March Newsletter!

"...like walking through the markets in Mexico...there were so many colors and options and beautiful things to see and buy...God is showing you that the world is an option...He is showing you that there are so many open doors...your visions and dreams are wide open..."   

Sitting around a table with a handful of staff and students praying together, these were the phrases that God brought to people's minds as they prayed for our family.  It's truly a good picture of where we are at in this leg of the journey into missions, at YWAM Minneapolis. We feel a new freedom to really pursue the things that we bring us joy, trusting that these are the things God has placed within us that also bring Him joy.  Serving.  Discipleship.  Music.  Worship.  Relationships that are centered in Christ.  Actively engaging unbelievers with LOVE.  Learning Spanish (!?)  And pursuing these things with God, hand in hand with our kids.  While having choices before us is exciting, it also pushes us to really wait on the Lord for what He is inviting us into.  There are so many exciting things going on here and I (Joel) want to be a part of it all!

Where we're at now:   For this quarter I've been tasked with compiling and managing all the facilities projects that need to completed around the base.   I'm getting exposure to not only the buildings, but also every person in this community; using and expanding a skill set I have, to meet a real need,  and working to develop a culture of stewardship among our staff.   Renee has had the pleasure of serving in the accounting office one morning a week.  I've have plenty opportunity to play guitar on worship teams, but have also found opportunity to encourage people through scripture and testimony in the open format.   Our kids have jumped right into the worship and intercession times we have in the mornings.  And now that Joshua has glasses he can read the screen and sing along!  Both Renee and I are in staff small groups that meet for prayer and encouragement.  Already God has used these times greatly.  We've joined a weekly outreach into Minneapolis that consists of a playgroup for kids from a certain Asian country with a certain mountain range I've always wanted to see.  They are a wild bunch of kids who we already love and long to see peace in their hearts.  We may also do more with Kid's Against Hunger, an organization of which we are a satellite that packs food to send to hungry kids, mostly in Haiti.  Recently I worked a packing event we hosted in a nearby middle school, where 450 kids raised over $5000 and packed 24,404 meals in about six hours.  It was crazy and a lot of fun.

The kids:   The kids are doing great.  What fun it is to see them interacting with the community here.  Joshua and Rachel don't even sit with us anymore when we eat meals at the Dining Hall.   They've found many friends among the staff and the ECCO students.  ECCO stands for English Cross-Cultural Orientation.  We have students from South and Central America.  Some are 18 and just starting out in missions, others are pastors, or YWAM base leaders.  One of the kid's best friends was a missions pastor  in Brazil for the youth in her church of 30,000 people, but she wants to serve long term in Haiti.  Another has lived in the slums of Rio for the last decade pioneering new YWAM centers.

The choices before us: Renee has been offering homework help to the ECCO students, and hopes to help out more with next year's school.   There are two schools starting next month; a School of Ministry Development, and Biblical School for Discipleship.  And in the fall another Discipleship Training School (DTS) will begin.  We are praying about what capacity we could be involved in these schools, from being one-on-one mentors for the students to helping plan and lead a worship focus for the DTS.  As we watched last year's DTS students return from Mexico and South Africa to graduate,  and as we hear the stories from their staff, we long to be a part of this great work.  We're also praying about being involved in MA, or Missions Adventures; YWAM facilitated two-week summer mission trips for high-school youth groups with trips to Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Panama and the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.   And then there is the list alongside the chalkboard map of the world.  It's a list of the staff YWAM Minneapolis has sent out all over the world as career missionaries.    And we wonder if and when our names will be added to that list.  

YOU:  We share these choices before us, because so many of you have committed to stand with us and we know you'll pray with us.  By supporting us, YOU are a part of the exciting things happening here at YWAM Minneapolis.  Things that are full of joy because we are participating in God's joy in turning hearts back to Himself.  Thank-you, and please enjoy a few pictures:         

Discipleship Training School Graduation!

Our weekly kids club kids

Prayer for the nations by the nations

Lincoln Park Community Church

Lunch with new friends

It's hard to get a smile from Hudson on camera!  Maybe its the snow.