Happy New Year everyone!
I'm back in Nashville after a great Christmas break and it was wonderful to see many friends and family. Thanks to those who were able to see and encourage me.
A big update on what the new year is going to bring for me -
My school outreach has been finalized to Kenya and we are planning to leave Jan. 12 and will be gone until Feb. 20. We are still trying to go to Tanzania as well, but currently do not have enough funds for that portion. God has been faithful so far and we believe that He will provide in His timing. Thank you so much for your prayers for me.
Praise report -
Yesterday, I received a huge blessing! The remainder of my tuition has been miraculously paid for by an anonymous donor. I can't explain what a huge blessing it has been. Thank you all so much for giving and making this school a reality for me.
If you still you like to donate, we still need about $10,000 as a group to cover the remainder of our trip, you can send a check to:
YWAM Nashville - SOW
Sam Blommel
PO Box 78219
Nashville, TN, 37207
Make the check out to YWAM and don't put my name anywhere on the check.
We will be preparing for outreach the next several days as well as working in the Nashville community to spread the love of Jesus. We are excited to finally have a plan in place and to be working towards spreading the Gospel in our world.
I would love to hear from you and what is happening in your life, so drop me a line at any time.
Have a great start to the new year!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Change of Plans
Happy beginning of the busy holiday season!! May the Lord refresh you!!
I have recently learned that the Lord is changing the direction for our school. Originally, we were going on outreach to India and Nepal for two months, but that has now changed. Due to many factors, we are going now instead to Kenya and Tanzania and working with the local YWAM bases there. Please pray that everything would fall into place quickly as we only have 4 weeks to prepare. Be encouraged that your prayers for me going to India have not gone unanswered, but have helped open doors for many other YWAM teams that are going there over the next few months.
If you would like to help me go to Kenya and Tanzania, you can send a check to:
YWAM Nashville - SOW
Sam Blommel
PO Box 78219
Nashville, TN, 37207
Please don't put my name on the check but make it out to YWAM. I am currently in need of about $1500 for lecture phase and $4000 for outreach, so you are helping me immensely. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!
More great news!! - I'm able to come home for Christmas week and am being allowed to come home three days sooner than orginally planned (Thanks God!), so if you would like to see me, which I would love, call me or email me and we will get together. I would love to share with you what God is changing in me!
Many blessings upon you as you endeavor through the holiday mayhem. Remember that Jesus loves you so much that He would have come to the earth if it was only for you!!
I have recently learned that the Lord is changing the direction for our school. Originally, we were going on outreach to India and Nepal for two months, but that has now changed. Due to many factors, we are going now instead to Kenya and Tanzania and working with the local YWAM bases there. Please pray that everything would fall into place quickly as we only have 4 weeks to prepare. Be encouraged that your prayers for me going to India have not gone unanswered, but have helped open doors for many other YWAM teams that are going there over the next few months.
If you would like to help me go to Kenya and Tanzania, you can send a check to:
YWAM Nashville - SOW
Sam Blommel
PO Box 78219
Nashville, TN, 37207
Please don't put my name on the check but make it out to YWAM. I am currently in need of about $1500 for lecture phase and $4000 for outreach, so you are helping me immensely. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!
More great news!! - I'm able to come home for Christmas week and am being allowed to come home three days sooner than orginally planned (Thanks God!), so if you would like to see me, which I would love, call me or email me and we will get together. I would love to share with you what God is changing in me!
Many blessings upon you as you endeavor through the holiday mayhem. Remember that Jesus loves you so much that He would have come to the earth if it was only for you!!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving Outreach
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
A quick update on whats going on with me. My school is leaving for Birmingham, AL for for some evangelism over the weekend and I'm excited about our opportunities there. Here are some things I will be involved with:
1) On Thanksgiving day, we will be painting the interior of a house that has been built for a homeless family. We were going to be serving a meal for homeless people, but that fell through.
2) Both Friday & Saturday we will be helping inaugurate a 24-hour house of prayer in the Five Points area of Birmingham. That will consist of leading prayer and worship, evangelism to the community, assisting with an established homeless ministry, and whatever else that God decides for us to do!
Please pray for our safety and boldness to share the love of Jesus. Our contacts there are very excited for our group to come and have already been encouraged by God's planning for our stay.
Praise report!!
Thanks for praying for my neck. I was able to go to the chiropractor and found out I had a dislocated rib in my chest. My neck had been compensating for the dislocation since I had been in India in July. My pain has reduced tremendously. Thank you Lord!!
May you have a great Thanksgiving holiday and I encourage you to tell someone you normally wouldn't tell how much you appreciate them. It may change their outlook on life.
Thank you so much for supporting me over the past several months. I'm blown away by all that I have received from you in order to follow what the Lord has been leading me into. I could not do it without you!
A quick update on whats going on with me. My school is leaving for Birmingham, AL for for some evangelism over the weekend and I'm excited about our opportunities there. Here are some things I will be involved with:
1) On Thanksgiving day, we will be painting the interior of a house that has been built for a homeless family. We were going to be serving a meal for homeless people, but that fell through.
2) Both Friday & Saturday we will be helping inaugurate a 24-hour house of prayer in the Five Points area of Birmingham. That will consist of leading prayer and worship, evangelism to the community, assisting with an established homeless ministry, and whatever else that God decides for us to do!
Please pray for our safety and boldness to share the love of Jesus. Our contacts there are very excited for our group to come and have already been encouraged by God's planning for our stay.
Praise report!!
Thanks for praying for my neck. I was able to go to the chiropractor and found out I had a dislocated rib in my chest. My neck had been compensating for the dislocation since I had been in India in July. My pain has reduced tremendously. Thank you Lord!!
May you have a great Thanksgiving holiday and I encourage you to tell someone you normally wouldn't tell how much you appreciate them. It may change their outlook on life.
Thank you so much for supporting me over the past several months. I'm blown away by all that I have received from you in order to follow what the Lord has been leading me into. I could not do it without you!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Streams of Mercy
Hey everyone!!
I wanted to let you know about a new organization that I recently found out about called "Streams of Mercy". They are a non-profit group that raises funds for 17 orphanages in 10 nations of the world. Their goal is to support 100 orphanages at $750 a month per orphanage. You can check out their website here. Check it out and be blessed!!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
First month of SOW (School of Worship)
Hello from the beautiful land of northern Tennessee!!
The leaves are finally colorful here and it's made the craziness of YWAM a bit more bearable. I'm excited to finally be able to update you on what's going on in my life. God has been moving in fantastic ways the past couple weeks. We've been having teaching on the Holy Spirit in worship and God is opening our eyes to new aspects of His love. Many in my class have been delivered from various struggles such as pornography, homosexuality, suicidal thoughts, and anger. Some also were blessed with physical healing (one girl had a lump in her back disappear!!) as well as emotional healing and forgiveness for those who have wounded us. God is amazing!!
