irrational hermits?

Have you ever reacted to something completely irrationally, and had no clue why?
I don't know about you, but I've experienced this countless times. There are few things more frustrating than knowing that you're completely frustrated by something, and yet you have no clue why. Shouldn't we know ourselves better?

A few weeks ago, we had Melissa Helser come to speak to the Leadership Track. Among other things, she brought up the issue of "Inner Healing." Its quite the Christianese lingo, but the basic concept is digging to the depths of your soul and past, to try and get healing of anything that would hinder you from the fullness of experiencing God's love. Most people's experience with this, is a one-time session of tears and Kleenex trying to uncover any hidden hurt or anger. While this can be effective, its rare that you will have total "inner healing."
Why?
Well first of all, most of our memories are not that clear, and the really painful ones are locked away in some distant closet in the recesses of our heart, which makes it difficult to access in just one session.
But more importantly, these issues don't tend to manifest (make themselves known) in a big, dramatic fashion. More likely, they come out in the little things: becoming furious with a sister for stealing that one favorite shirt of yours, or, someone dumping out your cup of coffee before your finished. The little things that leave you reeling and wondering, "What could possibly be my issue?"
Well, I have wonderful news for you; it is called, "The Reflective Prayer".
This is an incredible tool, that you can use after those little outbursts, to partner with God in discovering, what exactly is going on. Its your own mini "inner healing session" that you can whip out of your back pocket as those inner recesses of hurt, anger, and wrong beliefs, bubble to the surface.

Here is how it works. Sit down with your journal  and write these things out (if you do not journal already, I highly recommend starting!). Once you get the hang of it and are more comfortable and confident in hearing God on this, you'll be able to do it in your head, on the fly.
**Note: Make sure that you have time to do the whole prayer! If you don't, than it can be easy to dig up a bunch of emotions and not deal with them, which will do more damage than good!

 Reflective Prayer

1. Situation (be specific):
2. ask the Holy Spirit, "What is going on?"
3. Thoughts (actual thoughts you had):
4. Emotions:
5. Behavior (what did you do?):
6. ask the Holy Spirit, "Why is this going on?"
7. What do I believe about myself? (“I am” statements: e.g. “I am a failure” “I am powerless” “I am worthless” “I am rejected” - try to get to the root thought):
8. What do I believe about Love/God? (What do these “I am” statements imply about my image of God? “God is” statements: e.g. “God is unsafe” “God is controlling” “God is powerless” “God is a perfectionist”):
9. Confession (Write out a prayer of repentance of the lies you have believed in you heart about God and yourself, and invite the Father to speak His truth into these places of your heart):
10. God’s Voice (let God speak truth into these places in your heart):
11. New thoughts, emotions, behavior:

This has been an amazing tool for me. You'll begin to see similar beliefs emerge as you go through this more and more. As you work through each individual situation, you get deeper to the root-belief and will experience more freedom.

But a word to the wise. Don't allow this to make you introspective, or self-focused, all the time. Still be social, still seek accountability and guidance from people you trust. This isn't an excuse to become an emotional hermit whose trying to self-improve before experiencing life and relationship. 

Use this to teach you how to go to God first, and seek your identity and affirmation in Him.

It still takes believing in the truth that God has spoken over you, and walking in the new thoughts, emotions, and behavior He gives you. But its incredible to begin noticing how your thought patterns change, and your reactions become more... friendly. 

Trust God to move in your life. Trust in the power of His word. Believe that this is really who He has made you to be. 

leadership training

The Awaken Leadership Track has officially begun!
There is so much that is being incorporated into this time, it feels similar to my DTS in the sense that I am being challenged to grow and take ownership of my walk with God. But it is also much more challenging, as this time isn't a time to receive but a time to pour out and to learn what it means to be a servant-leader. Its amazing to walk into this next level of discipleship as I am being called to a higher standard and learning to walk in the fullness of who God has created me to be. A little bit scary, and a lot-a-bit hard, but mostly exciting!

To give you a better idea of what my weeks look like, I wanted to share some of the elements of my week that create the structure for this time of Leadership Training!

Moravian Prayer Hours
The Leadership Track is covering the Prayer Room in 24/7 prayer for the nations and for revival to break out on the campus. The Moravian movement began back in the 1700's when a group of refugees living in Hernhut Germany began to pray for revival. For 100 yrs they prayed 24/7 before the cycle was broken. During and following that century, major movements happened in Europe, including the abolishing of slavery.

