Saturday, December 18, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
September Update
Hello everyone!
Wow! It's all I can say after the past two weeks and all that God has and is still doing for us here at YWAM Orlando. Has you know, we've been following the Lord in pursuit of a former bible camp as our new campus and I'm happy to say God has moved mountains for us. This camp only a few years ago was going to be sold for over 18 million dollars. God made it possible for us to negotiate for a price of a little over 3 million. We have spent the last 4 years and 4 months raising about $550,000 and needed over 1 million to close on August 31. Well, the owners of the land were so moved by what God was doing through us that they agreed to reduce to closing downpayment to $375,000!!!! We obviousley still need to raise a lot more money but God was so faithful to make a way for us to get on the land and begin lots of hard work in order to be transfering locations by the next year. Thank you God! So this means lots of hard work for me as I'm helping organize our work crews doing demolition, clearing brush, repairing roofs, and cleaning up accumulated garbage from the past 6 years. But I'm excited to be a part of building a launchpad to reach the hardest to reach nations of the earth for Jesus. For more info on the progress of the property and for pictures, add YWAM Orlando as a friend on Facebook or go here
One thing I wanted to share with you was a conversation I had with the Lord after finding out we had closed on the new property. I was thanking Him for being faithful but I wanted to know something. I knew He is was capable of anything and the amount of money we needed was no problem for Him, but I was intrigued that He didn't just provide the money that we would need to make the payment instead of having the amount reduced. I mean, we still have to pay for it. This is what He told me: "Sam, if you would have an opportunity to bless someone by giving to them and meeting a need, wouldn't you be upset if I took that from you because time had run out? What if I wanted to use you? What if I wanted to bless you so much that you could afford to pay the land off? Wouldn't you love to do that?" I was stunned. I was reminded of the disconnect I have in my head. So many times I hear of God using the little unknown person to do mighty things for the Kingdom of God that I forget He wants to use me too. So if you feel that God is not planning to use you for something big, let me say that you are very mistaken. Look for the small opportunity that presents itself for God to use you to change a life, a church, a community, a nation, or the world. Be obedient to what He asks of you and He won't fail you!
Thank you for your love and support and be blessed!
Wow! It's all I can say after the past two weeks and all that God has and is still doing for us here at YWAM Orlando. Has you know, we've been following the Lord in pursuit of a former bible camp as our new campus and I'm happy to say God has moved mountains for us. This camp only a few years ago was going to be sold for over 18 million dollars. God made it possible for us to negotiate for a price of a little over 3 million. We have spent the last 4 years and 4 months raising about $550,000 and needed over 1 million to close on August 31. Well, the owners of the land were so moved by what God was doing through us that they agreed to reduce to closing downpayment to $375,000!!!! We obviousley still need to raise a lot more money but God was so faithful to make a way for us to get on the land and begin lots of hard work in order to be transfering locations by the next year. Thank you God! So this means lots of hard work for me as I'm helping organize our work crews doing demolition, clearing brush, repairing roofs, and cleaning up accumulated garbage from the past 6 years. But I'm excited to be a part of building a launchpad to reach the hardest to reach nations of the earth for Jesus. For more info on the progress of the property and for pictures, add YWAM Orlando as a friend on Facebook or go here
One thing I wanted to share with you was a conversation I had with the Lord after finding out we had closed on the new property. I was thanking Him for being faithful but I wanted to know something. I knew He is was capable of anything and the amount of money we needed was no problem for Him, but I was intrigued that He didn't just provide the money that we would need to make the payment instead of having the amount reduced. I mean, we still have to pay for it. This is what He told me: "Sam, if you would have an opportunity to bless someone by giving to them and meeting a need, wouldn't you be upset if I took that from you because time had run out? What if I wanted to use you? What if I wanted to bless you so much that you could afford to pay the land off? Wouldn't you love to do that?" I was stunned. I was reminded of the disconnect I have in my head. So many times I hear of God using the little unknown person to do mighty things for the Kingdom of God that I forget He wants to use me too. So if you feel that God is not planning to use you for something big, let me say that you are very mistaken. Look for the small opportunity that presents itself for God to use you to change a life, a church, a community, a nation, or the world. Be obedient to what He asks of you and He won't fail you!
Thank you for your love and support and be blessed!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
August YWAM Update
Hello everyone!!
