Renewal

Hi everyone! This week has taken it's tole on me. It's a learning experience for sure!!! Prayer in my side has been scarce; time and scheduling has sucked much of the joy out of Outreach. Miscommunication and miss understandings make this all the more challenging, however renewal has come and I thank all of you who bared the frenzy of my panic. :) I have so much to learn, patience, understanding and spiritual endurance, not to mention HUMILITY. Sometimes I get very tired of not knowing what's going on and taking responsibility for it each time something gets changed. My focus has been hard to nail down and I feel very much out of touch with our vision. I'm hoping to regroup, delegate and move forward as one unified force. It's funny, I feel like the majority of my adult life will be spent finding out what I don't know. :) I wouldn't trade this for the world. all my love,

laura

Week 4: Jan. 20-27

The Focus Groups have finally taken form this week! We have set up approximately 3 in both the centre and north schools. After 2 meetings there has been a clear understanding of what is needed!  This is a renewal week and it is fairly exciting to see what is going down. We have had to come around together and redirect our focus and our pace. After our meetings on Thursday we went to the beach and did evangelism and worship. Friday the girls danced hula again and the boys went to the b-ball courts. The weekend we were taken to caves that were lit by candles and was filled with fresh crystal clear water. Then we went to the Sonic flood concert. Sunday we put on a BBQ and had people come from both the Zion and Touch Point Churches. 

It's BREAK FREE week!

Hey friends and fam, this outreach has been quite stretching in so many ways, but for right now things are moving right along! Here is a report of what was happening last week:

Week 2: January 4, 2009- January 11, 2009

The week began talking to pastor Rob of the Zion, and from there history to be made!!! We are now working on an anti drinking campaign for Guam. We are working with a rehabilitation group called Oasis, which aids and assists women with addictive and abusive histories, and empowers them through Christ to move forward in their lives. God provided a free van, food, and space to work and worship. It’s a central location here at Zion, and many opportunities are opening up almost hourly!. We have made a website, e-mail and facebook groups dedicated to YWAM Guam as a tool to inform and connect with Guam’s youth. We are also working on Zion’s web site to update it and facilitate staff to continue the work. We also did street evangelism on Wed night at the Chimmoro village. Thursday the team worshiped with the Oasis women and facilitated a class with them. Friday we helped with the First Church of God youth group and on Saturday we met or neighbors; we facilitated a combined youth group called the safe house at Zion. Sunday we helped out at two churches leading worship and taking Sunday school for special needs children.

It was tough this last week, there wasn't much for the students to do, there was a lot of down time in the middle of nowhere, Guam. They didn't feel like they were making much of an impact- plus they were not properly trained in the concept and practical application of street evangelism. (Partially the base's error in not stressing it enough) But as staff, we didn't push it as much as it should have been stressed. Anyways, I'm taking the students a few at a time and working on changing their ideas of what that needs to look like- it's a huge "fear of man" issue that is being challenged. :) I love you all and hope to hear about YOUR lives too- it makes me feel more connected to home, so thanks to those who are writing!

All my love,

laura Yemen

laura.ywam@gmail.com (new f-book address too-if you join the ywam guam group you can see pictures!

Hafa Adia!

Hey everyone! Well We made it! It's been a crazy as few days-8 to be exact. We have been off to a slower start- There is a bit of a crunch on the YWAM Guam base. Here's my weekly report

We arrived in Guam on Tuesday Dec. 30 at 2:30 in the morning after we had been flying for 17 hrs. We were blessed by a surprise breakfast as we waited for our contact Judy to arrive. (Who was four hours late) Thank heavens because getting through customs with two Canadians and a South Korean was especially hard. (but we were blessed by an awesome customs agent who made sure that we got through!) We slept for most of the first and second day. We went to see fire works for new years. New Years day we went to a beach and did beach evangelism (volleyballJ). Friday we went around most of the Island and landed in an ocean oasis! Back at the base some of the boys invited the local kids back to play Frisbee on base. Saturday we did a 11 hr car wash and raised over 700$ For the base! (there previous record was 400$)

 

Rom. 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his Purpose for them.  

This week is good, but I don't know what's happening until only minutes before. So... yes. It's not stressful yet- I'm very thankful Mary, the DTS leader is also here with us as support. Guam is very beautiful- it would fantastic for scuba and snorkeling! There are many opportunities here and God is leading me by the hand the whole way. All my love,

laura

Only 72 hrs to go!

