Trav will be in WA 6-17 July ... please pray with us:
Pix will join him from the 14th of July - we're looking forward to spending some time together with family, friends, and supporters in amongst some meetings:)
Friday, July 5, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
immersethailand - video#3
Last night we saw around 33 young people publicly choose to follow Jesus. This video includes some footage of the events leading up to this moment, the moment itself, and some of the following day's events.
My hope as this is viewed is that you might add a prayer for one of these young people to your prayers for our team and family during my time in Thailand.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
video #2 & new's story
"NEW'S" STORY
All I wanted to her to do was to help me know where the the story-teller was up to, but she kept reading me the entire English translation. He told the story in Thai, and I needed to know his place so I could decide when to show the media that supported the story, and she kept reading the story in English.
Before long, the situation changed from me being frustrated that she wouldn't stop reading, to me being humbled by the sound of God's story through a quiet, unassuming, Thai voice.
Somehow, her telling of the story drowned out the cacophony of the Thai-speaking story-teller, and the quiet, broken-English version began to penetrate my soul.
He finished, and so did she. Then, as the campers sat in silence reflecting on what they had heard, 'New' began telling me her own story.
"God's story is so good," she began, "last year was my first immerse camp, and I had never heard God's story before. My life was sad at school, and my parents were divorced. when I heard God's story, it made me happy, and I decided to follow Jesus. God's story changed my life, and my family have noticed how I have changed - much more confident. If I had not come to immerse camp, I would never have heard God's story. Thankyou for bringing Immerse."
I had no words as my eyes welled up with tears.
I've since learned that New is now a part of the Immerse team here in Thailand, and has brought many of her school friends to the Light Church.
Monday, April 1, 2013
3 days in ...
Here's a clip giving some footage of our first three days in Thailand. Our activity includes some travel to Korat from Bangkok; a good Friday night service; training on Saturday for immerse camp; Sunday morning at the Light Church; and arrival at our site for immerse camp.
If you're journeying with us in prayer, we'd love for you to keep the 170 students and leaders beginning immerse Monday morning.
If you're journeying with us in prayer, we'd love for you to keep the 170 students and leaders beginning immerse Monday morning.
Monday, February 18, 2013
a year for clarity...
Yesterday was a good day. We were blessed to be able share with our home church a little of what we believe this year holds for us. Then in our evening service Trav got to interview a couple of our awesome team members: Mel Hamilton (from Sydney) and Rosie Fricker (from Perth). He was pretty excited about having our church family hear a little bit about what God is doing through the YMA network in other parts of the country.
The day was topped off with a great turnout at Junktion for our vision supper - so many great conversations, and such an encouragement as we head into 2013. (See panoramic shot below)
There are two important questions we (YMA) are answering as we journey forward in clarity this year:
WHAT DO WE SEE? "We see a TRANSFORMATION MOVEMENT in every school community."
WHAT DO WE DO? "We will CHAMPION existing movement builders; be a CATALYST for spiritual transformation; and COACH emerging movement builders."
If you missed our vision day yesterday and want to know more, or how you can support the work of YMA further, drop us a line :)
The day was topped off with a great turnout at Junktion for our vision supper - so many great conversations, and such an encouragement as we head into 2013. (See panoramic shot below)
WHAT DO WE SEE? "We see a TRANSFORMATION MOVEMENT in every school community."
WHAT DO WE DO? "We will CHAMPION existing movement builders; be a CATALYST for spiritual transformation; and COACH emerging movement builders."
If you missed our vision day yesterday and want to know more, or how you can support the work of YMA further, drop us a line :)
Saturday, January 26, 2013
NSW team...
Over the last few days I've spent some time with our Sydney team who held their retreat in preparation for working in 9 schools throughout NSW (with the possibility of adding a tenth school in the coming weeks).
I've come away extremely encouraged by the depth of expertise that our team brings to serving young people in schools. Our team leader carries with him over 15 years experience as a local school presence, and a strong DNA of love for students and awareness of how God might be working in the school community context.
I'm also excited by the responsibility YMA is taking up nationally to foster the vision conversation of seeing "a transformation movement in every school community."
The more I talk with others, the more I'm becoming convinced that we have a great opportunity to:
CHAMPION others who carry a similar vision
Be a CATALYST for transformation ourselves, and
COACH those who want to build this kind of movement.
2013 is a year marked for clarity for me, and after this trip I'm already beginning to see things a little more clearly.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
"10 years ago ..."
After seven weeks of Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with between 6 and 15 primary school students - running games, prepping afternoon tea, and telling stories - it was clear that God is at work in this school.
Our ASAP (After School Activity Program) team have consistently served the school, without any overt "Christian content" - we've simply been turning up and meeting a need. Trusting that God is already at work because He opened up the opportunity. And it is true - He is working.
On the last week of the program, a Mum came up to me and said, "I used to go to your church 10 years ago. My 6 year old son would call himself a Christian, but my partner doesn't like us going to church."
I listened and then pointed out that two of our team run the kids program at our church, and should her circumstances change, she'd be welcome to bring her son along.
A week later, I also received word that the principal was asking another member of the governing council about what drives us to come and serve the school in this way - He, a Christian, was able to share that our motivation was to serve people as Jesus served people. This was an exciting outcome for this person to be able to have a gospel conversation.
Amongst the lessons learned over the last seven weeks, the stand out for me is that God is already at work in people's lives, and sometimes it's just a matter of us turning up to discover how that's true.
Our ASAP (After School Activity Program) team have consistently served the school, without any overt "Christian content" - we've simply been turning up and meeting a need. Trusting that God is already at work because He opened up the opportunity. And it is true - He is working.
On the last week of the program, a Mum came up to me and said, "I used to go to your church 10 years ago. My 6 year old son would call himself a Christian, but my partner doesn't like us going to church."
I listened and then pointed out that two of our team run the kids program at our church, and should her circumstances change, she'd be welcome to bring her son along.
A week later, I also received word that the principal was asking another member of the governing council about what drives us to come and serve the school in this way - He, a Christian, was able to share that our motivation was to serve people as Jesus served people. This was an exciting outcome for this person to be able to have a gospel conversation.
Amongst the lessons learned over the last seven weeks, the stand out for me is that God is already at work in people's lives, and sometimes it's just a matter of us turning up to discover how that's true.
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