http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtKhOWhwmOQ
Sometimes, you don’t realise how tired you are until you stop. I think I could say this has been the story of my life for the past few months!
I’ve finally managed to stop…Although, unfortunately it meant putting about 3000 miles between myself and everything that I had to do! I write this blog from the other side of the planet from most of you who read this regularly (and just across the street from others!). I am currently holed up in Kansas City, Kansas, where I’m spending Christmas and New Years this year. I was over here in the States for a good friend of mines wedding in North Carolina, and decided instead of turning straight back around and heading home that it was about time I tasted what an American Christmas had to offer! So here I am…
So, it’s been a crazy few months! I’m actually not even sure where to start! I suppose I could jump right into the DTS…
Lidia, one of the staff on the DTS keeps telling me that “The Lord is spoiling you”, and I have to agree with her! This group of students that we have this year is fantastic. From the very beginning of the school, their openness to learn, willingness to serve and readiness for whatever God has for them this year has blessed me, and made this group of people not just a joy to lead, but a whole lot of fun too. In my first year leading a school, I really do feel spoiled with the group of people that we have! Here’s a few photos of the past two months or so. Hopefully it’ll give you a little flavour of what’s been going on!
Group picture at the Big Fish in Belfast, I think i might have been confused as to where the camera was...
The boys
The girls
Our group with another year out team (from the Sword of the Spirit)…We’re jumping off chairs…not for any real reason. We're just cool like that...
Classroom shot...We’ve had some great speakers imparting their wisdom and learning to us and the students, a few great trips away to get to know eachother better and some incredible times of meeting with God as a group and individually.
On the not so wonderful side, I have struggled with a few aspects of leading. I think it’s a matter of getting used to the role, and actually starting to walk into it, and also remembering that I'm not in this on my own, that God is the one who put me there, and He's the one who's going to make me able to do it! Although the group has been fantastic, it doesn’t diminsish the responsibility that is on us as a staff team, and me as a leader, and sometimes that can weigh heavy on me. So, the last couple of months haven’t been without their challenges, but with an incredibly supportive staff team, YWAM Belfast community and a great group of students, I think I’m coming out the other side hopefully having learnt a few lessons and better for it!
I’m trying to think of some non-YWAM news now… But, I’m actually not sure there is a whole lot! For the past few months or so, I’ve been going to a pretty great little group on a Monday night where we get together and read a bit of the Bible, chat about it and then pray together. Before we started, I was praying and felt the Lord giving me a picture of soil being tilled and being made fresh. I really feel like this has actually come into being. It’s a great group where we are becoming more comfortable with eachother and getting to know eachother as friends, and also a chance to encourage and challenge one another by what we’re reading in God’s word. It’s really become one of the highlights of my week (and not just because a few of them will read this!) but, because in my little world of YWAM Belfast which can get quite inward looking, this is a chance for me to get out of the bubble and share and be with a great group of people for one night a week. I really have felt my faith being stirred up by being with this group and a freshness from sharing and being with them.
And here I am in America. Contemplating the rest of this year. There are still about 5 months left for this current group of DTS students. What does that hold for us? We have another 2 months of lectures and local outreach in Belfast (including one week of outreach in a town or city somewhere in Ireland for the first week in February). Then, we’re heading off on big outreach. This year we are again taking out two groups. One will go to India and the other will be heading to Rwanda and Burundi.
The students have prayed about where they are meant to go, and made their decisions, and as staff, we have also done this. So the teams are together! I’m going to be going back to Rwanda and Burundi this year, which I’m actually starting to get excited about. I’m looking forward to being back in these beautiful countries, meeting people we met last year again, as well as catching up with some of the students (Meg, Rowan and Alison) who were students on the DTS last year and are now back out there in Africa full time. It’ll be good to talk to them and share in their journeys!