Of course, I have been playing and writing lots of music the past few weeks. I have to write a song every week and it is stretching me beyond belief, but God is giving me perseverance. We recently had a "24 hours of prayer and worship" gathering here at the base. As I'm the only full-time drummer, I was involved quite a bit. I also play drums a couple times a month for Epiphany Baptist Church, a local church in Springfield, Tennessee, and God is showing up as several people gave their lives to Christ last week!
Another big praise report is that our outreach plans have been finalized! Our school will be traveling to Northern India in January and Nepal in February. We will be spending time helping local missionaries in coffee shops and house churches in India and doing lots of village ministry in Nepal. More information on that soon!
Please pray....
1) Endurance for me - I'm busy with class, playing worship 2 to 5 times a week, writing songs, work duties, and bible study. I can only go so far on my own strength.
2) Healing - Many here are dealing with the seasonal cold and flu and I have tooth and back pain I am dealing with.
3) Direction and acceptance - For the new believers I mentioned before, has they step into a new life.
4) Finances - Our school needs to raise about $52,000 for outreach and with the economy not looking good, it's hard time for everyone.
5) Thanksgiving outreach - We will be traveling to Birmingham, Alabama over Thanksgiving week to work with some local mission groups to reach their communities for Christ.
Thank you so much for your support! I encourage you to tell someone this week about what God is doing in your life. Our words have great influence in peoples lives and now, more than ever, do those around us need to hear about God's everyday faithfulness. I would also love to hear from you, so drop me a line anytime.
A big "thank-you" to those who have sent me goodies. I have been super blessed by your generosity.
May you feel God's love in great ways
The leaves are finally colorful here and it's made the craziness of YWAM a bit more bearable. I'm excited to finally be able to update you on what's going on in my life. God has been moving in fantastic ways the past couple weeks. We've been having teaching on the Holy Spirit in worship and God is opening our eyes to new aspects of His love. Many in my class have been delivered from various struggles such as pornography, homosexuality, suicidal thoughts, and anger. Some also were blessed with physical healing (one girl had a lump in her back disappear!!) as well as emotional healing and forgiveness for those who have wounded us. God is amazing!!
Of course, I have been playing and writing lots of music the past few weeks. I have to write a song every week and it is stretching me beyond belief, but God is giving me perseverance. We recently had a "24 hours of prayer and worship" gathering here at the base. As I'm the only full-time drummer, I was involved quite a bit. I also play drums a couple times a month for Epiphany Baptist Church, a local church in Springfield, Tennessee, and God is showing up as several people gave their lives to Christ last week!
Another big praise report is that our outreach plans have been finalized! Our school will be traveling to Northern India in January and Nepal in February. We will be spending time helping local missionaries in coffee shops and house churches in India and doing lots of village ministry in Nepal. More information on that soon!
Please pray....
1) Endurance for me - I'm busy with class, playing worship 2 to 5 times a week, writing songs, work duties, and bible study. I can only go so far on my own strength.
2) Healing - Many here are dealing with the seasonal cold and flu and I have tooth and back pain I am dealing with.
3) Direction and acceptance - For the new believers I mentioned before, has they step into a new life.
4) Finances - Our school needs to raise about $52,000 for outreach and with the economy not looking good, it's hard time for everyone.
5) Thanksgiving outreach - We will be traveling to Birmingham, Alabama over Thanksgiving week to work with some local mission groups to reach their communities for Christ.
Thank you so much for your support! I encourage you to tell someone this week about what God is doing in your life. Our words have great influence in peoples lives and now, more than ever, do those around us need to hear about God's everyday faithfulness. I would also love to hear from you, so drop me a line anytime.
A big "thank-you" to those who have sent me goodies. I have been super blessed by your generosity.
May you feel God's love in great ways
Friday, October 31, 2008
YWAM Nashville
The entrance....duh...
DTS class in the Worship Center
The Worship Center
The guys room
The Glory Barn (guys dorm). It doesn't smell glorious....
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
I've Arrived
Hello all!!
I have finally arrived at the School of Worship here in Nashville, TN after short break in Chicago and I am settling in quite nicely. I'm very excited about this opportunity to worship God with the very talented people in the school and so far everyone has been very friendly and accepting. We are going through some orientation this week as well as some teaching and will kick off our full schedule next week. The staff here are great and have a ton of worship opportunities prepared for us on the base, as well in the community, so God will be using and stretching us a lot.
Thanks so much for praying for my travels!! My car made it, driving went by very fast, and the Lord is helping me transition to the people and environment quickly, which is a blessing as it's very difficult to say good-bye to family and friends after such a short time with them. Please keep praying for me in these areas:
1) Finances - I still need to pay for my outreach and most of the lecture tuition.
2) My car - The transmission is going out and I'm praying that God heals it instead of me having to dish out a lot of cash.
3) Schedule - YWAM days get very long and are very active, so pray that I will have strength to endure the grind.
4) Health - My neck is out of place and causes me a great deal of pain.
Please feel free to e-mail me or even send me a letter or cookies!! You can write to me at samblommel@yahoo.com or
Sam Blommel
Fall SOW
YWAM Nashville
P.O. Box 78219
Nashville, TN 37207
Thanks and God bless!!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Back in the States...
I am back in Denver after a crazy trip encompassing the globe. We are finishing up here with some lectures designed to help us integrate the lessons we learned on outreach into our daily lives and how we can properly share our stories with others. It has been crazy to try and process everything I've seen and experienced, not to mention be around "normal" culture again. The time has been good though and God is still showing us new things as well as reminding us of His faithfullness on the trip. It's amazing how quickly you forget it!
I will be heading home this weekend so please pray for travel safety for me. Also, pray for my future as I try to figure out where God is leading me next in life and where He wants me to serve. I am excited to see and share my experiences (there are countless ones) with all of you, and also to hear what God has been doing in your life.
Have a great day and God bless
I will be heading home this weekend so please pray for travel safety for me. Also, pray for my future as I try to figure out where God is leading me next in life and where He wants me to serve. I am excited to see and share my experiences (there are countless ones) with all of you, and also to hear what God has been doing in your life.
Have a great day and God bless
Final Week
Final greetings from the ATW team,
Our time in Amsterdam has come to a close and by this time tomorrow we will be back in the United States. The last 12 days in Amsterdam have flown by. It has been a great last stop for our little trip around the world really preparing us for when we return back to our western lifestyles.
