Hi everyone,
Just wishing you a very happy christmas and a wonderful new year to you all!!! Much love and hope you're all well. Thank you all for supporting me all this year!!!! x
Saturday, 25 December 2010
Monday, 20 December 2010
I'm back
hi guys,
just in case it wasn't completely clear but I have now returned to England and am now settling back into life here until God reveals what is next for me. Please can you all pray that God reveals his purposes as I am very much wanting his will for my life. Thank you so much for all your love and support and prayers. I really appreciate everything you have all done and look very much to sharing next steps and walk with God. x
Grace x
just in case it wasn't completely clear but I have now returned to England and am now settling back into life here until God reveals what is next for me. Please can you all pray that God reveals his purposes as I am very much wanting his will for my life. Thank you so much for all your love and support and prayers. I really appreciate everything you have all done and look very much to sharing next steps and walk with God. x
Grace x
Friday, 17 December 2010
Final South African DTS blog
Hi everyone
Apologies again for the delay of this my final update on my Arts DTS Journey with YWAM Jeffrey’s Bay. Here are pictures of our final day at the Taj Mahal and pictures of Nicolene who chose to stay behind. We were able to meet up with the South African team as soon as we returned to South Africa and so there is a brief summary of what the south african team have been up to followed by the whole team ministry in Uitenhage,Eastern Cape, final week of ministry in Jeffrey's Bay, our graduation and what's next for me!!! There is much to share so please keep reading.
After our return from India - which was emotional to say the least - we were blessed to meet up with the South African (aka Brazil) team in Ennerdale (just south of Joburg central). As some of you know already, one of our team - Nicolene - chose to stay on in India until March 2011. It was a true shock for the South African team but it really hit home for us when we met them too. A very close member of our family was no longer there but we knew and were very happy for her obedience and fully believed she had walked fully into the will of God.
Despite a very “relatively” peaceful time in India, we encountered problems only in the last few hours. To cut a long story short, after a day at the Taj Mahal and on our way to the airport, myself and 2 other team members were separated from the team. It took about 3 hours to be reconnected but amazingly, throughout this time, God gave me great peace and told me to worship instead of worrying about it. In the middle of worship, God spoke directly to me that He would bring the rest of the team to us and this is exactly what happened. The lesson was definitely learnt. The enemy tried once again to steal our peace with airport security trying to prevent us from saying goodbye to Nicolene and the faithful team who served us throughout our time in India but God was able to make a way. Jay Ma Seki - Praise the Lord).
We were all very keen to share our experiences and found that both of us had had equally powerful experiences. South African team shared that they had been on the radio sharing their testimonies, involved in many children ministries including visiting a few orphanages and had run a youth camp for teenage boys. As a team with only 2 white young people, they had amazingly ministered in an all - white church in Brits where at first, they were barely touched in a handshake but by the end of ministry were leaving contact details with various members of the church. A powerful encouragement to them and massive reflection of God’s awesome power, work and heart for reconciliation in the nation of South Africa with regards to racism which is obviously still rife.
We all headed to Uitenhage (Eastern Cape - predominately coloured community) to do a final week of ministry as one team again. We found this town to be filled with talented and gifted people musically and spiritually. We were built up greatly here which was awesome as we were all very tired both emotionally, spiritually and physically by then. Despite being a very poor community and high unemployment, many still had pride in their homes which was reflected in their immaculate landscaped gardens which they did themselves!!!! They were very welcoming and receptive to us and what we had to share and we received no resistance to our presence there. However, we did find that many struggled with alcohol and drug abuse. There was definitely a stronghold of homosexuality and many small children showing signs of this influence. Many of them suffered a lot from neglect from their parents and were modelled violence on a daily basis from their homes and gang-communities.
We felt God asked us to focus on the next generation while here so most of our ministry was Kid Zone - playing games, singing songs and instilling in them values of respect for each other. There was much aggression between the kids especially from very little children which was often unprovoked. It was very sad we couldn’t be there longer. Please pray.
Evangelism to the poorest township community was dynamic and we saw amazing breakthrough and healing in people’s lives. A few people became Christians and many recommitted their lives to Christ which was very exciting - this included a gangsta whom Ettienne (staff) was really able to minister to having been part of one of the worst gangs in the country himself. Truly his mess was used to bring an awesome message!!!