So, can I ask you to pray? (You can pray with or without Billy Currington…your choice!) There are a few specifics:
o For the DTS staff, we have actually found ourselves one staff member down for the rest of the DTS. So as we readjust to our new look staff team and the new year, would you ask God for an easy transition and for us to get things done well and the best they can be?
o For the students as they continue to grow and seek God. That they would grow in faith and in the ability to hear God’s voice (and the staff too!)
o For me, as I continue to grow into my role as the leader of this group (and for grace for the staff and students who are graciously being my guinea pigs for this year!)
o John and Megan Harris as they start out their married life (This has nothing to do with YWAM, but I thought I’d throw it in there…There’s a picture of them below to give you a visual!)
Thank you for your prayers up to now. The fact that the students are doing so well and growing in faith and love is, I am without a doubt, down to those and the goodness of the God who sustains us.
I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the current trip that I’m on in America. I pray that God will bless your Christmas and New Years, and that He will reveal Himself in the perfect way this season.
Esther, Catherine and Kyler
The Bridal party
John and Megan Harris
John and I
On the not so wonderful side, I have struggled with a few aspects of leading. I think it’s a matter of getting used to the role, and actually starting to walk into it, and also remembering that I'm not in this on my own, that God is the one who put me there, and He's the one who's going to make me able to do it! Although the group has been fantastic, it doesn’t diminsish the responsibility that is on us as a staff team, and me as a leader, and sometimes that can weigh heavy on me. So, the last couple of months haven’t been without their challenges, but with an incredibly supportive staff team, YWAM Belfast community and a great group of students, I think I’m coming out the other side hopefully having learnt a few lessons and better for it!
I’m trying to think of some non-YWAM news now… But, I’m actually not sure there is a whole lot! For the past few months or so, I’ve been going to a pretty great little group on a Monday night where we get together and read a bit of the Bible, chat about it and then pray together. Before we started, I was praying and felt the Lord giving me a picture of soil being tilled and being made fresh. I really feel like this has actually come into being. It’s a great group where we are becoming more comfortable with eachother and getting to know eachother as friends, and also a chance to encourage and challenge one another by what we’re reading in God’s word. It’s really become one of the highlights of my week (and not just because a few of them will read this!) but, because in my little world of YWAM Belfast which can get quite inward looking, this is a chance for me to get out of the bubble and share and be with a great group of people for one night a week. I really have felt my faith being stirred up by being with this group and a freshness from sharing and being with them.
And here I am in America. Contemplating the rest of this year. There are still about 5 months left for this current group of DTS students. What does that hold for us? We have another 2 months of lectures and local outreach in Belfast (including one week of outreach in a town or city somewhere in Ireland for the first week in February). Then, we’re heading off on big outreach. This year we are again taking out two groups. One will go to India and the other will be heading to Rwanda and Burundi.
The students have prayed about where they are meant to go, and made their decisions, and as staff, we have also done this. So the teams are together! I’m going to be going back to Rwanda and Burundi this year, which I’m actually starting to get excited about. I’m looking forward to being back in these beautiful countries, meeting people we met last year again, as well as catching up with some of the students (Meg, Rowan and Alison) who were students on the DTS last year and are now back out there in Africa full time. It’ll be good to talk to them and share in their journeys!
So, can I ask you to pray? (You can pray with or without Billy Currington…your choice!) There are a few specifics:
o For the DTS staff, we have actually found ourselves one staff member down for the rest of the DTS. So as we readjust to our new look staff team and the new year, would you ask God for an easy transition and for us to get things done well and the best they can be?
o For the students as they continue to grow and seek God. That they would grow in faith and in the ability to hear God’s voice (and the staff too!)
o For me, as I continue to grow into my role as the leader of this group (and for grace for the staff and students who are graciously being my guinea pigs for this year!)
o John and Megan Harris as they start out their married life (This has nothing to do with YWAM, but I thought I’d throw it in there…There’s a picture of them below to give you a visual!)
Thank you for your prayers up to now. The fact that the students are doing so well and growing in faith and love is, I am without a doubt, down to those and the goodness of the God who sustains us.
I’ll leave you with a few pictures from the current trip that I’m on in America. I pray that God will bless your Christmas and New Years, and that He will reveal Himself in the perfect way this season.
Esther, Catherine and Kyler
The Bridal party
John and Megan Harris
John and I
2 comments:
so the suit fitted?
woohoo props to the small group! :)
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