We have been working with a ywam ministry called Ethnos. Amsterdam is the most multicultural city in the world with over 180 nations represented. Ethnos seeks to reach these nations by being an impact on some of the different spheres of society here in the city. We have had alot of fun ministering and fellowshiping with their team. We have also been able to spend alot of time worshipping and praying over the city, a good amount of these times we spent with the Tabernacle of the Nations a ywam prayer house in the heart of the redlight district.
It has been great getting God's heart for the city and seeing His dreams and desires for this city to not be known for it's redlight district and what it allows, but as a place where the spirit of God dwells. We have enjoyed coming along side our ywam Amsterdam family and seeing all the amazing work they have been doing over the years, it is really easy to see that God has some big plans for this city.
Our team was able to really finish strong and make an impact in this city although it was our last stop after alot of ministry in many different parts of the world. These last 12 days have been the perfect exclamation point to this incredible adventure with God.
Thanks for your prayers, we will be seeing many of you very soon.
God Bless
The ATW team
Our time in Amsterdam has come to a close and by this time tomorrow we will be back in the United States. The last 12 days in Amsterdam have flown by. It has been a great last stop for our little trip around the world really preparing us for when we return back to our western lifestyles.
We have been working with a ywam ministry called Ethnos. Amsterdam is the most multicultural city in the world with over 180 nations represented. Ethnos seeks to reach these nations by being an impact on some of the different spheres of society here in the city. We have had alot of fun ministering and fellowshiping with their team. We have also been able to spend alot of time worshipping and praying over the city, a good amount of these times we spent with the Tabernacle of the Nations a ywam prayer house in the heart of the redlight district.
It has been great getting God's heart for the city and seeing His dreams and desires for this city to not be known for it's redlight district and what it allows, but as a place where the spirit of God dwells. We have enjoyed coming along side our ywam Amsterdam family and seeing all the amazing work they have been doing over the years, it is really easy to see that God has some big plans for this city.
Our team was able to really finish strong and make an impact in this city although it was our last stop after alot of ministry in many different parts of the world. These last 12 days have been the perfect exclamation point to this incredible adventure with God.
Thanks for your prayers, we will be seeing many of you very soon.
God Bless
The ATW team
Week 9
Greetings family (or in my preferred manner of speaking, "Hey dudes"),
So we concluded our time in Nepal in a village down south. The village is home to around 9,000 people, with only about 50 Christians. We stayed with host families in the village, and were able to spend a lot of quality time with them despite the language barrier. Smiles and laughter made up the majority of our communication. A YWAM Frontier Missions team began planting the church about 4 years ago, and were able to build the actual church building around 3 months ago. Their most recent project focus has been building bathroom facilities for the church. We were able to cover the cost for all the supplies, and spent time digging and moving rocks for the foundation of the bathroom. One afternoon, we were able to share with a few different groups of villagers as well as visiting the home of a Christian family where the mother was sick with a heart condition. The father of the household had been paralized and became a Christian after being prayed forand healed. The whole family became believers after that, but it was heartbreaking as we looked into their faces when we first arrived. They were blank, almost hopeless. We spent time praying and really asking God to touch their lives and also to bring overwhelming joy. As we left, they were both smiling. It was incredible to see how God had already begun to work.
After 4 days, the church sent us off with prayers and a farewell party complete with leis and a time of sharing appreciation. It was a short time, but so well spent.Our bus trip back to Delhi went very smooth. It felt a lot quicker and safer than the last trip. We even had one of the same drivers from our first trip, and Jacob was able to hold hands with him (which is a normal part of their culture). It was cool how we were able to build relationships with the bus drivers and guides. We arrived in Amsterdam last night. We are staying at the YWAM base in the city center. We'll be working with a couple YWAM ministries, but the majority of our time will be unscheduled and open to God's leading. It will be a good opportunity for our students to practice hearing God's voice and being led by the spirit. Continue praying for us that we finish out strong. There is still a lot of excitement among our team for our remaining days. It's already been a blessing being able to share more openly in our own language. We are looking forward to lots of divine appointments and partnering with God to see His kingdom come here in Amsterdam.
Blessed be your name,
Hannah, the mexi-white, and the ATW kids
So we concluded our time in Nepal in a village down south. The village is home to around 9,000 people, with only about 50 Christians. We stayed with host families in the village, and were able to spend a lot of quality time with them despite the language barrier. Smiles and laughter made up the majority of our communication. A YWAM Frontier Missions team began planting the church about 4 years ago, and were able to build the actual church building around 3 months ago. Their most recent project focus has been building bathroom facilities for the church. We were able to cover the cost for all the supplies, and spent time digging and moving rocks for the foundation of the bathroom. One afternoon, we were able to share with a few different groups of villagers as well as visiting the home of a Christian family where the mother was sick with a heart condition. The father of the household had been paralized and became a Christian after being prayed forand healed. The whole family became believers after that, but it was heartbreaking as we looked into their faces when we first arrived. They were blank, almost hopeless. We spent time praying and really asking God to touch their lives and also to bring overwhelming joy. As we left, they were both smiling. It was incredible to see how God had already begun to work.
After 4 days, the church sent us off with prayers and a farewell party complete with leis and a time of sharing appreciation. It was a short time, but so well spent.Our bus trip back to Delhi went very smooth. It felt a lot quicker and safer than the last trip. We even had one of the same drivers from our first trip, and Jacob was able to hold hands with him (which is a normal part of their culture). It was cool how we were able to build relationships with the bus drivers and guides. We arrived in Amsterdam last night. We are staying at the YWAM base in the city center. We'll be working with a couple YWAM ministries, but the majority of our time will be unscheduled and open to God's leading. It will be a good opportunity for our students to practice hearing God's voice and being led by the spirit. Continue praying for us that we finish out strong. There is still a lot of excitement among our team for our remaining days. It's already been a blessing being able to share more openly in our own language. We are looking forward to lots of divine appointments and partnering with God to see His kingdom come here in Amsterdam.
Blessed be your name,
Hannah, the mexi-white, and the ATW kids
Friday, July 25, 2008
Week 8
Greetings from Pokhara Nepal,
Well we all made it back from our 4 day trek in the Himalayas. It was quite the experience. A bit physically challenging we climbed over 7000 vertical feet from 3,000 to 10,000 and back totaling over 20+ hours of trekking with much of it in the rain. It was absolutely beautiful, we traversed from Jungle to Mountain tops through an immense gorge with numerous waterfalls to our final destination of Ghorepani. We were even able to get a glimpse of Annapurna and some of the other mountains in the range. Which was an answer to prayer since this is the raining season and there had not been clear skies in over 20 days. It was literally breathtaking, when they first appeared through the clouds I could not believe they were that high in the horizon when we were already at over 10,000 feet. Truly a testament to the greatness of God.
