Hi everyone!
It’s been about 2 months since out last update (which we are so sorry about) and so
much has been happening! The current DTS has left for outreach, the season is shifting out
of the heat of summer, and we are settling into an undefined time between this school andthe next.
In the last weeks of the DTS, there were so many markers of how the Holy Spirit was
working powerfully in the students and staff alike. The weeks of lecture continued to be
hard hitting in a transformational sense—many were confronted with areas of their lives
that God wanted to touch and have influence in. He healed, provided, and revealed Himself
over and over again. We’ll sum up a couple of the most notable things and just how they
defined the school. The first of these was baptisms. In the 8th week of lectures, Lordship
week, the lecturer gave an opportunity for any students to be baptized. About eight
students decided they either wanted to be baptized or confirm their baptisms. At the ocean
that evening, God’s grace and faithfulness was evident as students shared why they had
decided to make the public proclamation of their faith or why they felt it had become
necessary to confirm a decision they had made in years past. During this time, there were
tears, cheering, laughter, and some beautiful combination of the three as the Father Himself
impressed on us how He had never left any of the ones being baptized—not even in their
lowest moments. Finally, our lecturer asked if anyone else besides the eight would like to
join either in being baptized or in confirming their baptism. Thinking our hearts could not be
any fuller, one by one, seven more people came up, with smiles on their faces, knowing God
was asking them to confirm what they had walked away from at one point or another.
Together, we cheered and listened to their stories and then we walked down to the beach
where we baptized fifteen utterly thankful people. As each one came out of the water, we
surrounded them and prayed for them, hugged them and congratulated them. For us as
staff, this is undoubtedly one of the most joyous moments during a school. In the next days,
we even noticed the change in countenance of some of those who had been baptized!
Another one of the notable times in the DTS was the last week of lectures, called
“Discipling Nations”. For this week, the teacher, Garth, and his family came from Cambodia
where they were leading a large YWAM base. Garth was involved in pioneering this base
and its many mercy ministries, teaching and equipping ministries, and evangelism
ministries. He came to talk about what it actually means to fulfil Jesus’ “great commission”,
and how us young people can be walking towards that for ourselves. As he taught, he
brought practical experience alongside biblical principles to inspire us and motivate the
students before outreach. The difference between his teaching and many other teachings
we have heard was that Garth was willing to challenge our mindsets, our plans, our beliefs,
and ultimately what we put value in. Students and staff alike were confronted. We were
confronted. Some were offended, others’ lives were altered. Garth did not coddle us, nor
did he allow us to settle for less than what God intends for us. The anthem for the week
was a song called “Missionary Anthem” by the YWAM Kona worship team (we encourage
you to look it up and have a listen). The song communicates a tireless and uncompromising
commitment to the Good News. Ultimately, the lecture week ended on Thursday in the
invitation to commit our lives to the Gospel in a symbolic way: by placing our shoes at the
foot of a cross, forming an altar. This altar, as one did in Old Testament times, was a way to
remember something God had done for us, and in our case, in us. After, we sat in prayer
and worship knowing that life was going to be different—not only on outreach in a couple
days’ time (though not for the two of us), but even past these months or years in YWAM.
We left knowing that our lives must be marked by something more than selfish ambition or
comfort. We think this week was transformational for our students as well as many of us
staff. On Friday of that week, we spent the whole morning commissioning and sending each
of the five teams into the nations. As each team was prayed for, we remembered
everything God had done to get them there, including providing over $20,000 two weeks
prior in a giving time, and growing each team and individual over the three months of
lecture phase. We also prayed that God would do the miraculous through them and that
the people they encountered would be open and receptive to the Gospel. We prayed for
the teams, that they would be unified in oneness and that they would be protected and
healthy. The next day, we drove the teams to the airport early in the morning and they
were off!
While the students are on outreach, (they left 2.5 weeks ago) we have kept busy. The first week we had the honor of watching our dear friends’ 6 children for 6 days while they were able to go on a holiday to Bali which was over due and well deserved. They hadn’t been on a holiday just them in over 16 years and we felt it was about time! Many of you have followed along with the Beal family’s story on Facebook (support for Avery’s journey) with their youngest of the 6 having been diagnosed with leukemia at 10 months old. She was told she wouldn’t make it to her 5th birthday but this year she had that miracle birthday and is leukemia free! We love this family and they truly feel like home to us. A little fun fact is Jen and Dave were some of the first people Karis told about Sam and asked them to be praying as she had such high respect for their wisdom and discernment. We have also been continuing to school prep, and watched another families’ kids for them to have a short get away. This week we have a lot of down time, which feels strange for us but we want to embrace it and take the rest we know we need. We are also very eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sam’s parents and youngest brother who will be with us for 2 weeks in May. Having family here will be such an incredible blessing and to see loved ones after almost a year will be a sweet time.
As we mentioned in our last update, we have also been busy planning the September school. It has been a lot of fun praying and planning and listening to God’s direction and heart for the school. We really want to cover our future students in prayer during this time as after applying and being accepted to a DTS a lot of things can come up that make it hard for students to commit or come. We would love for anyone that is willing to be praying for these future students as well: that God will bring those He has for this time, peace over difficult situations in their lives, and for finances to come in for them. This preparation has meant a lot more time in the office the last 2 months, especially for Sam, but it’s cool to learn and be apart of the different parts and roles that truly make a base run. Visionary people are so important and get celebrated a lot in organizations or movements, but we all know the people dealing with the everyday grind, confusing paper work, hectic budgets, insane amounts of emails, and answering every type of question play such a valuable role. We are grateful for this season, reminding us to champion every person in every role who is being obedient to God’s call on their life.
We also mentioned in our last update wanting to really cultivate more of a consistent taking care of each other in our marriage FIRST before running to take care of everyone else and giving each other left over energy to care for one another. God has been really faithful in this and we have for sure noticed a shift in our response to not only have time together and for each other but to truly take care of the other. In certain seasons when things are hard you need a bit more care and attention, and in ways this has been the season for us the last few months. Sam’s back has continued to decline and he is going on almost 9 years of on and off severe back pain with the last year being in constant decline and more intense pain and limitations. Karis has had a season of continued healing physically and emotionally from wounds and hardships in her past that bring difficulties in the present. So, in the midst of a beautiful adventure, an amazing season, an incredible life, there is hardship. That is always the case, but some seasons it feels thicker than others, and there is a learning curve that happens through it; how do we live with such immense joy alongside the immense sorrow? These things draw us closer to our all-powerful Lord, and to each other, continually learning how to sit and receive the gift of grace when some days it hurts too much, how to serve when the ache feels too deep, how to love and care for each other when we need it most, how to lean on God’s promises when they seem far away. There is always more to learn and more ways to grow and we know that will always continue, but we are grateful for progress, deeper intimacy with our King and each other, and challenges that lead to growth and joy in this life together serving Him.
We love you all so deeply. Please continue to email us, ask questions, send us your prayer requests or anything else you can think of. We are so grateful for this season and know God is teaching and growing us so much in the midst of us leading and teaching others. We feel so confident we are exactly where we’re supposed to be, doing what we’re supposed to be doing and this would not be possible without all of you, your encouragement, love, prayers, financial support and so much more. Thank you never seems to do it justice, but we will certainly continue to say it!
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