YWAM (Youth With A Mission)

I know I know, 1 month and 2 days since the last blogspot, shocking. But I'm just having so much fun :o)

Where to start...

YWAM
We made it! Tis a good start. The Discipleship Training School (DTS) started on Monday 28 September, there are 29 peeps representing 14 nations - USA (of course), Australia (only Dan & I, and only married couple), England, Faroe Islands, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Ecuador, Germany.

A typical day looks like:
0730 - 0800hrs: Breakfast
0800 - 0900hrs: Quiet time
0900 - 1000hrs: Worship or Prayer/Intercession...talk to God
1000 - 1300hrs: Lectures
1300 - 1400hrs: Lunch
1400 - 1800hrs: Work Duties (many teams, split into 2hr shifts)
1800 - 1900hrs: Dinner
1900 - 2030hrs: varies each night

Well, the above is what is supposed to happen, but I'm finding plans change...a lot and I'm being tested on my kronos personality (very time orientated).

Lectures
So, the talks we've had so far:
worldview; sin (what separates us from God; doing that which God did not create us to do in His original design); worship; freedom; fear (be in awe of, not afraid) of God; forgiveness; identity and the weaving of our identity; image of God; this (our) generation types; evangelism; fear of man; prophecy.

Each lecture has been really challenging, and other stuff I've heard of and believe already. There was one week when we had Jospeh Avakian (the YWAM logo designer) speak. I would be trying to process something or would comment to Dan about something and then Joseph would speak on it the next day - I was being told! Tis all good.

Food
We have been spoilt here at Harpenden for food, it's so good! I don't know how I've not put on weight! I've often gone back for seconds at dinner time and eaten both cereal and toast for breakfast (which I'm becoming very conscious about and am looking to change). But then it could be the fact that I'm eating 3 meals a day, eating properly at proper times, and I'm not sitting at a desk all day (hello Rio Tinto colleagues).

Exercise
Well, we started off running in the am's, but that's over-rated (how you going Tanya! still running chicky?) Dan just told me he's still running, so not "we," it's "I" - pardon me.
There is a circuit class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 0700hrs which I'm going to and it's nice to be indoors doing it (not that we've had horrible weather so far). I spoke to David who runs the classes and he's offered me to run them - so the fitness course has come in handy. Now I just gotta get outta my comfort zone. They're an easy bunch, so it should be fun - I just gotta get out my creativity streak and slash it around...anywho...

Weather
TOTALLY BLESSED! England Autumn is great! We've had only a couple of days when it's rained (and it been misty if anything). We switched our clocks back an hour, yesterday for DLS (daylight savings). So it didn't matter what I voted in WA, we got it here! Not bothered really. At the moment it's great cause it's light in the morning - yay! So WA mob, you are now 8 hours ahead of us :o(

I can only imagine what winter is going to be like, they've told us it doesn't get light until 0900hrs and the sun goes down aroud 1600hrs - yay fun! We will leave for our outreach around December 11th, so depending where we go, we may get better weather - maybe. The outreach locations haven't been decided as yet.

Blackpool
Our DTS met up with 4 other DTS' (3xEngland and 1xItalian) and a School of Evangelism (SOE)from Norway) in a place called Blackpool. People from England have differing views, but mostly it's a dump. I didn't mind it, but then I don't live there. There are gambling machines everywhere, game centres, and a beach...kinda.

So we all came together for an evangelism week to tell people about God and how much He loves them. A lot of things happened that really rocked my world:

We saw healings from God like everyday:
- the first one I heard about was a woman who had very painful arthritis in her hands and she couldn't open them. She was prayed for and was then able to open her hands - and the pain was gone.
- a similar story of someone who had arthritis from the knees to shoulders and they were healed, pain and all.
- there was a girl in the group who had one leg shorter than the other. She was prayed for and both legs were the same length.

We did "Treasure Hunts" whereby we asked God to reveal His "treasures." There were five things we asked: Name, Location, Appearance (what they're wearing), Anything Unusual, Prayer Needs (sickness, etc). We then went out into the streets and found them. I got to see this on Friday when we approached a few people with the information we had and it matched the person - prayer need, appearance and location. We asked if we could pray for them and just told them that they are God's treasure and that He loves them very much (as He does all of you - you are all precious to Him, He created you). God worked, and works, in amazing ways.

But we also unfortunately had to leave one of our students there. She was taken to the hospital and still remains there undergoing treatment and tests. Something that was misdiagnosed back home, which hopefully they have pinpointed it here. It's a somber time, but we know she is in good hands.

Other
I'm posting all my photos on facebook this time round cause I have spent all my time typing stuff. I'll comment on each one of them so you know what/where it is.

I'm a little upset - I was playing with my camera and accidentally deleted ALL the photos I'd taken in the first 3 weeks or so of being here. I mean, who in their right mind would call deleting photos 'formatting'? Pentax would, that's who! I am getting over it pretty quickly though, can't hold onto these things for too long, it eats you up inside. So the only photos I have are on my blogspot. Hence the othe reason I am posting them all on facebook - sorry for those who don't have facebook - but you should just give it in, it only becomes crackbook (addictive) if you choose it to master and control your life.

Dan and I are going well personally. We've been challenged with a few things and like always we are finding out different things about each other. We have a one-on-one we meet each week and are an older married couple, so we're pretty in there for guidance and accountability.

Well, it's dinner time. I'll try and keep this updated each week, if only to talk about the lectures in more detail.

Cheerio for now
Liz

one week into London

I feel like I've seen the world in a week! Well, not quite but we've done a lot of walking. I've had to write down the places I've seen in my journal (thank you my work peeps) cause I can't remember them all. The days are molding into one.

