Posts
ETA Montana, USA: September 4th 2009
Back Log:
Arriving in Lakeside in April of this year I hit the ground running and got stuck into community life at the YWAM base in Montana. Over the two and a half months that I was volunteering in the sports ministries department of Youth With a Mission, Lakeside Montana. I worked with about 20
people doing 1-2-1 fitness programs via consultations, prescribing
exercise and personal training. I really enjoyed using the vocational
skills that I have learnt over the last three years in a community of
people who are all serving God. It was also a great way to meet
people and get to know them.
(Above: Introducing netball to cowboy country)
Fitness Training:
I trained closely with one client in particular that really made it
worth my time being at the base. I met with her most days she
achieved weight loss goals that she never had before so this was a
real milestone for both of us. It had always been a dream of mine
to work with people and achieve goals in this way. It is amazing
how God brought us together at this specific time; her family
couldn’t believe that a mission organisation had its own personal
trainer. I feel like the experience over the two and a half months
has given me more confidence to carry on working in this way in
the future. As well as one to one sessions I also started some early
morning circuit classes twice a week. A 45 minute session often
outside on the field just as the sun was rising over the mountains at 6:15am. I Also lead
group training at 4pm most days. I was encouraged by the
commitment and hard work of the staff and students attending.
I finished training people in the last three weeks of my stay just as
the students for the summer programs arrived on the base. The
sports department had been meeting every day after lunch to pray
together, often about the “Summer of Sports” so it was great when
they finally arrived. The program consisted of lectures in the
morning followed by 4 hours of dance, music, football/soccer and
basketball in the afternoon. It is a bit like a mini DTS as after the
month of lectures the students headed off on an outreach to
Germany using their skills to share Jesus and generally serve the
nations. Unfortunately after booking flights to go out and meet the teams in Germany for a week it turned out not to be the way
forward as on the internet I’d booked the wrong month of travel
and so would have been too much to re-book the flights. Even
though this was disappointing and a bit of a blunder it was a relief
to the family as the trip would have fallen in-between two family
wedding ceremonies.
Matrimonials:
The weddings were amazing even
though they seemed to go so quickly. I now have a married brother
and a new sister in law! The Texas wedding was beautiful. It took
place in Amber’s back garden decorated with sunflowers and fairy
lights. Peter and Amber took their wedding vows on a hot evening
under a white wooden gazebo at 7pm on the 12th of July. Two
weeks later service number 2 eventuated in Harpenden. It was a
lovely smooth-running occasion where family and friends who
couldn’t make it to the US could share in the matrimonial
celebrations at the wedding blessing. There was even the rare
event where mum and I sang together for the newlyweds during the
service.
Next Venture:
I feel like I have stumbled on what might be my dream vocation:
combining fitness training with Christian ministry in a creative
community setting. I may have been stumbling but I get the
feeling that God might have planned this from the beginning of
time?! The five month discipleship training school I took in Montana
last September, not to over exaggerate, actually changed my life.
Spending 5 months away from the rat-race of life and seeking out
God, being available to God and seeing how he can work in your life
as well as work through you in other people’s lives. Being in an
environment where people go all out, loving God and loving people
and where prayer is central and at anytime prayer for each other
would not be out of the question. An environment where fulfilling
Jesus’ great commission to go and make disciples of all nations.
Personally after suffering from an episode of bipolar in 2005 and
consequently having to take drugs everyday to stabilise the
condition making me feel not quite myself, I literally thought that I
would have to live under mild depression for the rest of my life.
However a year and a half later I made the decision to no longer
take medication for the condition. This tough time in my life had
left me holding back and fearful to step out in big ways in the future
in case the mental illness came back. I would be scared if one night
I didn’t sleep in fear that my brain chemicals were going awry
again. This issue on my application made the leadership question
whether I would be suitable to complete the DTS course. However
after praying about the application the leaders got a yes from God
with the verse;
“ The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9v2
Visiting a friend’s church in Marlow I went up for prayer and a
couple prayed over me that my next step would be bursting with
light and colour!
Giving night:
Just before going off on outreach the DTS had a “giving night”
where we prayed about whether God wanted us to give to each
other. After an immense time of sharing material blessings, prayers
and words of knowledge I felt like I should share with the group
that I hadn’t been sleeping for the last few nights and was finding it
overwhelming because of my past experience. Molly one of the
school leaders offered to pray for me and the whole 40+ people
came around and started praying! It is amazing when people close
to God’s heart pray, it is so true that “The prayer of a righteous
man is powerful and effective.” James 5v16
They prayed for healing and for me to function the way that God
originally intended. People also spoke other words from God that,
when you hear them, reverse untruths that you have believed which
have been holding you back from the good things God has planned
for your life. Right at the end Alicia thought God was telling her to
sing “Our God is an awesome God” she held back in doing this as
considered this request to sing an old school 70’s song pretty
random. However when Jess separately started singing the same
song, she joined and then everyone else as well. I happened to
love that song! A reassurance that God is real, knows everything
about us and still speaks today. I am also reassured of His
sovereignty, redeeming love and power to heal, even in the area of
the mind and emotional brokenness. Personally afterwards I felt
like God was saying to me that if I do my part of living a healthy
lifestyle, I will never be effected by bipolar again. This has lifted a
huge burden off my shoulders and I feel like I have had my life and
hope for the future handed back to me. I know that God is in
control and that I don’t have to be afraid.
God challenged me to permanently change lifestyle during the
lecture phase of my DTS. Instead of the drinking and clubbing
culture so apparent in the UK, embracing a life of faith based
mission fulltime working for God. Seeking his kingdom and
investing in eternity. I have nearly finished being t-total for a year
and have found it really beneficial. I have a heart for the 10:40
window, in particular Asia. After completing my outreach in
Cambodia all I wanted to do was to return straight away, however
now I realise that I have to wait until God’s timing and really feel
that the sports department in Montana is where God wants me to
be for my next step. I am excited about this new venture and
where it will lead. I’m looking forward to the many God stories as I
learn to live by faith with God as my provider.
Prayer needs:
*For inspiration and energy as I start working in the sports
department and that I settle well into community life.
*That I my relationship and ministry with God would grow as I
step out to work for him full-time.
*For ongoing support and a trust in God’s provision.
”Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing
every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like
sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples,’ The
harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest
field.’” Matthew 9v35-38
Email: emg777@hotmail.com
