A cool testimony!

So I just recently got the best news!!! And I want to share the story with you.

Last September DTS, I had the pleasure of being Cathinka's one-on-one during her school. Cathinka is a bright ray of sunshine and is passionate about the Lord despite her entire family not believing and not really understanding her faith. We would pray for her family regularly together.

One night at our weekly BBQ dinner, she was telling me how her back is always hurting and we decided to check if her legs were different lengths. And sure enough, they were! I prayed for her and her left leg grew out to match the right one!!! We both were so amazed and in awe of God's power! It was the first time I had seen a quite obvious healing done through me!

When her DTS was over, we had one last coffee date together and she told me that she was excited to go home, but also nervous because she knew they wouldn't really want to hear about her experience.

Cathinka came back to join the DTS staff team this August and she is currently leading her first outreach team to Uganda! She told me that while she was home, after her DTS, her dad didn't want to hear anything about God or what she had experienced. Cathinka decided that instead of trying to talk about it, she would just pray for her dad. He slowly softened and became more open to hearing her thoughts about life, God and faith.

A few weeks ago, before the teams left for outreach, Cathinka came running down the stairs at base to find me and tell me that she had just re
ceived a package from her family and her dad had sent her a letter. She began to cry as she told me that he wrote her to tell her that he has accepted Christ and now understands her faith!!!

All glory to the Lord!!! This has been one of the things that has taught me the power of prayer. Even though we may never know the impact our prayers have, I do know that there is power in the name of Jesus and that all people, deep down, have a desire for there to be more than just to live and die.

We have been given a powerful weapon to use against the enemy in the world and help draw people back in to relationship with the One who created them! Let's use it!

Love and hugs from Australia!
Moira

Challenging the status-quo.

Staff meeting with the July staff team! Our leaders always supplied us with snacks. <3 

Last one-on-one with this sweet girl! We treated ourselves and shared a red velvet cake and a Chai-for-two. She's on a social media fast while on outreach - proud of her! And I'm excited to hear about the trip from her afterwards! 

The 7 house gals together for the last time! The Waves team will be coming back to the Coast for their graduation, but the ATW will be heading straight home after having their debrief week in Peru. 

Worshipping on the last day of the July school! We prayed over the teams and sent them out with encouragement! The July DTS's are on outreach now! The ATW (Around the World) team is currently in Vietnam, and the Waves team is in Fiji. 

I learned how to do an oil change!

We have wheels!! It has seriously been soooo great having the freedom to go wherever, especially in this season of not being as involved with the DTS while we prepare for our school in January! 

Welcome night for the September DTS! We had a BBQ and played some games to keep them awake to help with jetlag. ;)

We spent a few evenings sharing testimonies and hearing life stories. It always blows me away how people from all over the world end up in the same room together! Reminds me of the story of Esther in the Bible when she is told that maybe she was made for "such a time as this." 

There are 33 students!

We said goodbye to Abby (third from the left) as she is finished her commitment here and has headed home to pursue new and exciting things! 

We have now finished the first week of lectures. The topic was Hearing God's Voice and Intercession. Corsin taught the two days about intercession (pictured above). This school is already on fire for the Lord! It is amazing. 

During the last day of lectures this week on Friday, we opened the class with prayer and prayers for healing spontaneously started happening - completely student led!!! - and about 8 or 9 people got healed right then! A shoulder injury, a sore back, a knee injury, a sore hip...and more! Go God! 

I'm stoked to see how this openness for God grows and where these students will be by the time they go on outreach. 

"We want to challenge the status-quo by raising and releasing transformational leaders."

- YWAM Sunshine Coast mission statement

Love you all!
Thank you for your support and prayers!
Also! Thank you to the sender of the anonymous donation I keep getting every month! You rock! 
xoxo
-Moira

P.S. If anyone would like to also receive a more personal email update, shoot me your email address and I'll send you a more detailed email about what the next few months will be looking like for me.

Home and Native Land // And Other Happenings...

The 2nd phase of Teaching and Assessment down in Newcastle went really well. It was an intense two weeks and I learned so much about how to speak in front of people, how to lead a DTS, how to assess students and AALLLL the preparation work that goes into all those things.

Here we are workin' away:

 
 

I had SUCH a good time being home! Thank you to everyone who made it so memorable! I love you all very dearly and am overwhelmed by the love and care I received while I was visiting Canada.

I had lots and lots of quality time with my family and extended family; going for walks, bike rides, hikes and coffee.

I also got to meet up with friends and supporters and catch up with what's going on in their lives. And attended my home church and also got to watch the opening show that the youth group performed to fundraise for their mission trip to Zambia!

                           



Karah's graduation was the main event of going home. She sewed her grad dress all on her own! SUPER impressed. It was a lovely celebration with family and now she's working for the summer at a plant nursery before going to Bible college in the fall.

Since returning back to Australia, (which I now keep calling 'home' as well) the February DTS had their debrief week and headed home, my family came to visit, our new students for the July DTS have arrived and we are already into the 4th week of their lecture phase! 