Worship
We have worship every morning, bringing our perspective into focus that everything we do is to glorify the Lord and to give Him praise. These are some of my favorite times in the week.

Practical Service
Everyone does practical service 4x a week for 3-4hrs. My service is on the Natural Farm, which is a practical way to research all-natural, organic, and sustainable methods for farming in developing nations. I am doing research and administrative work to document the research that is being done, and research new methods of farming and companion planting.

Contending Prayer, Intercession, Prayer Room, Ministry Night
We have Prayer-Room sessions 4 times a week, we alternate on different types, and focuses of prayer. Ultimately, we are seeking the heart of God and wanting to respond to what is on His heart. Some of the subjects we focus on weekly are:
Revival in America, Arts and Entertainment  and Unreached People Groups via the Joshua Project (see sidebar for today's people group).

Community Outreach
Once a week we go out into the community to show the practical side of God's love. We have multiple outreach teams that will go back to the same 'venue' each week. Outreaches include:
More Than Sport: using sport to talk about God and teach leadership to youth.
Salvation Army: feeding and hanging-out with Marshalese teens (a native group that is often rejected by society).
Hope Services: a transition home for homeless people being re-integrated into society.
Regency Elder Home: working with ICU patients suffering from severe cases of Alzheimer's and other similar conditions. Drawing, painting, and doing other therapeutic activities with them.
I am working in the Elderly Home starting next week, so more  I will be getting more in-depth about that particular outreach soon!

Leadership Training
Once a week we have leadership training, so far we've learned about the importance and power of prayer, what it means to live in God-centered community, and Spiritual disciplines.

Engage Staff Training
Our Engage Family meets once a week for training. So far we've been sharing testimonies and have heard about the power of walking in unity. Training will become more DTS-specific as the track continues, and will also become a time to discuss, pray for and plan for the upcoming Engage DTS.

Small Groups
Once a week we meet in small groups that will be our time to process the week and be a prayer support to each other.

Track Social & Engage Family Socials &Vision Meeting
Tuesday nights we alternate between Track Socials and Engage Family nights where we all get together for some fun, a meal, and some family-bonding-time. Or we get together for a Vision Meeting which is among the Staff and Leadership Track groups, where our leaders share their vision for the quarter and what God is doing in the nations etc.

Its a packed schedule, and its tough. But I am loving it. Its so comforting and safe to know that I am in a place, surrounded by people who all want to see me grow and become all that God intends me to be and to walk in what His plan is for my life.

Thank you for your continued support. I am so grateful for your continued prayers and support!
Much love,
Becca
    

tax receipt anyone?

Radical Life: How To Donate: Officially have my MISSIONS ACCOUNT!!! Please check out my page to see how you can donate and receive a tax receipt! I am so grateful to all of you who have already contributed financially to my time with Youth With A Mission and look forward to your continued support!

Kona in transition

I've been in Kona for nearly one week now. The Leadership Track officially begins on Monday, but the Engage Staff is here a week early to help with Transition Week. Its basically the week between one quarter leaving for Outreach, and the next quarter of students coming in for the Lecture Phase. Its a time to clean the base and reorganize all the rooms to host staff, students and guests. This quarter will be the largest yet with approximately 700 students and 400 staff.
This week the Engage Staff has been experiencing servant leadership at its finest. We've spent the past two days building bunk-beds, deep cleaning bedrooms, arranging furniture, and doing grounds work around the base. We've also been put in charge of hospitality for the next two days as students come in. We've spent the day preparing food, and arranging the Ohana Court so its at its most welcoming, and we're now preparing for the students Orientation tomorrow morning.
I am so excited for this quarter to officially begin and to see what God is going to do through this next wave of youth.

And then, there is the official start of the Leadership Track!!!
Our schedule is looking packed for this quarter... once we go through orientation I'll be posting more specific information about what we'll be doing over the next three months.

For right now though, please be praying that we get housing! Due to the fact that we will have over 1000 people living on base that have priority housing, there isn't enough housing for the Leadership Track participants. So we are currently looking desperately for off-campus housing. We have found an ideal home that would be able to house all the girl staff, with separate living quarters for the boys. Currently the house is only for sale, but the landlord has agreed to rent it, but we're still waiting to see if he is open to the number of remnants that would be living there. We are praying that God will give us favor and that the landlord will allow us to rent the house for the next three months.

On behalf of the whole staff team, I would greatly appreciate your support in prayer as we apply for housing!

Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers
Much love,
Becca

sleepless in Seattle

Along my journey from Toronto to Kona, I stopped off in Seattle for 5 days to visit one of my roommates from my Discipleship Training School in Jan.'12. Other than the incredible opportunity to reconnect with some friends and see a new part of the USA, I wasn't expecting much out of the trip.
Boy was I wrong.
It turns out, Seattle was exactly what I needed before heading out to the Leadership Track.
The first night I was there, Nae and I went to a leadership meeting for "Thrive." A college youth group in Gig Harbor whose leadership team she has joined. We had an incredible night of prayer and worship, and I was able to connect with the team immediately, as well as be able to come alongside them in prayer, as though I was just another leader. But it didn't stop there. Touring Seattle became less of a priority as ministry and fellowship became the greater focus of the trip. Every day I was in Seattle, I spent at least a few hours with this incredible group of people. I am truly inspired by them and their dedication to the work they are doing in Gig Harbor. Despite the hectic schedules they are all managing, they've made the Lord's work their focus. Each of them are leading lives of discipleship as they come alongside other youth and lead them closer into relationship with Jesus. I have been truly honored by them that I was so welcomed and included in the work they are doing.
God is truly moving in the north-west... and not just in Gig Harbour.
Nae and I went to visit another Youth With A Mission friend midway through the week and got to hear about the incredible work he is doing near Bremerton. "The Coffee Oasis" is a youth cafe and drop-in center that is growing in WA and becoming a popular place for street kids to come in, get some practical help, as well as a dedicated staff that live to serve, pray for, and disciple them if they desire it.
We also attended a prayer meeting that was a radical blessing. After hours of learning more about the One we serve and what He wants for our lives, we all received prayer and anointing as we were prophesied over regarding what plans God has for our lives. It was an incredible night, and even more encouraging when I got to see the fruit of that prophecy just 24hrs later as I co-lead a small group at the youth group in Gig Harbor.
It was an amazing week of fellowship, ministry and personal growth. While I was in Washington, I realized the importance of community in a way I haven't before. Sure, on DTS I experienced community living 24/7 for 6 months, and I thought I had an understanding of its importance then. But I think it takes losing it and then becoming a part of community again to realize its value. Going to Seattle, I got to witness and be a part of a community that inspired me. It made me realize the importance of pursuing deep relationship and fellowship wherever you go, so that together you can dive into ministry and grow deeper with God corporately and individually.

I am so excited about the work God is doing in the North-West. He really is moving in incredible ways, and it such a blessing that I got to witness a bit of what He is doing, and know how to be praying and interceding more specifically for the work going on there. Please join me in prayer as I pray for the "Thrive" youth group and "The Coffee Oasis". These are two ministries, among many, that are dedicated to bringing the Kingdom to earth in very practical ways.

You can visit their websites here:
The Coffee Oasis: http://www.thecoffeeoasis.com/#/the-coffee-oasis
Thrive Youth Group: http://www.thriveharbor.com/

cheers to round two!

In less than one week now, I will be leaving Ontario once again and making my way back to Hawaii.
This summer at home has truly been a learning experience for me. I've seen how easy it is to take things for granted. Whether its modern conveniences, friendships and community, or the food I like to eat, it is so important to recognize and appreciate what you have while you have it.
I've been so blessed by "My Home Team" that has been, and continues to be such a support to me as I pursue the dreams that God has placed on my heart. I am so excited to reunite with my YWAM Family and begin doing life together once again, as we prepare for the next wave of students for the "Engage Discipleship Training School" that will be joining us in just 3 short months! My heart practically leaps in my chest at the blessing it is to be able to come alongside them and support them as they grow into themselves and deeper relationship with God. I cannot wait to see all of us become the world-changers that we are all created to be!
Thanks to all of you here at home who have been so supportive and blessed me with your time, as you've poured into my life and guided me when I didn't know which way was up. You mean tons to me!

I have so appreciated your support in prayer and finances and ask that you continue to pray that all my finances will come in, and that I will learn all that God has for me in this next season and be a blessing to those around me!
Much love,
Becca

why is staffing important?

Hey y'all!
So one of my staff from the Engage Discipleship Training School (DTS) made a video about what a DTS is, and why staffing is important to its students.
Here is the clip, so you guys can hear what the students have to say about their staff!

I find it inspiring as a future staff, that it is possible to be such a big part of a person's transformation and how much of an impact I could make.

Please join with me in prayer and support, as I begin to walk with the future students of the Engage DTS'13 and help them walk in an even deeper relationship with God!