This summer is nearly over and its hard to believe that fall is around the corner. The past month has been a whirlwind of activity for me as I have been in Morocco, leading one of our short-term missions trip called a GO Team. We traveled to three major cities in Morocco: Agadir, Casablanca, and Marrakesh. It was quite an intense time of experiencing a completely Muslim influenced society and learning to love a people group in deep spiritual darkness.
Morocco -
As Morocco is a "closed country" (we could have been arrested for any type of public preaching or handing out Christian materials), we had to ask the Lord for some creative ideas to reach people with the truth of Jesus. We spent lots of time in prayer, walking around mosques and businesses, fighting against the spiritual strongholds that enslaved the people. We also handed out bottles of water to the homeless and thirsty in heat that sometimes reached 120 degrees. One of our team members felt that she was supposed to buy roses and give them to people passing by on the streets, especially women. If anyone asked why we were giving things away, we told them that "Isa" (Jesus' name in Arabic) told us to and that we wanted to bless them and show them that we loved them. People's reactions varied; many were surprised but gladly received our gifts, while some thought we were trying to trick them into buying something, others wanted to hear more of why we were doing this.
There were also some sad reactions. When passing out flowers, almost everytime we would offer one to a married women with her husband, the husband would refuse to let his wife have a flower. It became quite obvious to us that though Islam claims to be a religion of peace, it clearly has no value for love. The thing that saddened me the most in Morocco was how the women were oppressed. God created Eve as the most beautiful being on earth but Satan has deceived Muslims into believing that a women is only an object to be manipulated and concealed. A good Muslim women who is obedient to her husband and family will wear clothing in public that covers her entire body, even at the risk of heat exhaustion. What a culture to live in!
Satan also did his best to discourage us from doing what the Lord had asked us to do. For our last day in the city of Marrakesh, we had planned to split into 3 groups and do a "community picnic" where we go to a public area and invite anyone who wanted to join us for a meal of sandwiches, chips, and water. The idea was that it would be a way for us to meet people and bless people in the name of Jesus. Unfortunately, the day didn't go quite as planned. Early that morning, my co-leader, Kristen, asked me to walk with her so she could take pictures of the sunrise. I agreed and we headed toward the large mosque in the area where she could get some good photos. We were walking down a main road and noticed 2 men following us. We sped up our pace but before we knew it, they attacked us and grabbed Kristen's camera bag. Thankfully, we were not hurt and they managed only to take her bag. This presented a huge problem however as the bag contained her wallet, most of her camera equipment, and most importantly, her passport. Amazingly though, Kristen's reaction was that we could not cancel our plans for the day and regardless of what would happen with her things our group had to walk in obedience to what God asked us to do with the picnic.
So after a visit to the police station and then sending Kristen and 2 other staff to the American embassy in Casablanca, the remainder of us proceeded to buy lunch supplies and headed out to bless the community. One of our groups actually went to a park area near the mosque that Kristen and I had been attacked and started passing out food to people, literally only a few feet from the spot of the robbery earlier that day. They were able to feed about 60 people and speak with several about the love of "Isa". What Satan meant for evil, God turned for good, not only for those who loved Him but also for many who didn't. As for Kristen, she ended up getting a replacement passport and was able to leave the country, but we were unable to recover anything else. We all returned to Orlando safe and sound with a great testimony of God's protection.
What's next -
I now turn my focus to working with YWAM Orlando as we pursue our new property. Our closing date is August 31 so please pray that God will provide $500,000 for us by then. I will be staying in Florida for the next several months and hopefully will be helping with construction projects for the new base. Thanks for all your support and prayers and know that I appreciate your partnership so much.
Be blessed,
SAM BLOMMEL
This summer is nearly over and its hard to believe that fall is around the corner. The past month has been a whirlwind of activity for me as I have been in Morocco, leading one of our short-term missions trip called a GO Team. We traveled to three major cities in Morocco: Agadir, Casablanca, and Marrakesh. It was quite an intense time of experiencing a completely Muslim influenced society and learning to love a people group in deep spiritual darkness.