I was able to pray for a woman with a very bad and unexplained skin disorder and God told me that she would be healed in 3 days. Lauren, was there and had equally a strong sense that God was in control and would heal her after 3 washes,. Unfortunately, we were not able to return to the same area but I’m really believing God will have touched and healed this woman - Jeannie. Please can you stand with me and pray for her as often it is about our faithfulness in prayer, that miracles happen. The fact that Ettienne and Vicky were able to meet a lady almost fully healed from severe paralysis whom they had prayed for the previous year on their DTS gives me complete confidence in God’s healing powers.
We returned to Jeffrey’s Bay with great joy to see much missed friends and especially our street kids like Vusi and Diego. We found that they were regularly attending the base still and that there was now an after-school club in place to help them with their homework too. Please pray that this grows and is really a benefit to the kids and a way for stronger relationships to be built with the community.
Coming to the end of outreach was personally somewhat disappointing as I had really enjoyed it. When we were asked to minister to the September DTS and help out with the Christmas Party for the HIV / AIDS group - many of us were first on the volunteer list. I have to admit I felt alive once again and realised that outreach really doesn’t stop we just need to respond to the opportunities God gives us - right on our doorsteps. In contrast , we found the other DTS really struggling with their unity and unforgiveness and God really used us to help them move forward significantly in preparation for outreach. Many were released from bondages of un-forgiveness leaving a powerful and tangible peace between them. It was awesome to be part of that and truly believe this is what God wants to become a regular occurrence in my life.
So what now?
Well I am finally at an end of this journey now that I have graduated. I have learnt so much about God’s love, his grace and compassion for this world and us. I have been overwhelmed with what God has done in and through me and the team and feel so honoured to have been given the opportunity to have this experience. I will recommend to all who read this and others back at home - DTS has been the best “re-laying” of the foundations for my Christian walk and an awesome time to find out who I really am in God.
Next on the agenda is to settle in at home and see what God has for this season but I am deeply stirred to do a an intensive Biblical Core Course for 3 months (Intensive Bible School). The course helps you go deeper with God, challenges, refines your character and really equips you to be more effective in teaching and preaching and sharing the word in greater depth. I feel, I will need it for future ministry so would love for you all to pray with me for clarity and direction. If it is a BCC - then where and if not, then what else. I am totally open to God’s will and fully believe there is something very specific He wants to do in me and I am willing to be part of that.
To much is given, much is expected!!! Here I am Lord, speak for your servant is listening.
Apologies again for the delay of this my final update on my Arts DTS Journey with YWAM Jeffrey’s Bay. Here are pictures of our final day at the Taj Mahal and pictures of Nicolene who chose to stay behind. We were able to meet up with the South African team as soon as we returned to South Africa and so there is a brief summary of what the south african team have been up to followed by the whole team ministry in Uitenhage,Eastern Cape, final week of ministry in Jeffrey's Bay, our graduation and what's next for me!!! There is much to share so please keep reading.
After our return from India - which was emotional to say the least - we were blessed to meet up with the South African (aka Brazil) team in Ennerdale (just south of Joburg central). As some of you know already, one of our team - Nicolene - chose to stay on in India until March 2011. It was a true shock for the South African team but it really hit home for us when we met them too. A very close member of our family was no longer there but we knew and were very happy for her obedience and fully believed she had walked fully into the will of God.
Despite a very “relatively” peaceful time in India, we encountered problems only in the last few hours. To cut a long story short, after a day at the Taj Mahal and on our way to the airport, myself and 2 other team members were separated from the team. It took about 3 hours to be reconnected but amazingly, throughout this time, God gave me great peace and told me to worship instead of worrying about it. In the middle of worship, God spoke directly to me that He would bring the rest of the team to us and this is exactly what happened. The lesson was definitely learnt. The enemy tried once again to steal our peace with airport security trying to prevent us from saying goodbye to Nicolene and the faithful team who served us throughout our time in India but God was able to make a way. Jay Ma Seki - Praise the Lord).
