I'm finally getting used to turning on my computer and seeing a Spanish google page, taking the bus or walking to get anywhere, looking out my window and seeing the ocean, and learning how to bargain with people on the street for shirts, jewelery, and bags so i don't get ripped off. I have decided that I must look a little Mexican though because the other day I was asked by a tourist if I spoke any English at all. She then proceeded to ask me if I would translate for her, haha.
Well it has been decided, I will be going to the Dominican Republic and Haiti for my DTS outreach starting in December. :) There are about 20 of us going to Haiti and the DR. We will be spending about half of our outreach time in each place. We don't have many of the details worked out yet with where will will be staying, how we will get there, etc. Some of the staff have contacts in Haiti and the DR so they have been communicating with them trying to get the details of our trip figured out. Most of all, we want to be where God wants us to be with hearts to do the work He has for us. So be sure to keep us and the staff in your prayers as we prepare to go on outreach.
There are always people in and out of the base here, mostly groups that come down to build housed for a program called Homes of Hope. They usually stick around for about a week. That, together with sharing a room with 6 other girls has been a HUGE lesson on living in a community. There is a definite good side to living in community though...I have made tons of great friends already who I feel like I've known forever. There are some really amazing people here that I feel blessed to know and have in my life. This past month has flown by much faster then I thought it could. I've been learning so much, I don't know if I will ever be able to remember it all. My Spanish is improving little by little but I am impatient with it. This last week we had a YWAM leader from Salem down here to speak to us about a lifestyle of repentance. He LOVED to tell us stories, and he actually had a lot of really interesting ones. The first day of lecture our speaker, Peter Iliyn, told us a story of his dads life. (if you want to know the story he has a book coming out about it soon.) But I thought I would just share the thing that stood out to me the most throughout this last week. Peter Iliyn said to us, you will always have a choice in every situation. You can get bitter because of your situation (and focus on yourself) or you can get better (and focus on God).
Anyway that is a little bit of an update on what has been going on here. It really doesn't even scratch the surface of all that I have been learning and experiencing here, but I don't have time to write everything! :) If you would, please keep all of us in your prayers as we continue to learn and grow in God, and as we are preparing to go on outreach! If you want to know anything else or if you have any questions or comments I'd love to hear from you! Jesus loves you!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Surprising Statistics
Did you know????
-In 2009, the number of hungry people in the world went above 1 billion for the first time.
-25% of children under 5 years old are underweight
-As of 2008, there are 24,000 children dying from PREVENTABLE causes EVERY DAY.
-1.1 billion people in the world don't have access to safe water.
-The average person in a developing country uses only 10 liters of water per day. (To put that in perspective, the average person in developed countries uses TEN TIMES that amount of water in a 5 minute shower.)
-Over half of the world lives on less then $2.50 per day.
-Less then 1% of money the world spends on weapons each year could give every child an education.
-There are 90 million children who aren't in school.
-7 million cases of HIV/AIDs could be prevented in the next decade if every child received a primary education.
-Only 2% of disabled children in developing countries will receive an education.
"For I was hungry, while you had all you needed, I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed MORE clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led me to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved." -"The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns
How blessed are we, simply to turn on our faucets and have clean running water? How blessed are we to have a roof over our heads? How blessed are we to have had the education we have had so that we can read this post? How blessed are we to have food on our tables when we are hungry, and money in our pockets for clothes? How blessed we are....but how often are we thankful? And how often do we give?
-In 2009, the number of hungry people in the world went above 1 billion for the first time.
-25% of children under 5 years old are underweight
-As of 2008, there are 24,000 children dying from PREVENTABLE causes EVERY DAY.
-1.1 billion people in the world don't have access to safe water.
-The average person in a developing country uses only 10 liters of water per day. (To put that in perspective, the average person in developed countries uses TEN TIMES that amount of water in a 5 minute shower.)
-Over half of the world lives on less then $2.50 per day.
-Less then 1% of money the world spends on weapons each year could give every child an education.
-There are 90 million children who aren't in school.
-7 million cases of HIV/AIDs could be prevented in the next decade if every child received a primary education.
-Only 2% of disabled children in developing countries will receive an education.
"For I was hungry, while you had all you needed, I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed MORE clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led me to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved." -"The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns
How blessed are we, simply to turn on our faucets and have clean running water? How blessed are we to have a roof over our heads? How blessed are we to have had the education we have had so that we can read this post? How blessed are we to have food on our tables when we are hungry, and money in our pockets for clothes? How blessed we are....but how often are we thankful? And how often do we give?
About My DTS
Hey, you all probably know this already, but I am currently in Ensenada, Mexico doing my DTS (discipleship training school) through YWAM. This is my third week here and I will let you all know a little bit about what we have been doing, as well as what we are going to be doing.
The DTS program consists of two phases; lecture phase and outreach phase. During the lecture phase, we are here at our base in Ensenada, growing in our walks with God, participating in local outreaches, and hearing from speakers from all over on different topics. Last week our topic was on "The Father Heart of God." and this week we are hearing about "Justice." For my local outreach every Wednesday my group and I go out and work with a program called "Project Deborah". This program reaches out to special needs children in the area and to their families.
For the outreach phase of our DTS we will be going all together to Mexico City for one or two weeks to work with a program called Megacities. (to learn more about the ministry of Megacities you can go to this link http://megacities.org.au/cities/ ) After our week or two in Mexico City we will be splitting into 2 different groups. One group will stay in Mexico to work with YWAM Pachuca, a city located about 2 hours north of Mexico City. The other group will be heading to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. We will be finding out how the groups will be chosen and who is in each group sometime next week.
I appreciate everyone who has been praying for me while I am down here, and I ask that you keep these two outreach options in your prayers, and also that I would have clear direction as to which place I should go on outreach. If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear them so let me know!
John 13:34-35 (NIV) - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
The DTS program consists of two phases; lecture phase and outreach phase. During the lecture phase, we are here at our base in Ensenada, growing in our walks with God, participating in local outreaches, and hearing from speakers from all over on different topics. Last week our topic was on "The Father Heart of God." and this week we are hearing about "Justice." For my local outreach every Wednesday my group and I go out and work with a program called "Project Deborah". This program reaches out to special needs children in the area and to their families.
For the outreach phase of our DTS we will be going all together to Mexico City for one or two weeks to work with a program called Megacities. (to learn more about the ministry of Megacities you can go to this link http://megacities.org.au/cities/ ) After our week or two in Mexico City we will be splitting into 2 different groups. One group will stay in Mexico to work with YWAM Pachuca, a city located about 2 hours north of Mexico City. The other group will be heading to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. We will be finding out how the groups will be chosen and who is in each group sometime next week.
I appreciate everyone who has been praying for me while I am down here, and I ask that you keep these two outreach options in your prayers, and also that I would have clear direction as to which place I should go on outreach. If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear them so let me know!
John 13:34-35 (NIV) - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
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