Morocco -
As Morocco is a "closed country" (we could have been arrested for any type of public preaching or handing out Christian materials), we had to ask the Lord for some creative ideas to reach people with the truth of Jesus. We spent lots of time in prayer, walking around mosques and businesses, fighting against the spiritual strongholds that enslaved the people. We also handed out bottles of water to the homeless and thirsty in heat that sometimes reached 120 degrees. One of our team members felt that she was supposed to buy roses and give them to people passing by on the streets, especially women. If anyone asked why we were giving things away, we told them that "Isa" (Jesus' name in Arabic) told us to and that we wanted to bless them and show them that we loved them. People's reactions varied; many were surprised but gladly received our gifts, while some thought we were trying to trick them into buying something, others wanted to hear more of why we were doing this.
There were also some sad reactions. When passing out flowers, almost everytime we would offer one to a married women with her husband, the husband would refuse to let his wife have a flower. It became quite obvious to us that though Islam claims to be a religion of peace, it clearly has no value for love. The thing that saddened me the most in Morocco was how the women were oppressed. God created Eve as the most beautiful being on earth but Satan has deceived Muslims into believing that a women is only an object to be manipulated and concealed. A good Muslim women who is obedient to her husband and family will wear clothing in public that covers her entire body, even at the risk of heat exhaustion. What a culture to live in!
Satan also did his best to discourage us from doing what the Lord had asked us to do. For our last day in the city of Marrakesh, we had planned to split into 3 groups and do a "community picnic" where we go to a public area and invite anyone who wanted to join us for a meal of sandwiches, chips, and water. The idea was that it would be a way for us to meet people and bless people in the name of Jesus. Unfortunately, the day didn't go quite as planned. Early that morning, my co-leader, Kristen, asked me to walk with her so she could take pictures of the sunrise. I agreed and we headed toward the large mosque in the area where she could get some good photos. We were walking down a main road and noticed 2 men following us. We sped up our pace but before we knew it, they attacked us and grabbed Kristen's camera bag. Thankfully, we were not hurt and they managed only to take her bag. This presented a huge problem however as the bag contained her wallet, most of her camera equipment, and most importantly, her passport. Amazingly though, Kristen's reaction was that we could not cancel our plans for the day and regardless of what would happen with her things our group had to walk in obedience to what God asked us to do with the picnic.
So after a visit to the police station and then sending Kristen and 2 other staff to the American embassy in Casablanca, the remainder of us proceeded to buy lunch supplies and headed out to bless the community. One of our groups actually went to a park area near the mosque that Kristen and I had been attacked and started passing out food to people, literally only a few feet from the spot of the robbery earlier that day. They were able to feed about 60 people and speak with several about the love of "Isa". What Satan meant for evil, God turned for good, not only for those who loved Him but also for many who didn't. As for Kristen, she ended up getting a replacement passport and was able to leave the country, but we were unable to recover anything else. We all returned to Orlando safe and sound with a great testimony of God's protection.
What's next -
I now turn my focus to working with YWAM Orlando as we pursue our new property. Our closing date is August 31 so please pray that God will provide $500,000 for us by then. I will be staying in Florida for the next several months and hopefully will be helping with construction projects for the new base. Thanks for all your support and prayers and know that I appreciate your partnership so much.
Be blessed,
SAM BLOMMEL
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Hello friends and family!
Here is what's been happening for the past month:
As I mentioned in my last update we are in the process of raising money for a new campus property before the closing date of August 31. The property is 198 acres and has existing framework of 28 buildings that we hope to renovate. A big concern for us has been that since it is rainy season here in Florida, the poor conditions of many of the roofs would be damaged further. But the owners have given us permission to enclose and repair them! So, to the envy of some of our staff, I've been one of the workers going out to the property and working on the buildings. It's been exhausting but it also has been exciting to be on the land and work toward fulfilling the dream that God has given us to make this our new home.
I have been planning and preparing to take a group of 7 to Morocco for three weeks. We leave this week (Thursday, July 15) and are focusing on using photography as a way to meet people and share the Good news. We will be traveling around the country so pray that we will be protected and God will bring people that need to meet us. I'm very excited to see how God will use us to bring Living Water to this spiritually dry place. I'm also told the food is very good and so I will plan on giving you a special cuisine update and possibly even a recipe in my follow-up update.
