As you can see things are very busy but SO blessed. I am currently
waiting on God for three hundred dollars for my airflight ticket to
Vanuatu and am excited to experience a new culture there. The girls
that I am working with seem to enjoy my company "a REAL american" and
I feel God can use me as an example and encouragement after some more
relationship building.
Recently I was attending a church service with a Pastor from South
Africa. He has the gift of prophecy and prophesied that he saw the
gift of evangelism in me, especially to children (many many children)
and he saw black faces. How exciting! I always bring prophesies before
the Lord and am looking forward to seeing this played out in my
future. I continue in the meantime to pour myself into the many needs
here on the base and offer my experience and giftings wherever I can
serve.
Please keep in touch! Now that I have been here one week I should be
able to keep up with a blog a bit more often....(starting this
weekend!)...
Blessings.
For some reason, at the end of the month, the internet here on the
base gets extremly slow. I wanted to blog a bit more about some of the
amazing things God is doing here on the base but might have to wait.
I do have a bit of jet lag. The flight from Los Angeles to Fiji was
bumpy at least twice so didn't catch much sleep. Im so glad to be here
and feel very much at peace. Not settled in yet as I am sharing a
room until a room opens up for me on Monday. I dont mind living out of
a suitecase for a few more days. The Disciple Training School
graduates tonite so things are in full swing of getting things
prepared for that.
One new opportunity that our base in participating in is one of YWAM's
ships that will be touring Australia to raise awareness etc. It not
only is a huge opportunitiy for us to use our giftings and get the
name of Island Breeze out into the communities but the ship has
incredible impact on the nations it is involved in. The one will be
focused on Papua New Guinea. For more information you can visit
www.ywamships.org
There will be more information to come soon Im sure!!!
Goodbye St Croix, USVI
Time at YWAM St Croix has been marked by Caribbean leadership
meetings, leadership training (EQUIP), Jericho kids program as well as
Kings Kids program. I was thankful to be able to put up new curtains
in the cabins, thanks to the Belmond Evangelical Free church ladies.
Due to transitions at the base, programs have been put on hold except
hosting teams. Kings Kids is still continuing to meet once a month
also. All trainings and other outreach will wait until St Croix YWAM
can recruit a new director and further staff. Thankfully, the base has
not experienced any further break-ins or burglaries. I will miss the
island greatly ~ the YWAM team, those we ministered to, and our local
church family (SCCC). After my two months spent in Australia I felt
led by God to release St Croix, and to contribute to the Brisbane,
Australia area.
Hello Island breeze Brisbane
Departure date: February 16,2010
Isaiah 57:14
And it will be said:
"Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."
Serving with Island Breeze Brisbane affirmed for me some of my
spiritual giftings and more importantly my passions, including
connecting and supporting the community. The verse I've shared is one
that has been etched on my heart, and my motivation for ministering
this year. The staff is made up primarily of islanders as the base has
a specific vision to reach the Pacific islanders. I will be working
with staff from Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Philippines, Korea, Papua
New Guinea etc… This will mean cultural differences that can be a
blessing and a headache. It also sometimes brings a smile to my face
(an example: a young man from PNG decided to ask the hospitality staff
for something and as he approached her door he began to call out
"knock knock, knock knock" instead of actually using his hand to knock
on the door. We watched him stand there for a minute simply yelling
"knock knock" until she opened the door, confused. Ha!)
