Hello from Scotland,
There is certainly a lot to be thankful for this season and there is a reason we are told consistently to give thanks in scripture. It redirects our focus to one who is faithful. 2023 has been a time of giving thanks through the difficulty. Since January I have been wrestling with sickness, 6 colds, the flu, stomach bugs and a fair few underlying issues. The doctors have a few working theories right now but still no clarity. So your prayers are very much appreciated. Health aside though, there has been a lot happening at the mission and a lot more to come. |
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DTS Graduated
Our amazing Discipleship Training School graduated in March. After almost 15 years with YWAM (Jonina since birth!) We never stop being amazed at the radical change and depths of healing we see in front of us. Each trainee was sent back into the spheres of society completely different. At graduation each one proclaimed how they would never be the same.
One healed from a trauma she should have never had to go through. Another loving Jesus like never before. The young man I journeyed with was so impacted his parting gift to me was a painting of how our times together have impacted him. Depicting a release of colour, representing identity and two hands representing a trust he never imagined having. |
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Live in Awe
It has been great to get back out this year with both the DTS, refugees and recovering addicts. What a joy to meet with God in creation with all sorts of people.
We had a participant of last year's Hiking retreat email us last week to say "our retreat was by far one of the highlights of the last decade". We were blown away by his feedback and cannot wait to for the two retreats coming up this year.
Let me know if you are interested in joining! We were also recently featured in an article from Glasgow City Mission after over a year of taking refugees and homeless into creation.
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| Here you see some of our community coming together to seek God's direction for this new season. If you look carefully you can see Isaiah has started his YWAM meetings nice and young! |
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Complete Restructure
The last two months in particular have come with a lot of changes. Another member of the leadership team has sadly stepped down due to ill health now leaving me and one other. In the midst of that I have also been changing our mission's structure and honing in on a few focuses from God so we can have maximum impact. It has not been an easy time with the leadership team shrinking again. Please pray grace over myself and the other leader on whom an awful lot of responsibility now lies.
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| Here some of our community are praying in and blessing the School of the Word and Spirit. |
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A million and one other things
In the midst of everything else we have a jam packed hospitality wing for the next two months as we host a wide range of visitors, some here for a time of rest and restoration, others to see the community.
We have several volunteers here for the next few months to help around the property, We are continuing to fundraise for our roof. It seems likely we will get another 3rd completed this summer and will push to get the next portion completed by 2024, we are still fundraising for around £90 - 100,000.
The school of the word and spirit is running with 20 extra people in the building for 6 weeks. And much more, needless to say there is a lot going on. But we are praying that this is not a full schedule for full schedules sake but rather we are as a whole moving toward the vision God has given us and being fruitful in the process.
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Family
I promised on our last update to share photos and completely forgot... Sorry! So here I have tried to make up for it. Isaiah is now crawling with teeth arriving and faith is talking up a storm! I know every parent says the same thing but "They are growing up so fast!"`
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