I have also been busy being trained as a sound man for our Tuesday night community service called “Family Night”. It has been fun to expand my knowledge regarding music to the production aspect. I also have been occasionally playing drums as well. Something new that we've been trying out is doing a live, internet video stream of the service. If you would be interested in watching, it starts at 6pm central time (sorry, we are a hour before most of you) and you can go here to watch: http://www.ywamorlando.com/stream
I was blessed this past weekend to be able to come home to Alexandria and be a part of the wedding of my good friends Tucker and Merideth Reishus. It was a fun time and it was great to see some of you there as well. They are a great couple and I was happy to see them give God the glory for bringing them together. You both are awesome!
Thanks for all you wonderful prayers, support, and interest for what I'm doing! I will be back in the States on August 6 so if you need to contact me, I'm afraid you'll have to wait!
Be blessed!
Here is what's been happening for the past month:
As I mentioned in my last update we are in the process of raising money for a new campus property before the closing date of August 31. The property is 198 acres and has existing framework of 28 buildings that we hope to renovate. A big concern for us has been that since it is rainy season here in Florida, the poor conditions of many of the roofs would be damaged further. But the owners have given us permission to enclose and repair them! So, to the envy of some of our staff, I've been one of the workers going out to the property and working on the buildings. It's been exhausting but it also has been exciting to be on the land and work toward fulfilling the dream that God has given us to make this our new home.
I have been planning and preparing to take a group of 7 to Morocco for three weeks. We leave this week (Thursday, July 15) and are focusing on using photography as a way to meet people and share the Good news. We will be traveling around the country so pray that we will be protected and God will bring people that need to meet us. I'm very excited to see how God will use us to bring Living Water to this spiritually dry place. I'm also told the food is very good and so I will plan on giving you a special cuisine update and possibly even a recipe in my follow-up update.
I have also been busy being trained as a sound man for our Tuesday night community service called “Family Night”. It has been fun to expand my knowledge regarding music to the production aspect. I also have been occasionally playing drums as well. Something new that we've been trying out is doing a live, internet video stream of the service. If you would be interested in watching, it starts at 6pm central time (sorry, we are a hour before most of you) and you can go here to watch: http://www.ywamorlando.com/stream
I was blessed this past weekend to be able to come home to Alexandria and be a part of the wedding of my good friends Tucker and Merideth Reishus. It was a fun time and it was great to see some of you there as well. They are a great couple and I was happy to see them give God the glory for bringing them together. You both are awesome!
Thanks for all you wonderful prayers, support, and interest for what I'm doing! I will be back in the States on August 6 so if you need to contact me, I'm afraid you'll have to wait!
Be blessed!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Hello friends!
I have just returned from Israel and Palestine this past week and was grateful that I came home to Memorial weekend so I could have an extra day to rest. I trust you all enjoyed yours. Our team had a great experience despite it not turning out quite like we thought. We had been planning to work in some Palestinian refugee camps but were not allowed to once we arrived. Instead, we were able to bless a orphanage for mentally disabled children for a day by playing games, singing fun songs and telling Bible stories. We also spent several days painting homes with a church planting team for some Muslims families in the West Bank. It was a great time to meet a need for them and they invited the team to come back again but not to work but to talk and build relationship. Simply helping someone softens the hardest of hearts and opens the door for Jesus to come in. I'm excited for what fruit will come out of God's work with the church-planting team and I'll pass on any updates I receive.
We also were able to do some maintenance work for another ministry in the West Bank that shelters battered, raped, and divorced women. In Muslim and Arab culture, these outcast women have done something to deserve the treatment they have received and are considered people with mental disablities. As a result, many are sent to mental hospitals and forgotten about. Obviously, this presents a great opportunity for the local church to minister and bring the love of Jesus to these hurting people. This home provides not only a refuge but also training in handiworks and crafts so that the women can earn money and provide an avenue for them to contribute to society.
I've been asked by many what the biggest thing I enjoyed/learned about being in the Holy Land and I have to say that by seeing a land composed of two very different cultures and religions (Judiasm and Islam) and the seemingly never-ending conflict they are locked in, that I've realized the precious gift that I have and that gift is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the answer for any and every problem including the conflict in the Middle East. The interesting thing is that these 2 peoples are surrounded by memorials of Jesus but yet ignore His greatest commandment: to love God and love others. As a Christian, I have the peace that passes all understanding and I can't ignore my responsibility to bring it to those who desperately need it.
I'm now back in Orlando for the next couple months and am preparing to take a team to Morocco at the end of August. I also will be busy with preperations for our new campus. We still need $520,000 by tomorrow to close on the land and are praying for God's provision. Please keep us in your prayers the next 48 hours!!