We were able to minister to a Christian family along the path spending time worshiping and fellowshipping with them. It was a blessed divinely appointed time as one of their sisters is having health problems and they can't be with her.
Another highlight was when we were able to spend and evening with the congregation of the only Christian church in the region. Many of the members hike up to 3 or 4 hours to meet. We were able to share testimonies and a teaching but the highlight was at the end of the night when we were able to sit and talk and pray with them for a couple hours drinking hot tea. We were able to lead two young men to the Lord that night, who were not even from that area but happened to be traveling through the village this particular evening. How cool is our God!
We are now spending a day recouping before we head out to a village farther south for a few days.
Being praying for the remaining time we have here in Nepal and also our travels back to India and our flight from there to Amsterdam for our final ministry location.
Thanks for praying for us as a team we recently had some doors open up for us for our housing in Amsterdam which was a huge answer to prayer.
Many Blessings: the ATW team
Well we all made it back from our 4 day trek in the Himalayas. It was quite the experience. A bit physically challenging we climbed over 7000 vertical feet from 3,000 to 10,000 and back totaling over 20+ hours of trekking with much of it in the rain. It was absolutely beautiful, we traversed from Jungle to Mountain tops through an immense gorge with numerous waterfalls to our final destination of Ghorepani. We were even able to get a glimpse of Annapurna and some of the other mountains in the range. Which was an answer to prayer since this is the raining season and there had not been clear skies in over 20 days. It was literally breathtaking, when they first appeared through the clouds I could not believe they were that high in the horizon when we were already at over 10,000 feet. Truly a testament to the greatness of God.
We were able to minister to a Christian family along the path spending time worshiping and fellowshipping with them. It was a blessed divinely appointed time as one of their sisters is having health problems and they can't be with her.
Another highlight was when we were able to spend and evening with the congregation of the only Christian church in the region. Many of the members hike up to 3 or 4 hours to meet. We were able to share testimonies and a teaching but the highlight was at the end of the night when we were able to sit and talk and pray with them for a couple hours drinking hot tea. We were able to lead two young men to the Lord that night, who were not even from that area but happened to be traveling through the village this particular evening. How cool is our God!
We are now spending a day recouping before we head out to a village farther south for a few days.
Being praying for the remaining time we have here in Nepal and also our travels back to India and our flight from there to Amsterdam for our final ministry location.
Thanks for praying for us as a team we recently had some doors open up for us for our housing in Amsterdam which was a huge answer to prayer.
Many Blessings: the ATW team
Week 7
Hello to all,
We have been a very busy team since the last time you heard from us. Our time in Thailand concluded smoothly. We finished off the week teaching alot of english in schools and english camps, it went very well. After our time in the south we returned to Bangkok for a day of debrief. This was our mid-outreach debrief time. It came at a good time, and proved to be a great time for us as a team. It was awesome to take inventory of where we are all at and to unify us in our vision and purpose for the last four weeks of our outreach. We are at a good place as a team, we've been able to do some amazing things so far, but are very excited for what God still has in store. All of us were looking forward to India and Nepal realizing it would probably be the most stretching and hard core part of of our trip.
It has definitely lived up to the expectation so far as we started it off with a bang a 40 hour bus ride to Nepal from Delhi. It was quite the experience a miracle in itself that it all worked out smoothly. The trip started off with me catching my finger in an industrial fan (luckily it is still intact could have been bad) our taxi to the bus station had a flat before we left to be met with crazy Delhi traffic then one taxi running out of gas after being off to a late start. But we made it to our bus. The bus trip was not without some exciting highlights including one slight accident with an oil tanker followed by 2 police bribery sessions. One breakdown with a three hour wait as they replaced the water pump and many bumps in the road literally. It felt like we were in a rally car race for 40 hours on a bus, none of us were aware a bus could go that fast.
But we made at 2 am in Pokhara Nepal. Which happens to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. Tomorrow we begin a 4 day trekking time heading into the Annapurna Himalayan range during monsoon season. It is going to be fun!
Be praying for our health and safety as we spend the next few days on the trail and in mountain villages.
Blessing the from the hard core ATW team
P.S. we love you all!
We have been a very busy team since the last time you heard from us. Our time in Thailand concluded smoothly. We finished off the week teaching alot of english in schools and english camps, it went very well. After our time in the south we returned to Bangkok for a day of debrief. This was our mid-outreach debrief time. It came at a good time, and proved to be a great time for us as a team. It was awesome to take inventory of where we are all at and to unify us in our vision and purpose for the last four weeks of our outreach. We are at a good place as a team, we've been able to do some amazing things so far, but are very excited for what God still has in store. All of us were looking forward to India and Nepal realizing it would probably be the most stretching and hard core part of of our trip.
It has definitely lived up to the expectation so far as we started it off with a bang a 40 hour bus ride to Nepal from Delhi. It was quite the experience a miracle in itself that it all worked out smoothly. The trip started off with me catching my finger in an industrial fan (luckily it is still intact could have been bad) our taxi to the bus station had a flat before we left to be met with crazy Delhi traffic then one taxi running out of gas after being off to a late start. But we made it to our bus. The bus trip was not without some exciting highlights including one slight accident with an oil tanker followed by 2 police bribery sessions. One breakdown with a three hour wait as they replaced the water pump and many bumps in the road literally. It felt like we were in a rally car race for 40 hours on a bus, none of us were aware a bus could go that fast.
But we made at 2 am in Pokhara Nepal. Which happens to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. Tomorrow we begin a 4 day trekking time heading into the Annapurna Himalayan range during monsoon season. It is going to be fun!
Be praying for our health and safety as we spend the next few days on the trail and in mountain villages.
Blessing the from the hard core ATW team
P.S. we love you all!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
A long awaited greeting...
Hello from Phang-nga, Thailand!! (pronounced "pong-na")
It's very hot here and I'm enjoying my first Internet cafe experience of the trip because it is air-conditioned. I apologize for not be able to update you more often about our trip but access to the Internet for extended periods of time has been very limited. But it also has been refreshing to not have it as a distraction as well.
We are in the south of Thailand and are enjoying it very much. We had a second day of prison ministry this morning. The inmates were all women and they enjoyed our dramas, songs, and teaching of English very much. It was very encouraging to see many of them begin to understand who Christ was and what He means to us. We are praying that God will be reminding them of our words, especially one of the guards who was very kind to us and seemed interested in hearing what we had to say.