Guam Ho! Well friends and family- Christmas has come and gone once again- and now I'm super stoked on NEW YEARS in GAUM! This holiday season was one to remember from beginning to end- I got to help cut down my own tree, cook half a pig (and it was AMAZING) So delicious. This last week was outreach prep and it's been more of a down time for our teams, we've practiced skits and journal entries, last minute details and fun times. Tonight was a battle of our favorite spider Jordan vs. (what ever was found in the laundry room) Jordan, our resident lounge spider lost out to our new reigning champ, Charlotte; such is base life. Thank you all for your phone calls, letters and gifts- they were very much appreciated over this Christmas time. 

Another team from NZ arrived back from 4 weeks in Suva Fiji and are staying the night. Sometimes the base bubble can become so restricting- and having a new team come in was fabulous and refreshing. It is inevitable that the YWAM world becomes your life, however perspective is everything, and I have to keep reminding myself that there is much more moving on in the world than just lecture phase and outreach. Anyways that's enough processing for now. The next entry will be from Guam!

Much love,

Laura Yemen

The Final Week

This week was on evangelism- and it was just in time! I spent last Sunday crying to a friend that I did Young Life with about how much I miss it all- and who would show up the next day but a regional YL leader that had us sing YL songs every lecture! I was in Heaven! That and multiple phone calls from so many that are near and dear to me made this Christmas week so much more bareable! Guam is a mere 8 days away- and their is so much to be done. My room mate left this past Friday, and my x BLS leader has also permanently left. The Base leader moves off the base and away from YWAM and a new director takes over on Jan 1st. It is warm here, sunny and charming! ( I know you are all in a deep freeze right now!) Please pray for faith, and provision for Guam. For me personally, I really could use prayer for wisdom and patience. There is more to write I'm sure- but for now, I really need to shower! ( I got stuck on the rd after my brakes fell apart on my bike!) That's another story for another phone call! Bless you all this Christmas! 

One Week to go...

It's the final week of lectures, and oh my goodness I am not ready to go! There is one final week til outreach and traveling to Guam. it's 12 hrs on the flight over to Korea, then another 4 to Guam. We have to get a visa for the Korean on our team, and as usual it has been left too long. It's hard to ask for prayer when we have created the need for it! I have to also pack up my entire room and store it away somewhere for 2 months- I am frankly a little annoyed since I am staying on for the next DTS, but that is base policy. 

We had a youth group come up this week end, as well as a birthday for a close family/base friend's daughter- who is dating one of the staff. This week was unbelievably hard to go through- we had a kiwi teaching on the Lordship of Christ and taught us the parallel of the Old testament and new testament covenant. It was a 12 hr prayer and worship session on friday, where it was a giving day, openness and brokeness, healing, praise, anointing and more worship. People cut their hair, gave up their pass ports, laid down their tickets home, gave up their families, ipods and cameras. It was heart breaking and exhausting. It was almost harder to go through the second time.

Fortunately I got your care package that same day mom, thank you so much! I also got the birthday card from Stacy and family, and Tracy's christmas letter. It all couldn't have been received at a better time. My room mate and ex BLS student is leaving for her home on the 19th, along with one other student who isn't going on outreach (she never planned to go, it was just the lecture phase for her) It's going to be very strange to come back to this place- 6 ppl are leaving. Oh, and I just got news this Wed that I am leading the next school with the base director, Adrian! I'm beyond overwhelmed- But then I really stop and let God be God, and know that he has called me to this, and greater things than this. It sounds like some students are already making plans to stay on to help around the base for a little while after! 

Another blessing is that I got to see two students from New Castle that I did my DTS with- They came up to visit The base director's daughter who just finished her DTS there. They had just got married and are now heading back to New Castle for one more school- then they might move here!!! It's crazy! It really is amazing to have seen them after all these years! That's enough and all for now. It gets warmer here every day, and last night was the biggest full moon that I've ever seen (besides the harvest moons). I've been listening to that cd that you made me Jay, everyday!

loves laura

To Auckland we go...

Well folks, it's been a fabulous week of birthday cheer phone calls letters and yes, christmas packages. Thank you again for your support. I'm just writing to you from my BLS leader's parents' home in Auckland where we staff spent the day wondering the streets of Auckland. Queen street is the 17th Ave equivalent. I got to go to several galleries, including an amazing glass exhibition! There are tonnes of surf and board shops all over the place, but everything is DOUBLE the price, I don't think the NZers know the extent that they are getting ripped off- I know there's shipping costs and such, but this is outrageous! 

Friday night some Tongans came over and danced and sang some traditional stuff for us, and tonight after exploring Auckland we went back to the house and set up the projector and watched the movie 21. The boys then practiced what we learned on friday night with the dancing to tecno- and it's made for another fairly memorable night here in NZ. 

Lectures were fantastic- and Kiwi named Jono talked on the Holy Spirit, it was very well presented and very thoroughly researched. It was awesome!!