I hope you all have a great start to summer and are blessed by our great God!
I have just returned from Israel and Palestine this past week and was grateful that I came home to Memorial weekend so I could have an extra day to rest. I trust you all enjoyed yours. Our team had a great experience despite it not turning out quite like we thought. We had been planning to work in some Palestinian refugee camps but were not allowed to once we arrived. Instead, we were able to bless a orphanage for mentally disabled children for a day by playing games, singing fun songs and telling Bible stories. We also spent several days painting homes with a church planting team for some Muslims families in the West Bank. It was a great time to meet a need for them and they invited the team to come back again but not to work but to talk and build relationship. Simply helping someone softens the hardest of hearts and opens the door for Jesus to come in. I'm excited for what fruit will come out of God's work with the church-planting team and I'll pass on any updates I receive.
We also were able to do some maintenance work for another ministry in the West Bank that shelters battered, raped, and divorced women. In Muslim and Arab culture, these outcast women have done something to deserve the treatment they have received and are considered people with mental disablities. As a result, many are sent to mental hospitals and forgotten about. Obviously, this presents a great opportunity for the local church to minister and bring the love of Jesus to these hurting people. This home provides not only a refuge but also training in handiworks and crafts so that the women can earn money and provide an avenue for them to contribute to society.
I've been asked by many what the biggest thing I enjoyed/learned about being in the Holy Land and I have to say that by seeing a land composed of two very different cultures and religions (Judiasm and Islam) and the seemingly never-ending conflict they are locked in, that I've realized the precious gift that I have and that gift is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the answer for any and every problem including the conflict in the Middle East. The interesting thing is that these 2 peoples are surrounded by memorials of Jesus but yet ignore His greatest commandment: to love God and love others. As a Christian, I have the peace that passes all understanding and I can't ignore my responsibility to bring it to those who desperately need it.
I'm now back in Orlando for the next couple months and am preparing to take a team to Morocco at the end of August. I also will be busy with preperations for our new campus. We still need $520,000 by tomorrow to close on the land and are praying for God's provision. Please keep us in your prayers the next 48 hours!!
I hope you all have a great start to summer and are blessed by our great God!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
January Update
I hope the new year has been more refreshing then stressful for you so far and you are enjoying life admist all its difficulties. I've been learning a lot about faith amongst uncertain times since the beginning of the year but God has never failed me yet and I'm excited for what He has in store for His children this year.
For those of you wondering, I am still home and hope to be heading back to Orlando sometime before March 1st. I am going to a wedding reception in Florida for my newlymarried friend Aaron Fischer the first week of February, which I'm excited for, but I will be returning to MN. Of course, plans can change at any moment! I appreciate your prayers for God's provision for my work with YWAM and that I can be fully equipped for what He has asked me to do.
Obviously, many of you have been following the crisis in Haiti and have been praying for God to move in that situation. YWAM has been sending many aid teams there so please pray for safety and wisdom for them. YWAM Orlando is sending a team there and we currently have a DTS outreach in the Dominican Republic so I have many friends who in need of spiritual and physical protection. In the midst of all the tragedy there have also been some amazing stories of God's intervention. I've heard of some YWAMers who were involved with rescuing a person who had been trapped for 10 days. Our God truly is amazing!
Thanks again for you prayers and until next time, may you encounter God like never before!
For those of you wondering, I am still home and hope to be heading back to Orlando sometime before March 1st. I am going to a wedding reception in Florida for my newlymarried friend Aaron Fischer the first week of February, which I'm excited for, but I will be returning to MN. Of course, plans can change at any moment! I appreciate your prayers for God's provision for my work with YWAM and that I can be fully equipped for what He has asked me to do.
Obviously, many of you have been following the crisis in Haiti and have been praying for God to move in that situation. YWAM has been sending many aid teams there so please pray for safety and wisdom for them. YWAM Orlando is sending a team there and we currently have a DTS outreach in the Dominican Republic so I have many friends who in need of spiritual and physical protection. In the midst of all the tragedy there have also been some amazing stories of God's intervention. I've heard of some YWAMers who were involved with rescuing a person who had been trapped for 10 days. Our God truly is amazing!
Thanks again for you prayers and until next time, may you encounter God like never before!
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