Thailand has been a very trying time for our team as it has been frustrating to not witness any "results" from our ministry efforts and Andrew, the talkative Canadian, had to spend about 2 days in the hospital for dehydration and stomach pains. Thankfully, God has restored him, but it was difficult to present our dramas without him and we are very thankful that he was sick for only a short time. God is faithful!!
I'm not sure what we will be doing in the upcoming days as we usually have been finding out our activities the day they happen, but we have an upcoming day off. I am looking forward to maybe visiting an area here where they filmed a James Bond film as it is supposed to be very scenic. I have enjoyed experiencing new things in the countries we have visited (I ate a cockroach about the size of my finger a few days ago...I don't recommend it).
I have posted some updates about our previous weeks below if you're interested. I am so grateful for your support and prayers. It has been pretty cool to see where your prayers have encouraged us and even paved a path for us in some dark places. I hope to keep you better updated, but I can't promise I will be able to. Well, my time is up so I must go.
Have a great day and may God reveal Himself to you in a tangible way,
Sam Blommel
It's very hot here and I'm enjoying my first Internet cafe experience of the trip because it is air-conditioned. I apologize for not be able to update you more often about our trip but access to the Internet for extended periods of time has been very limited. But it also has been refreshing to not have it as a distraction as well.
We are in the south of Thailand and are enjoying it very much. We had a second day of prison ministry this morning. The inmates were all women and they enjoyed our dramas, songs, and teaching of English very much. It was very encouraging to see many of them begin to understand who Christ was and what He means to us. We are praying that God will be reminding them of our words, especially one of the guards who was very kind to us and seemed interested in hearing what we had to say.
Thailand has been a very trying time for our team as it has been frustrating to not witness any "results" from our ministry efforts and Andrew, the talkative Canadian, had to spend about 2 days in the hospital for dehydration and stomach pains. Thankfully, God has restored him, but it was difficult to present our dramas without him and we are very thankful that he was sick for only a short time. God is faithful!!
I'm not sure what we will be doing in the upcoming days as we usually have been finding out our activities the day they happen, but we have an upcoming day off. I am looking forward to maybe visiting an area here where they filmed a James Bond film as it is supposed to be very scenic. I have enjoyed experiencing new things in the countries we have visited (I ate a cockroach about the size of my finger a few days ago...I don't recommend it).
I have posted some updates about our previous weeks below if you're interested. I am so grateful for your support and prayers. It has been pretty cool to see where your prayers have encouraged us and even paved a path for us in some dark places. I hope to keep you better updated, but I can't promise I will be able to. Well, my time is up so I must go.
Have a great day and may God reveal Himself to you in a tangible way,
Sam Blommel
Week 5
Hello friends and family,
We arrived safely into Bangkok on Tuesday morning after layovers in Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. When we arrived to the base in Bangkok our team was thrilled to find out they would be sharing dorm rooms with the YWAM Denver Thailand team. It was a blessing and a treat to see them after being on the road for over a month.
The majority of our time in Bangkok was spent working with Ban Jai Diaow a ywam college ministry. We were able to do some practical things for their building like painting as well as help clean up a bocce ball court for a local church they partner with. After a few hours of hard labor we ended the workday with a competitive session of Thai Bocce ball. On one of the days the girls were able to go into a local slum, the ministry has been building relationship with and love on people.
One of the highlights of the week without a doubt was the time we were able to spend in the redlight districts of Bangkok partnering with the MST project. A ministry ywam has started focusing on the male sex tourist. We had a couple of pretty powerful nights down in an area known as Nana. It was amazing to see the Lord reach down His hand to these men in the midst of all the darkness that was around us.
Yesterday evening we ended our time in Bangkok. We took a 12 hour bus ride to the south of Thailand towards Phuket to a beautiful town called Phang Nga. We will spend the next week here working with a church plant. We will be helping them reach out to their community through evangelism, English teaching, work projects and even spending some time in a Muslim village they have been reaching out to.
Tomorrow morning we head to a prison, continue to be praying for us to press in and not let up. Also for continued health and safety we have a couple people having some "common" stomach issues (a.k.a. diarrhea).
Blessings,
the ATW team
We arrived safely into Bangkok on Tuesday morning after layovers in Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. When we arrived to the base in Bangkok our team was thrilled to find out they would be sharing dorm rooms with the YWAM Denver Thailand team. It was a blessing and a treat to see them after being on the road for over a month.
The majority of our time in Bangkok was spent working with Ban Jai Diaow a ywam college ministry. We were able to do some practical things for their building like painting as well as help clean up a bocce ball court for a local church they partner with. After a few hours of hard labor we ended the workday with a competitive session of Thai Bocce ball. On one of the days the girls were able to go into a local slum, the ministry has been building relationship with and love on people.
One of the highlights of the week without a doubt was the time we were able to spend in the redlight districts of Bangkok partnering with the MST project. A ministry ywam has started focusing on the male sex tourist. We had a couple of pretty powerful nights down in an area known as Nana. It was amazing to see the Lord reach down His hand to these men in the midst of all the darkness that was around us.
Yesterday evening we ended our time in Bangkok. We took a 12 hour bus ride to the south of Thailand towards Phuket to a beautiful town called Phang Nga. We will spend the next week here working with a church plant. We will be helping them reach out to their community through evangelism, English teaching, work projects and even spending some time in a Muslim village they have been reaching out to.
Tomorrow morning we head to a prison, continue to be praying for us to press in and not let up. Also for continued health and safety we have a couple people having some "common" stomach issues (a.k.a. diarrhea).
Blessings,
the ATW team
Week 4
Hello to all,
I am quickly writing to you from Sydney before we head out to the airport. Our time in PNG concluded amazingly! It was very hard for us to leave. We have made many lifetime friends there. The people, the contacts everything it was such a great time. The last day before we left we were blessed with a helicopter ride over the valley by our contacts, they wanted us to be able to do a "prayerride". Our travels all went smooth from PNG back to Australia where we had the priviledge of a day layover before we head off to Bangkok, Thailand. We are very excited for the next portion of our trip.
Thanks for all your prayers.
God Bless,
The ATW team
I am quickly writing to you from Sydney before we head out to the airport. Our time in PNG concluded amazingly! It was very hard for us to leave. We have made many lifetime friends there. The people, the contacts everything it was such a great time. The last day before we left we were blessed with a helicopter ride over the valley by our contacts, they wanted us to be able to do a "prayerride". Our travels all went smooth from PNG back to Australia where we had the priviledge of a day layover before we head off to Bangkok, Thailand. We are very excited for the next portion of our trip.
Thanks for all your prayers.
