First off, thank you all so much for your support in all that I've done so far. Sorry that I am not better about updating.  Since I have been home I've been able to get a couple of side jobs but no full-time job. This is a big prayer request as I need to make some money.

 

I would like to update you all on what I'm going to be doing but I am still not sure what that will be.  If God is willing, in January I would like to go back out to Idaho to attend one of YWAM's secondary schools called Bible School for the Nations (BSN). It is a six month study focusing on the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelations. This six months is also prep for an mission trip to Asia. Which as some of you know is where I feel God may be calling me. I have learned that setting aside the time and putting yourself in a situation where the whole focus is on what you are learning makes it so much more meaningful and has a greater impact. Also, this will be led by godly men and women whom I have a lot of respect for and I have seen God work through their lives. I believe this is the next step in my walk with God. However there are several obstacles in my way at this point.  Please pray that God will make my path clear and let me know if this is my will or His will.

 Sorry I have been so bad about updating everyone. If any of you would like to get together for lunch or just together to hang out let me know. I would love to get some emails. And would love to talk to you all and tell you more about this awesome adventure God is taking me on.  Thanks again for all the prayers!

Summer Adventure

After my time in India I came home for a month. In that time I graduated high school and raised money for my summer mission trip, actually I didn't really raise any of it, God did. It was amazing to see how God provided for me as I was praying about going. While I was in India I was praying about leading MA (Mission Adventures) and asked God if He wanted me to go to show me, the next day I skyped my mom and she told me that I got an anonymous check in the mail for $400 dollars. I still have no clue who sent it but thank you.

After being home for only one short month I jumped on a plane back out to Idaho where r the next three months I staffed MA. MA is a summer program for youth groups and individuals. Groups sign up for a cycle and choose the out reach they want to go on. There are four cycles though out the summer. Here is what a cycle looked like; Youth groups would arrive at the camp in Idaho, the students would learn about how to share the Word of God and how to give a testimony of something God has done in their life. Students also learned about living their life for God and being ALL IN where ever they were at, whether that be in school, home or at Walmart. There were also times for personal Bible study, team building, fun times and a trip to the lake. This time lasted four days after that the teams went on an outreach. Each cycle went on a different outreach, first I went to Takoma, WA, then Alaska, back to Takoma and finally to Salt Lake City. The outreach portion of the trip lasted 6 days, except Alaska which was 10 days. I co-lead these outreach phases. Here is an example of the outreach phase, in Alaska we worked with a church and did a VBS. We also got to do some yard work and visit some of the local churches and share the love of God.

Over the summer I saw students give their lives to God and get set on fire for Him. One of my favorite stories is about a young man who at first didn't even want to come out but finally agreed to go. When he came he was in a really hard place by the end of the first week he opened up and we got to be part of him making Jesus Lord of his life, and just a few days later this same young man was out on the streets praying for people and telling them that God loves them. It is so amazing that God can use anyone right where they are. I want to encourage and remind you all that you don't have to go to a camp or on a mission trip to do missions, you can do it right where you are. Try it, I dare you, just walk up to someone and ask if they would like prayer. As Christians we pray all the time so it should be easy, just talk to God for that person. 

What is next.....

Hey everyone, I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything but I want to get you all up to date about what I have done and some of the great stories I have from my travels. So I will start with a quick overview of what the past year looked like, starting last September.

I arrived in Boise Idaho September 8th, 2012  for Discipleship Training School (DTS). I was not sure what I was getting myself into, all I did know was it was where God wanted me.  The lecture phase of DTS consisted of teaching Monday- Friday, as well as work duties, outreach prep, and once a week we would do an outreach in Boise working with a local church there. This lasted for three months then I found myself getting on another plane to go to another place having no idea what I was getting into.

The next thing I knew I was in India, and I'm not going to lie the first forty-eight hours were miserable for me. There were way too many people and way too much noise for a country boy like me. And the smell, well it's unlike anything in the States! Good smells mixing with the worst smells and it's everywhere. India rule number one, don't sniff twice. After I got used to the smells, sounds, and people EVERYWHERE I was able to start taking in more and more. I learned my way about and started going exploring. Our first week was more for us to get used to the culture, food and time change then ministry. I learned a lot about India in those first days, things such as how much I like their food, and how much I dislike what it does to my system. And how much Indians like to sell you anything they can. After two weeks we moved to another city, settled into our new home, where over the next couple of months we ate, drank, washed and even slept right alongside the Indian people.

Our main goal was to build relationships and share our Savior. The way we did this was to serve the Indian people. Two of the main ways we accomplished this were teaching  English and teaching hygiene.  I worked at an English teaching center, from there got invited into the student's houses for dinner, and while there we got to talk with them and their families and share why we were in India. We also got to go into schools and slum areas and teach hygiene and tell stories about the Master Healer. After three months of living in India we went to Delhi where I said goodbye to most my team.

The DTS was over, but not my time in India. From Delhi I got on a bus, with four of my DTS team mates, and traveled about twelve hours up to the Himalayan Mountains and then another six hour to the base of a mountain.  From there we started a six day trek into the mountains, it was some of the most beautiful and life changing days of my life.

After that I said goodbye to three more team mates as they flew home. My last team mate and I returned to our city and met up with one of our leaders who had stayed behind. They were both females and got a place together.  I moved back to the English teaching center and lived there teaching English and building relationships for the next two months.  Then I returned home.

To be continued.....

Trekking

Transportation

First Impressions

I asked Davin to give me three words that discribed his first impression of India, here is what he said:

Noise, it is loud 24/7.

People, there are so many people.

Food, it goes right through you!

Once you get past the smell and the noise, it's not so bad. I am having a great time. I know this is where God wants me to be and that makes it all worth it.