So, to keep you from boredom I'm going to summarize. You may be able to trace our steps by looking online at a London map:

Friday 18th Sept

• Kerry, I got a free ride at Singapore airport :p
  

• the longest day of my life, we gained 8 hours so Dan tried his best, and succeeded, in keeping me awake until about 9pm when I crashed
• we walked around Highbury and Islington (like Angel Islington in Monopoly) which is pronounced with a 's'
  

Saturday 19th Sept

• first ride on a double-decker bus - too cool
• met up with Peta (Dan's sis) near the city centre. We were on our way to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace when we squeezed our way into an open house tour of The Reform Club - random! Pretty impressive but I didn't get it - politics. The membership is 1,100 pounds a year (at today's $ rate that's $2,200). Don't quite know what you get for it - you still gotta pay for meals and drinks. They do have a massive and OLD collection of books. Maybe it's to belong? Who knows.
• we saw Buckingham Palace

• visited the HUGE Camden Markets
• saw a giant chess game being played in front of The National Gallery. The pieces were made out of ceramic.

Sunday 20th Sept

• Peta came up to Highbury where we went to a small Baptist Church and met a guy named Adrian who is studying close by our YWAM school, so we may catch up for dinner at some point
• Went into Piccadilly Circus and visited the British Museum - lots of old stuff
• St Paul's Cathedral was pretty cool. Though I don't get why only the people of the New Testament times are all called saints. For all who believe and are being changed into His likeness, are all Saints, Paul himself addressed the people of the churches he was writing to as saints... ...anywho, another one of those "I don't get it"s. This is a door to the Cathedral:

• walked along the river Thames - very dirty and lots of rubbish. Saw a cool floating thing that catches 40 tonnes of rubbish a year, but they need a few of them I reckon
  
• walked over the London Bridge and saw the London Tower Bridge
• watched a performance at The Scoop by some students - really random but quite a show, when you could make sense of it

Monday 21st Sept

• Moved to a friends place near Wimbledon (Jen and Ken). Walked down and saw the Wimbledon tennis courts and stuff.
• Went back into Piccadilly Circus where Peta, Dan and I watched Les Miserables after a big feed of Indian - yummy! The show was pretty good, though I had to try and stay awake - it was a long day! I haven't seen too many performances in my time, Peta and Dan had more to talk about it as they've seen a few and know music - me, I'm along for the ride and to add some more theatre experience to my portfolio. I was told that this production has been played every night (except Sundays) for like 23 years, crazy!

Tuesday 22nd Sept

• Met Peta in South Kensington and checked out the Science Museum. Coolest thing - Dan's phone wasn't charging so he left it at home (basically anywhere we're staying at the time is home) and I only had mine, I didn't have Peta's number. We were half an hour late in meeting her and we hadn't set a specific place to meet, first one there texts a spot. We walked to the Museum, being the next obvious to meet, when I asked God to get Peta to call my phone. Within 5 minutes, I received a call - thank you! He listens and answers :o) So the coolest thing in the Science Museum (I thought) was the dry ice in water. There is a dude that builds coffee tables like it - I want one. Basically an "esky" on the side is timed to open and dry ice is released on the conveyor belt into the water. Then it turns from a solid to a gas when it hits the water and melts - too cool.
  

• took some lunch to the Kensington Gardens and walked past Kensignton Palace - Princess Diana's residence. Of course, it costs to get into these touristy places and I like Dan's style of travelling where he doesn't do that kinda stuff. It is hard to justify most of these prices, especially when I convert it to $$$ - basically doubling.
  

Wednesday 23rd Sept

• Met Peta in Westminster and checked out the clock the Big Ben (a bell) is sitting inside of. Dan with a Big Ben clock hat.
  

• The London Eye. These pods seat 25 people - take that "Perth Eye"

• Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey
• Watched a 3D movie called "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs" at Britain's largest 3D screen. Novel movie, quite funny.

Thursday 24th Sept
Today is rest day. Dan and I went for a "jog" and it hurt cause we haven't done much other than walking...which I guess counts for something. And I thought I'd take some time out to update the blog.

I can totally understand the frustration of many who move from the UK to Australia regarding transport - it's GREAT! Though I've only experienced the Tube (underground electric train) and a few bus rides. The tube travels 2 million people a day! It is phenomenal, and so down underground. This is a photo of some stairs, so steep. In fact, all the stairs in London are pretty much steep - in houses, in the stations. These guys want to get high fast. The house we're in now is like 5m wide and 3 stories high, so they stairs are steep. Not that I'm complaining cause I'm adding that to my daily exercise :o) Dan and I (well mostly me) have decided that if there are stairs, I'ma climbing. These are some stairs for an underground station:















A cool set up with the escalators - when you're on them you stand on the right so people can walk up the left - helpful for when you want to climb up fast. People are so obedient and courteous - on escalators at least.

Oh, and the squirrels - sooo cute! I want one for a pet! This is my fave pic, spread-legged on the tree facing down:















Oh and for all you KFC lovers - what is different about this picture?
















So, give me feedback about the blog and if there's any Q's.

Til next time.

Saint Elizabeth
:o)

2 days out

So we're two days out and all is going pretty well. I've started compiling the clothes I want to take...and still yet to cull :o( This is going to be a challenge! One backpack for a year!

I've joined Skype and got to see my family back "home." That was pretty high-tech and amazing for us Pilbarians (though my Pop has been using it for a while before all us - deadly).

Haha, I just looked over at Dan and he's taking more shoes than me - tehehe! Now he's having a hard time culling his shoe selection.

:o) Liz