God Bless,
The ATW team
Week 3
Greetings from the land of pidgeon talk where the pig is king! (Papua New Guinea)
This has by far been the busiest week of our outreach so far. We started the week off with an overnight stay in a village in the Highlands, where we showed the Jesus film along with some AIDS awareness videos in their native tongue. We also were able to go into a few schools and share openly. We were able to do some ministry in nearby villages, along with some work projects as well. One highlight for the week was an afternoon spent in a newly formed "Drop in Centre" where we were able to teach dramas to the local youth. It was an awesome time where the different groups presented the dramas they had learned to each other. Cultural barriers were brought down especially through the women standing unashamed in front of the crowd. This is not normal since sometimes the women here can be suppressed.
We closed our week with a bang tonight when we were able to minister to the missionary kids here on the SIL center. The missionary base we are staying at is a community in it's own right with at any given time between 1,000 and 1,500 people living here. There are a lot of ex-pat youth who grow up here, and sometimes struggle with not being able to live the so called "normal" life. So it was quite an awesome opportunity that we got to encourage them. Both Hannah and I were able to share our testimonies with them, and it ended up being a very powerful time, followed up with a late night concert put on by the youth band (including Derrick Nissley's brother). It was refreshing to be involved in a YWAM style worship with so many young people.
We have one week left in PNG before we head off to Thailand. Thank you for your continued prayers.
Until next time,
Jacob, Hannah, Danielle, Heather, Shay, Barbara, Olive, Sam, AJ, and Andrew aka The ATW Team
This has by far been the busiest week of our outreach so far. We started the week off with an overnight stay in a village in the Highlands, where we showed the Jesus film along with some AIDS awareness videos in their native tongue. We also were able to go into a few schools and share openly. We were able to do some ministry in nearby villages, along with some work projects as well. One highlight for the week was an afternoon spent in a newly formed "Drop in Centre" where we were able to teach dramas to the local youth. It was an awesome time where the different groups presented the dramas they had learned to each other. Cultural barriers were brought down especially through the women standing unashamed in front of the crowd. This is not normal since sometimes the women here can be suppressed.
We closed our week with a bang tonight when we were able to minister to the missionary kids here on the SIL center. The missionary base we are staying at is a community in it's own right with at any given time between 1,000 and 1,500 people living here. There are a lot of ex-pat youth who grow up here, and sometimes struggle with not being able to live the so called "normal" life. So it was quite an awesome opportunity that we got to encourage them. Both Hannah and I were able to share our testimonies with them, and it ended up being a very powerful time, followed up with a late night concert put on by the youth band (including Derrick Nissley's brother). It was refreshing to be involved in a YWAM style worship with so many young people.
We have one week left in PNG before we head off to Thailand. Thank you for your continued prayers.
Until next time,
Jacob, Hannah, Danielle, Heather, Shay, Barbara, Olive, Sam, AJ, and Andrew aka The ATW Team
Week 2
Hey Everybody!
So last week we finished out our time camping in the Outback. And I'm happy to say we saw many kangaroos!! Our time with Reef to Outback turned out to be quite God ordained. The teaching topic for the week was Unity and Common Purpose and Vision. It was quite powerful for both our team and the Reef to Outback team. A perfect segway into our next adventure, Papua New Guinea. We arrived in the capitol, Port Moresby to find out our connecting flight to the highlands was cancelled due to an absent pilot. To our surprise, the airline put us up in the nicest hotel in the city. It was quite a treat after camping for over a week. We each enjoyed our own rooms and A LOT OF FREE FOOD!
The next day we arrived in Goroka and were greeted by our incredible contacts, and were quickly introduced to driving in PNG. General rule of thumb...you never stop for anything, even if you hit a human being. You have to drive quickly and always be on the lookout for highway hold ups by the local "rascals". We safely arrived to Ukurampa, the home of the SIL (Wycliff) base, which happens to be the largest missionary base in the world tucked in the middle of nowhere in a very remote mountain valley. In this valley is where we will be focusing the majority of our ministry efforts. Even though the valley is home to the largest missionary base inthe world, it is still a place of much need. Only in the last couple years have the missionaries really begun to reach out to their neighbors due to the incredible amount of work the challenge of translating the Bible into over 800 languages creates.
We had our first ministy time this morning. The guys went to a prison camp and the girls visited a high school boarding school and participated in a church service for them. It was a very powerful time for both the boys and girls. I feel we are here at a crucial time for the valley which is home to different warring tribes. Right now for the first time the different churches in the valley have begun working together in a never before seen show of unity. The different groups have expressed their excitement for having out team with them. Please be praying for us as we seek to encourage and be a blessing during our time here in the beautiful, mountainous, and diverse nation they call PNG.
Salutations from Jacob, Hannah, and the amazing ATW team.
So last week we finished out our time camping in the Outback. And I'm happy to say we saw many kangaroos!! Our time with Reef to Outback turned out to be quite God ordained. The teaching topic for the week was Unity and Common Purpose and Vision. It was quite powerful for both our team and the Reef to Outback team. A perfect segway into our next adventure, Papua New Guinea. We arrived in the capitol, Port Moresby to find out our connecting flight to the highlands was cancelled due to an absent pilot. To our surprise, the airline put us up in the nicest hotel in the city. It was quite a treat after camping for over a week. We each enjoyed our own rooms and A LOT OF FREE FOOD!
The next day we arrived in Goroka and were greeted by our incredible contacts, and were quickly introduced to driving in PNG. General rule of thumb...you never stop for anything, even if you hit a human being. You have to drive quickly and always be on the lookout for highway hold ups by the local "rascals". We safely arrived to Ukurampa, the home of the SIL (Wycliff) base, which happens to be the largest missionary base in the world tucked in the middle of nowhere in a very remote mountain valley. In this valley is where we will be focusing the majority of our ministry efforts. Even though the valley is home to the largest missionary base inthe world, it is still a place of much need. Only in the last couple years have the missionaries really begun to reach out to their neighbors due to the incredible amount of work the challenge of translating the Bible into over 800 languages creates.
We had our first ministy time this morning. The guys went to a prison camp and the girls visited a high school boarding school and participated in a church service for them. It was a very powerful time for both the boys and girls. I feel we are here at a crucial time for the valley which is home to different warring tribes. Right now for the first time the different churches in the valley have begun working together in a never before seen show of unity. The different groups have expressed their excitement for having out team with them. Please be praying for us as we seek to encourage and be a blessing during our time here in the beautiful, mountainous, and diverse nation they call PNG.
Salutations from Jacob, Hannah, and the amazing ATW team.
Sorry I'm behind...