Island Breeze Brisbane is composed of Admin centre, Missions centre,
Cultural centre, Training centre and Community Centre. I have been
asked to join the community team and am looking forward to jump into
ministry again. Community team involves local mentorship program for
junior high/high school teens. Each public school has a chaplain and
we are coordinating with them to spend lunch breaks with the students,
offering encouragement, hope and friendship to the kids. Broken homes,
abuse and self cutting seem to be prominent amongst the teens that we
work with. I feel a strong desire to use some counseling skills but
more importantly share God's grace and freedom. Many don't know that
the freedom God offers us as His children extends beyond an after-life
salvation to being able to see the life changing healing from the Holy
Spirit in the here and now. We also offer opportunities for these
teens to meet with us on outreaches during the weekends and our
Tuesday night meeting. We have begun a partnership with the local food
pantry and are volunteering two to four individuals each week to help
in their warehouse. Community team also hosts the Tuesday night
meeting, open to the public, that involves fellowship, worship and a
teaching each week. We periodically entertain at elderly homes and
join with a regular team who does evangelism in 'the Valley', a
downtown clubbing area of Brisbane. My personal vision includes
connecting with local organizations that are reaching out to women in
the community. The local Body of Christ remains a priority for us and
we continue to volunteer with churches and youth groups as well as
using sports (soccer and rugby) as a source to connect with the
community.
For more information about the base please visit our website:
http://www.islandbreeze.com.au/
Finances: Finances continue to be a 'living on faith' experience.
Looking at living in Australia means a lower monthly rate owed to the
base for my housing/food. There are new fees however including
transportation (example: I take a train to church on the weekends). I
am praying that God will bless me with a car, not only for my own
transportation but to facilitate the community team also. My home
church, Belmond Evangelical Free Church, has offered to accept
donations for me in order to continue a tax deduction for you as a
supporter, and to facilitate the ease of getting the money directly to
me (direct deposits incur fees both on the Australian account and the
US account). Please make checks out to 'Belmond Evangelical Free
Church' and mark in the 'memo' line my name or attach a note along
with the check….
Further support can be directed to:
Belmond Evangelical Free Church
Attn: Support for Alissa
2796 130th Drive
Belmond, IA 50421
Prayer Requests:
Travel finances and protection
Ease of transition with new community, new friends, new ministries
Sale of old YWAM base property in Brisbane
Volunteers to fill in 'backbone' areas of the base: kitchen, admin, hospitality
Increased discipleship and accountability for staff and in ministry
Continued vision and passion to spread the Gospel of Jesus
My godsons, Josiah and Jayden meeting me at the airport! Their hugs are the BEST FIRST THING to do back home- HUGSSSS.
My last lunch at Island Breeze... Jerry, Metui and Jason as well as Amy and I sat around in a circle eating watermelon and sausages.... will miss the 'go with the flow' attitude of life here. Exciting about future opportunities to connect with the community and build relationships here. My main prayer request right now is for airfare money to return, as well as continued health, favor with visas and money for a car. This afternoon we are going on a staff picnic which will be fun! Enjoying the heat while I can, before cold Chicago hits.
Girl time and road trips
Dinner, lunch preps in the kitchen
Shots from Downtown Brisbane.... busy place to be
"Hungry Jacks" is popular fast food place- otherwise known to us American's as "Burger King". Why the change in name? I have NO IDEA... everything else is the same!I have been at the YWAM Brisbane base for one month and am looking
forward to my last three weeks here. Currently our DTS (discipleship
training school) has joined with three others (Sydney and Melbourne)
in Sydney and I had the opportunity to jump on a plane and head to
Sydney. It has been good traveling the train system, and meeting other
inspired and passionate christians. Tomorrow I should be meeting up
with mentors of mine from my Leadership training in St Croix, the
West. I do however miss the team at Island Breeze Brisbane which is a
confirmation to me of some of the things God has been speaking to me
about recently.
Last week I made the difficult decision to not return as staff to YWAM
St Croix. This came after some prayer and fasting, seeking God's
vision and also being in contact with the base director. The base
continues to go through transitions and will not be running the
programs I was previously involved in. In His grace, God has allowed
me to see many opportunities to serve here in Brisbane and I feel
called here for my next season in life, remaining with Youth with a
Mission. I would be working primarily in the community outreach team
which is where my heart lies- interaction with the people- and also
some support for the DTS team. I will be still returning to the
midwest for the Christmas holidays and for some fundraising. God is so
faithful, that can be the only theme of my current season, He remains
faithful even in the toughest and most confusing of times. Not because
He has to, but because He WANTS to as He delights in His children.
Please let me know of any other questions you may have. I continuously
thank God for your prayers for me along the way..... Alissa