We were all very keen to share our experiences and found that both of us had had equally powerful experiences. South African team shared that they had been on the radio sharing their testimonies, involved in many children ministries including visiting a few orphanages and had run a youth camp for teenage boys. As a team with only 2 white young people, they had amazingly ministered in an all - white church in Brits where at first, they were barely touched in a handshake but by the end of ministry were leaving contact details with various members of the church. A powerful encouragement to them and massive reflection of God’s awesome power, work and heart for reconciliation in the nation of South Africa with regards to racism which is obviously still rife.
We all headed to Uitenhage (Eastern Cape - predominately coloured community) to do a final week of ministry as one team again. We found this town to be filled with talented and gifted people musically and spiritually. We were built up greatly here which was awesome as we were all very tired both emotionally, spiritually and physically by then. Despite being a very poor community and high unemployment, many still had pride in their homes which was reflected in their immaculate landscaped gardens which they did themselves!!!! They were very welcoming and receptive to us and what we had to share and we received no resistance to our presence there. However, we did find that many struggled with alcohol and drug abuse. There was definitely a stronghold of homosexuality and many small children showing signs of this influence. Many of them suffered a lot from neglect from their parents and were modelled violence on a daily basis from their homes and gang-communities.
We felt God asked us to focus on the next generation while here so most of our ministry was Kid Zone - playing games, singing songs and instilling in them values of respect for each other. There was much aggression between the kids especially from very little children which was often unprovoked. It was very sad we couldn’t be there longer. Please pray.
Evangelism to the poorest township community was dynamic and we saw amazing breakthrough and healing in people’s lives. A few people became Christians and many recommitted their lives to Christ which was very exciting - this included a gangsta whom Ettienne (staff) was really able to minister to having been part of one of the worst gangs in the country himself. Truly his mess was used to bring an awesome message!!!
I was able to pray for a woman with a very bad and unexplained skin disorder and God told me that she would be healed in 3 days. Lauren, was there and had equally a strong sense that God was in control and would heal her after 3 washes,. Unfortunately, we were not able to return to the same area but I’m really believing God will have touched and healed this woman - Jeannie. Please can you stand with me and pray for her as often it is about our faithfulness in prayer, that miracles happen. The fact that Ettienne and Vicky were able to meet a lady almost fully healed from severe paralysis whom they had prayed for the previous year on their DTS gives me complete confidence in God’s healing powers.
We returned to Jeffrey’s Bay with great joy to see much missed friends and especially our street kids like Vusi and Diego. We found that they were regularly attending the base still and that there was now an after-school club in place to help them with their homework too. Please pray that this grows and is really a benefit to the kids and a way for stronger relationships to be built with the community.
Coming to the end of outreach was personally somewhat disappointing as I had really enjoyed it. When we were asked to minister to the September DTS and help out with the Christmas Party for the HIV / AIDS group - many of us were first on the volunteer list. I have to admit I felt alive once again and realised that outreach really doesn’t stop we just need to respond to the opportunities God gives us - right on our doorsteps. In contrast , we found the other DTS really struggling with their unity and unforgiveness and God really used us to help them move forward significantly in preparation for outreach. Many were released from bondages of un-forgiveness leaving a powerful and tangible peace between them. It was awesome to be part of that and truly believe this is what God wants to become a regular occurrence in my life.
So what now?
Well I am finally at an end of this journey now that I have graduated. I have learnt so much about God’s love, his grace and compassion for this world and us. I have been overwhelmed with what God has done in and through me and the team and feel so honoured to have been given the opportunity to have this experience. I will recommend to all who read this and others back at home - DTS has been the best “re-laying” of the foundations for my Christian walk and an awesome time to find out who I really am in God.
Next on the agenda is to settle in at home and see what God has for this season but I am deeply stirred to do a an intensive Biblical Core Course for 3 months (Intensive Bible School). The course helps you go deeper with God, challenges, refines your character and really equips you to be more effective in teaching and preaching and sharing the word in greater depth. I feel, I will need it for future ministry so would love for you all to pray with me for clarity and direction. If it is a BCC - then where and if not, then what else. I am totally open to God’s will and fully believe there is something very specific He wants to do in me and I am willing to be part of that.
To much is given, much is expected!!! Here I am Lord, speak for your servant is listening.
Thursday, 16 December 2010
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