Week 1
Greetings from Townseville Australia,
3 flights down and 11 more to go. We are nearing the end of our first week and have already had the opportunity to swim in the ocean on 2 different continents. Our first stop was California for 4 1/2 days. We had the priviledge of staying at my parents house and encouraging my home church as well as a day of ministry on the streets of SanFrancisco. It was a great start to our trip. We were able to build some relationships with the youth as well as get fattend up by my parents. Then on wed. we hopped on a couple of planes and after a van ride arrived in Townesville 24 hours later.
Sunday morning we head out to the outback for 5 days of camping with the reef to outback DTS, where we will be having class with them and hopefully seeing some kangaroos in the wild as well. So long for now and the next time you hear from us we will be in the island nation of Papua New Guinea.
Many blessings the ATW team!
Greetings from Townseville Australia,
3 flights down and 11 more to go. We are nearing the end of our first week and have already had the opportunity to swim in the ocean on 2 different continents. Our first stop was California for 4 1/2 days. We had the priviledge of staying at my parents house and encouraging my home church as well as a day of ministry on the streets of SanFrancisco. It was a great start to our trip. We were able to build some relationships with the youth as well as get fattend up by my parents. Then on wed. we hopped on a couple of planes and after a van ride arrived in Townesville 24 hours later.
Sunday morning we head out to the outback for 5 days of camping with the reef to outback DTS, where we will be having class with them and hopefully seeing some kangaroos in the wild as well. So long for now and the next time you hear from us we will be in the island nation of Papua New Guinea.
Many blessings the ATW team!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Thank you!
Thanks to all of you who were a part of this gift. I can't express how I appreciated it. I miss all of you very much and I appreciate your creativeness. Everyone here was jealous and enjoyed reading your fantastic comments, especially the part about trading lumber for sheep as pretty much everyone can relate. You are a blessing!
Hakani
This week we had the privilege to view an unreleased, upcoming film on infanticide in native tribes in Brazil. This documentary/drama is about a girl named "Hakani" who was buried alive as a small girl (as per usual practice) simply because she couldn't walk and was considered an "evil spirit". She was saved by her younger brother and is a bright, funny little girl today. She was able to be here and I got to meet her. It was amazing to see the fruit of God's love for her. This film was created to raise awareness about this tribal practice and if you wish to learn how you can help please visit http://www.hakani.org.
Better late than never...
It feels like forever since I've updated you about what's going on here. The Internet here was down for awhile and I have also been swamped with all kinds if activity. There is so much to tell! First, God has provided me with all the money I needed to pay for my tuition to YWAM!! It's an amazing story that I don't want to explain here as I would rather share it in person, but briefly, God used people in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who had no idea who I was, as well as all of you, to fulfill my need. I asked for a miracle and God showed up. I am so grateful and I no longer have any excuse to not trust God to provide.
My time lately as been spent on classwork, outreach to the Denver community on Monday nights, and preparing dramas and worship for our outreach. I leave for San Fransisco in two weeks, so I'm in crunch time. Please pray that our group will be diligent in our practice times. I'm extremely excited to be getting on the road and see what God will do through our group, especially in the 10/40 window.
This past week we had Fred Markert (pronounced "Market") teaching on "Evangelism & Missions". Fred is one of the top mission strategists in the world and it was a complete privilege to hear him speak. He has visited over 175 countries and is the most passionate and confident missionary I have ever heard. I could go on with countless stories of how God has worked miracles for and by Fred, but for security reasons, I cannot tell of them here. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak do not miss the opportunity. He shared many astounding statistics concerning world missions (you can find most of them at http://www.globalchristianity.com if you're interested) but what I enjoyed the most was that every hour spent sharing the Gospel in the 10/40 window yields 110 times more converts than in North America. Since 80% of our outreach is in the 10/40 window, I am excited to see a great impact for Christ.
Thank you all for your time and support. I love hearing from you, so please contact me if you would like to. I promise to respond as quickly as I can. Please pray for me as I am still in need of funds to purchase travel insurance and I need to have a tooth repaired before I leave the country, as well as many other small needs. I trust God will provide and the prayers of the saints will make it possible. I pray that the Lord encourages and blesses all that you do and that He will refresh you with His friendship.
Friday, April 25, 2008
God is always here
Today during our regular worship time, we had the privilege of hearing from the parents of Matthew Murray and the parents of the Works girls who where shot and killed in Colorado Springs last December. If you are not familiar with what happened go here: http://ywam.org/articles/article.asp?AID=493&bhcp=1 They touched us with words of encouragement to rise up and be the people God has called us to be even in the hard times. What touched me the most personally was how they tried to hold their lives together but were unable to. In the midst of all that, God was still there for them and was desiring to bring them all to new places with Him and to call them forth as lights in the darkness. I would encourage you, that if your experiencing a mountain in your life, don't ask God where He is, but where does He want you to go with Him?
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Hello everyone!
Things have been a extremely busy lately as we now have full time class and work duties, but God is showing up and blessing us all in different ways. My blessing has been a humidifier! One of the guys here found one and those of us in the guys dorm who have not been well have seen a dramatic improvement. We have been able to sleep better and as a result have been able to recuperate. Praise God for his provision and thank you for your prayers.
The speaker this week has been Jeff Pratt, a long time YWAMer as they call him, and he has been speaking on God's heart for us as a father and how He uses trials and suffering to help us get a glimpse of how He feels about those who are lost and hurt. Many here have had emotional healing and been freed of past bondage. I have also been convicted and freed of bitterness in my heart towards God because of how I had to grow up and I'm rejoicing in that new found freedom.
Some of you may have heard that I have volunteered to help lead worship on our overseas outreach. This has been a huge step of faith for me as I will be playing guitar and I have very little experience doing that. I have already been blessed as Barbara (a girl in my DTS from Switzerland) has volunteered to also help lead by singing and helping with the organizing. Please pray that God's anointing will be on us as a worship team and that He will impart to me supernatural learning as I prepare.
Another praise report for me has been my finances as God as provided nearly all that I need for my costs. I have been blessed by a whirlwind of support in the past few days. Thank you ALL for your willingness and encouragement.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Found out why...
Well, the reason for wearing the ball & chain was finally revealed to us and to be honest I was quite disappointed until I heard someone's story. The ball & chain represent "monsters in the dark" as our teacher reffered to them as, but better known as the sin or addictions in our live's that we are often ashamed to openly confess. I was expecting more of a spiritual explaination but I also can relate as I have dealt with secret sin. But what hit me the most was how the girl that I gave the ball & chain to reacted. She, as I mentioned before, was not happy with me about receiving the ball & chain during her work duties, and I came to find out she was actually furious with me. She hated how it inhibited her work and she couldn't understand why someone who was sitting around couldn't have received it. Her hour was finally over and she still had some work time left and thats when she realized what freedom she has normally. She also realized what freedom we have in Jesus and that even secret sin is defeated when we let Jesus free us from it. God is willing if you are willing.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
New experience
Yesterday I experienced something I never imagined would happen to me. As a DTS class we have been given a 14lb bowling ball and chain to wear for one hour and then we are to give it to another person in our class no matter where they at are until 11pm (bed time). I luckily was the 2nd person to have it and I had it during my free time. I however, was not so nice and gave it to a girl on work duty...she was not happy. I found out later that someone received it at Wal-Mart!! We don't know why we are wearing it and won't find out till Wednesday. I'll keep you updated.
