so excited to see what God is going to do through my time here.
God bless you all. Love ya.
Prayer Requests:
I hope you are all doing fantastic! Things here are great. We have just finished our first term of SBS, and are on our week long break that has been very refreshing so far. I was able to get out camping for a night, which was brutally hot and I ended up sleeping outside on a picnic table, but gave me a chance to spend some time at the beach with some friends and we had an amazing time. The rest of the break so far has just been relaxing, spending time with my classmates and enjoying each other's company and fellowship, and really trying to spend some time connecting with God.
I've really found it difficult connecting with God on a deep level since I've been here and my prayer and worship and study times have been a little dry. I've struggled with making my studies into a homework assignment and just trying to get through books, which is difficult because we are so crazy busy and always moving, and have really been trying to hear God through His word. It's great to get the head knowledge of the bible, but the real reason I'm doing this is so that God can continue to make me into the man He created me to be. So I've really been trying to seek God and really see how I can connect with Him more deeply and personally and to really be seeking Him through my work. So far the time I've been spending with Him has been great. I've been reading Can you hear me? by Brad Jersak, which is a great book on hearing God that I started reading a while ago, but never finished, and have just been spending time each day praying and worshipping Him. It's been great kinda saying alright God, I want to hear you like I used to so lets get back to the basics, which is also kinda humbling for me too since I used to hear God pretty well and may have taken that for granted.
Other than that, I'm just really reflecting on first term and really focusing on getting reenergized for our second term, which I've heard is the toughest term of SBS. First term was an amazing time and even though my studies did seem a little dry and trivial at time, I did feel God speaking to me and changing me and doing work in me, and I can't wait to see what else He has in store. I have been able to make some great connections with people here, despite being so busy, and have really been forging great friendships with people and have been able to enjoy living my life here, even if it is crazy sometimes and I struggle with the language.
Something that has been really tough for me is that my best friend that I've made here, Breno, who I've spent a lot of time in prayer with and talking with has decided to leave SBS. He was having trouble focusing on the work a little, and although we both believe that God brought him here for a reason, through prayer and discussion with friends and family, he really feels like his time here has passed and that he is supposed to move on from SBS. This has been really tough for me, because as I learned at the end of DTS, one of the hard prices you pay with being in YWAM and missions is that you make these great friendships and then are split up from the people you just became so close with. So it's been hard seeing my friend go through a difficult decision and letting go of him and encouraging him in moving on, but I know that this is all part of God's plan for him and I really feel like we became close friends for a reason and that God will use that friendship for His glory.
So please be praying for me that God will be speaking to me and guiding me and that through this break our relationship will be refreshed and renewed and that He will fill me up and give me the energy and focus to have an amazing second term. Please also be praying for Breno as he seeks God's vision for what's next and follows Him where He leads, that God will be opening doors for him and will be speaking to him and really just filling him with His love and joy during this time of transition.
Please also be praying that God will continue to provide for me, and maybe even pray about if God wants you to help support me as well. I actually just found out how to add a donate button to my blog, which is kinda exciting for me because it gives people a quick, easy and secure way to donate money to me using a credit card or paypal instead of the only way to support me being to send a cheque or cash to my parents. So if you want to make a donation to help support me, even if it's only a dollar or two, every little bit helps and is greatly appreciated, just click the donate button on the right side of my blog. Like I've said before, unfortunately tax receipts aren't available right now because I'm only a student with YWAM, but hopefully in the future I should be able to start providing people with receipts because I'm starting to think more and more that God is leading me to start staffing DTSs and to help disciple people into following Him and experiencing the joy and love that He gives.
Another thing that is kinda exciting is that they've recently added the ability for people to subscribe to receive blog updates through email, so for those of you who would like to receive my updates, but don't have a gmail account that allows them to just click follow, you can just enter your email address where it says follow by email.
I hope you all are having an amazing summer, and although I miss home an it's really hot here and we don't get to use A/C during the day, I still know 100% that this is where I'm supposed to be and am so excited to see what God is going to do through my time here.
God bless you all. Love ya.
Prayer Requests:
- That God will continue to give me His vision for my future
- That God will be speaking to me through my work
- That God will help me with my time management and that I will be diligent with the time I have
- That this break will revitalize and refresh me and my classmates and our relationship with God
- That 2nd term will be a blessing even though it looks like it will be very busy
- That God will send people to support me (especially regularly) as I follow His call
- That God will be speaking to and guiding Breno as he continues to follow Him
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