Said goodbye to these two lovelies. So proud of them and all that they have learned, grown in, and accomplished on their DTS! Go God!

 

 One last group shot of the Feb 2015 DTS! God rocked our world and these people are game changers!

The lovely staff! Meetings on meetings on meetings when we transition from one school to the next. (Youth With A Meeting). JK...but seriously. We have fun.

 A little sesh explaining what staffing looks like to students who might be interested.

 

 Some family time on MY side of the globe. It was really amazing being able to show my family what I do!

 



 

 And my two new one-on-ones!

On the left is Maggie from Virginia, and on the right is Rebecca from Texas.

This photo was taken up on Mt. Coolum overlooking the Sunshine Coast. I love taking students up there!

 



 So that's where I'm at folks! I love you all!
Now I'm off to pick up the dinner prep crew for our community dinner tonight! The whole base comes out to eat together on Wednesday nights. Always a good time.
Blessings and hugs from Australia!
Moira
XOXOXO

Baptisms and future plans.

The current DTS is just finishing up with their last two weeks of lectures having already covered topics such as: Hearing God's voice, Identity, Prayer/Evangelism, Destiny, Father Heart and Lordship. The last week we have the pleasure of having one of our base founders come and speak about what the Kingdom of God actually means.

Last week we had the pleasure of baptizing 10 of our students! We asked them all to get permission from both their churches and parents back home before getting baptized here.

One of our students is Salomé from France. She came here searching, not certain what she thought about faith or God. Her brother and sister-in-law are both on staff here and had encouraged her to come and do a DTS. About 4 weeks in, she gave her life to the Lord and shared how excited she was that she could actually hear God speaking to her and that she had never had so much contentment before. She had her brother and sister-in-law baptize her last week. Such a meaningful moment. :)

Salome's baptism!

I have two very sweet girls that I am mentoring this school. Nicole from Kelowna and Luisa from Switzerland. They are both going to the Philippines for outreach! 

Nicole (left), Luisa (right)

Presenting the outreach teams!

India

Indonesia-Papua New Guinea

Mongolia

Philippines

 

Big personal future update!

I have been asked to lead the next January DTS!! I will be co-leading with a guy named Corsin who was on my DTS and came back on staff at the same time as I did. Leading the DTS will look like us getting to choose the speakers that come and teach, figuring out the schedule, coordinating outreach co-leaders, praying over student applications and asking God for his heart for the students that will arrive. I'm so excited!!

Because I have agreed to lead a DTS, I legally need to get further qualification to lead an accredited school in Australia. That being said, when the students leave for outreach, I will be heading down to Newcastle and attending classes for Phase 2 of Certificate 4 in Teaching and Assessment. (I did Phase 1 right after I got here last January). That will be for two weeks, and then I WILL BE COMING HOME!! I'll be home for a grand total of 4 weeks before coming back to Oz and doing staff training for the July school.

Prayer requests:

• peace for our whole staff team as we charge through the last weeks before outreach; against feeling overwhelmed or anxious
• that the outreach teams would be so encouraging and uplifting of their teammates while on outreach and constantly look for the best in everyone.
• Clarity and peace as I look to being here longer than I originally thought.
• That my focus would never be on the future only, or on circumstances, but on Jesus and his voice.

I love you all! Thank you for your support and love.

Moira

The boys surprised the ladies with a dinner under the stars! Such a special treat! Way to go men!

I got to teach the Philippines team an epic drama called "Set me Free!" Check out their dramatic facial expressions!

Highly recommend seeing Cinderella! So many good messages and values!

Team Philippines 2014/15 Video

Click HERE to watch the video of our time in the Philippines!

Here's a photo journey of our trip also: 

Broom making after Typhoon Ruby. Biliran Province.

After a service in Pastor Ben's church.

Photo op with the school teachers after doing a program in an elementary school.

Jump rope with the village kids in Giporlos.

 

Riding the bus up to Naga City.

 

Ate Naomi and tiny bananas!

Joined up with a YWAM team from Kona to ask the Mayor for permission to conduct open air programs in the town square. He gave us permission and we got to pray for him after!

After our meeting with the Mayor.

Introducing ourselves in the town square.

Performing Savior drama.

   

Performing Savior drama.

After the program we would go and chat with the people watching. I met these two ladies who asked a lot of really hard/good questions about Christianity!

They accepted Christ that night! Over the course of the two weeks we saw over 100 salvations! We were able to connect them with churches for follow up.

AND we got the privilege of baptising them a few weeks later! GLORY!

Program in a high school.

Program in an elementary school.

We had so much fun partnering with Upright Generation youth group. :)

 

Some of the crew.

Grace Covenant Fellowship // YWAM Sunshine Coast // YWAM Kona 

Back in Oz and doing laundry! YWAM probably keeps this laundromat in business!

21 house gals at graduation!

The September 2014 DTS Staff team. <3

All glory to God!
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and love and support - especially for when we experienced typhoon Ruby!
Love you all bunches and bunches.
Moira