First Week
I have gotten through the first week of my DTS here without too much of a problem. There has been a lot of bonding time with everyone here through games, testimonies, worship, and a field trip to Boulder, Colorado. It has been quite an experience hearing how individuals have been delivered from strongholds such as drugs & alchohol, demon-possesion, sexual immorality, and even underground crime. God has worked in incredible ways in each of our lives, in order that we may serve Him together. It's been interesting to experience having lunch with a woman from Switzerland, going to church with a crazy Mexican, and enjoying Dairy Queen with a quiet man from Japan.
Good News and Prayer Requests:
To update on the DTS group that was uncertain where their outreach would end up being, it has worked out for them to still go to Thailand. It has been a relief for many students here who where excited about going there and for the staff as their plans can now go forward. Thank you Lord!! Please keep me and several others in prayer as we are battling ailments. I not only am dealing with a cold, but I also had part of my tooth break off while eating my roast beef sandwich last night. Others here have colds, shin splints, muscle cramping, and tiredness. Satan definintely does not want us to accomplish anything and has been increasing his attacks on us. We have been praying against these infirmities and I hope you will join us.
More new stuff:
Some news I am excited about is that 2 people from the DTS to Thailand, have decided to join the ATWDTS (my DTS) and will join us on our travels. I can't wait to see how they will enhance our group.
We are now starting our regular classes this week and we will be learning about the character of God this first week. There already have been some cool things spoken into our group about being difference makers in the world and laying down our rights to our lives so that God may choose what is best for us. Well, my time has run out and it's time to go have supper and then some outreach afterwards.
Good News and Prayer Requests:
To update on the DTS group that was uncertain where their outreach would end up being, it has worked out for them to still go to Thailand. It has been a relief for many students here who where excited about going there and for the staff as their plans can now go forward. Thank you Lord!! Please keep me and several others in prayer as we are battling ailments. I not only am dealing with a cold, but I also had part of my tooth break off while eating my roast beef sandwich last night. Others here have colds, shin splints, muscle cramping, and tiredness. Satan definintely does not want us to accomplish anything and has been increasing his attacks on us. We have been praying against these infirmities and I hope you will join us.
More new stuff:
Some news I am excited about is that 2 people from the DTS to Thailand, have decided to join the ATWDTS (my DTS) and will join us on our travels. I can't wait to see how they will enhance our group.
We are now starting our regular classes this week and we will be learning about the character of God this first week. There already have been some cool things spoken into our group about being difference makers in the world and laying down our rights to our lives so that God may choose what is best for us. Well, my time has run out and it's time to go have supper and then some outreach afterwards.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
New stuff
Well, things always change and we are learning that here at YWAM Denver quickly. One country I was to visit on my outreach was Cambodia and that no longer will happen and so instead we will be going to San Francisco, CA before heading to Australia. There we will be connecting with the YWAM base and hopefully doing some outreach with them to the youth of the community. Details on that will be coming in the next few weeks.
Some info on how things are running here. There is another DTS currently training here and their outreach was going to be to Thailand, but with the price of flights going up because of the Olympics, they may have to change their destination. Please pray for the leadership here has they have to decide where to go by Monday and that God will make known to them where they are needed.
Praise report:
Amsterdam, the city we are going to in The Netherlands, has a section known as the "Redlight District" where there is legalized prostitution and rampant immorality. We have been told that this district is now being closed down by the government. Many prayers have been poured into that district as it has been a burden for many here in YWAM, and it is great to hear that God has answered those prayers. Please pray that the doors that God has opened there will be used for his glory by those He has called.
Some info on how things are running here. There is another DTS currently training here and their outreach was going to be to Thailand, but with the price of flights going up because of the Olympics, they may have to change their destination. Please pray for the leadership here has they have to decide where to go by Monday and that God will make known to them where they are needed.
Praise report:
Amsterdam, the city we are going to in The Netherlands, has a section known as the "Redlight District" where there is legalized prostitution and rampant immorality. We have been told that this district is now being closed down by the government. Many prayers have been poured into that district as it has been a burden for many here in YWAM, and it is great to hear that God has answered those prayers. Please pray that the doors that God has opened there will be used for his glory by those He has called.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Finally here....
Hello everyone! I have arrived in Arvada, CO and so far it has been quite an adjustment. It is very dry here and I have to be careful not to get dehydrated. I also have to adjust to the Mountain time zone which is not going well as I have not been able to sleep productively. So there are many things already to pray for me!! Some good news is that I have been blessed by the giving of others as I currently only need $2,200 more to pay for the rest of my trip. Thank you all that have given and paved a way for me to be here. I pray that God will bless all of you ten-fold as I am not able to.
Update on my outreach:
For those of you who I have not been able to talk to before I left, my outreach countries consist of: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Nepal, and the Netherlands. There are going to be 7-8 of us going as of now. One person actually joined last night and is currently driving here from California, so please pray for his safety. At the base here, there are currently 4 schools, including mine, going on at the same time which makes for lots of hustling and bustling, but also lots of new opportunities to meet many different people. 13 different nations are represented here and it's truly the work of God to bring us all together here.
We are going through sort-of a welcome week here and we'll get in to a regular routine next week, which I will keep you updated on. Please also pray for Heidi Aos as she prepares to leave for her DTS in the Netherlands this week, that God would be her provision.
Thank you for your prayers and interest in what God is doing in my life
Update on my outreach:
For those of you who I have not been able to talk to before I left, my outreach countries consist of: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Nepal, and the Netherlands. There are going to be 7-8 of us going as of now. One person actually joined last night and is currently driving here from California, so please pray for his safety. At the base here, there are currently 4 schools, including mine, going on at the same time which makes for lots of hustling and bustling, but also lots of new opportunities to meet many different people. 13 different nations are represented here and it's truly the work of God to bring us all together here.
We are going through sort-of a welcome week here and we'll get in to a regular routine next week, which I will keep you updated on. Please also pray for Heidi Aos as she prepares to leave for her DTS in the Netherlands this week, that God would be her provision.
Thank you for your prayers and interest in what God is doing in my life
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