Hi guys,
So I did something a little different for my last post, and I did a Vlog! It was so much fun to create. I tried my hardest to put it on here, but it was too long, so it didn’t allow me to post directly on here, so go check it out on YouTube under “Last Blog Post”, and subscribe to my channel!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJEwJEf5kLtRPkEC8bq45fQ
Enjoy.
Hey guys!
So, I am going to apologize now that this post is going to be very brief, but I wanted to write a little bit about the organization that I am going with in August!
I am so incredibly excited to be venturing on my third trip, second one out of the country, with this specific nonprofit called “Water Saves”.
If you haven’t noticed by now, water seems to be in a lot of underlying mission trips that are out of the country. Why? Because what we take for granted in the states, others around the world are so desperate for it. According to the World Health Organization, water security affects approximately 40% of people on the planet. Women and children will spend an average of six hours procuring water in developing countries. SIX. Imagine that, in almost the time of your work day, someone has been out looking for water. I know I already mentioned a couple of posts ago about the need for water, and the facts behind it, but I am going to share some again, because they really just baffle me, and continue to blow my mind. Did you know that 2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, and that 2.2 million people die annually from unsafe drinking water diseases? Every 20 seconds a child dies from a water-borne illness, and diarrhea kills more children every year than AIDS, malaria and measles combined! How crazy are these facts? No matter how many times I see them or read through them, they still hit a place in my heart that I can’t help but feel pain.
What is Water Saves solution though? They use Sawyer filters to provide families with safe drinking water. They install the cost effective, sustainable filters in homes, orphanages, school and churches in developing countries. The filters actually use the same technology found in kidney dialysis, and remove 99.99% of bacteria and protozoa. It requires no electricity, or fuel source! And while we are in their homes, or schools, we have the chance to develop a relationship with them, and learn more about them and their lives. The core values of the organization are compassion, integrity, and excellence. We are God’s hands and feet, and we are here to bring hope.
I for one am so incredibly excited to serve with them this upcoming August, in Panama. I will be heading out the 19th, so if around that time you happen to think of me and my team, send up a prayer for safe travels, and that we are able to help many, and even more importantly, form wonderful relationships while we are down there.
Children die every day from water related illnesses… but there is a way to help. Won’t you join?
Check out Water Saves website, to see what I will be up to, or to go on a trip yourself! http://www.watersaves.org/home.html
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Okay, so I know that I have been focusing a lot on youth, and youth ministries, but I have come to the conclusion that I think it is so important to start a strong foundation in the young generation. We are the next generation, and we are the future. This is a daunting but encouraging thought. We have the power to change the world. While I am not considered a “youth” technically, I would consider myself to be in the next generation range. And there is something powerful about knowing that you have what it takes to make a difference and grow stronger and closer to our God. This organization that I learned about was kind of through a random encounter. I learned about it through a blog, which I found via Facebook. (PS, the blogger was using WordPress, you go girl!) The blogger talked about going on a 5-6-month trip on the DTS training with YWAM. I of course was very intrigued because she was talking about New Zealand, and I was so curious as to what these abbreviations were! So, I looked them up and learned of an organization called “Youth With A Mission”.
YWAM is a global movement of Christians from many different ages and walks of life, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. There common purpose is to know God and to make Him known. They currently are working in more than 1,100 locations in over 180 countries, with a staff of over 18,000. This has many amazing opportunities within the YWAM, but the thing that really intrigued me was the training aspect that the organization provides, and the introductory course is called DTS (Discipleship Training School). Through their training programs, they aim to better equip Christians to grow in their relationship with God and to serve others in anything from agriculture to health care. They have everything you could want! Their training school is offered in many nations and many languages. They even offer a YMAM University of the Nations, which offers specialized study in areas like science and technology, humanities, and Christian ministry.
The Discipleship Training School is a full-time program that last five or six months, and consists of two parts: lecture phase and outreach phase. And the other awesome part of this is that there are over 200 YWAM locations all over the world, so whatever country you have a passion to see, they can make that happen for you, and you can also look up certain areas that meet your passion, such as exercise and fitness. They also offer short-term mission opportunities that can last anywhere from 1 week to 2 years! I am so happy that I stumbled on this website, because as I write about it, I get more excited about it! This seems like the most well-rounded opportunistic website I have visited. It looks awesome!
Are you looking to change our future generation? A brighter tomorrow starts with a single step. Look at their website, and check out all the opportunities! https://www.ywam.org/wp/
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If you are a young adult, thirsting for something more out of this life, and a way to connect with the living God, then look no further than the organization called Flood the Nations! I love the name of the organization, let alone what they stand for. The mission of Flood the Nations is to bring the living water (Christ), to a world that is thirsting for the love and passion only God can bring us. He gave us His love and life, to go out into all the nations and share it abundantly. Flood the Nations reaches youth, students and young adults through cross cultural missions, Thirsty Generation conferences, and the mission water project. Annually, teams are heading to Honduras, and they are now expanding into Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
They haven’t stopped just there though! They are also reaching the United States by the Thirsty Generation conferences, which are impacting young adults and youth with the love, grace and power of God. They believe in reaching, training and sending out the younger generation to the nations, and see them transformed through service projects, worship conferences and discipleship.
The mission trip that you will be sent out on is called the “Mission Water Project”, which is an outreach where you will be providing clean and safe water for children and families across the globe. Their missions teams build partnerships with the villages that you visit, and this will then start opening doors to health, education, and hope for the future. Did you know that unsafe water affects more people worldwide than AIDS and cancer combined? Did you know that one child every 15 seconds dies from a disease related to unclean water? That last fact in itself should call us into action, and to go flood the nations! How do they do this? One simple filter. The Hyraid BioSand Water Filter removes parasites, bacteria, and viruses from contaminated water, making it safe to drink. And the best news about this filter is that it can provide clean drinking water to a family for 10 whole years. Flood the Nations isn’t just going in for a short-term hand out. They go in, open their hearts to these people, and provide them a lasting solution for an ongoing problem, all while introducing them to the Living Water, our God.
Think you are up to the challenge?
Check out their website here! http://www.floodthenations.org/
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What is Young Life?
You may have heard it mentioned at a local college campus, or within your high school, but many aren’t aware of what exactly it is. I wasn’t aware of it either, and it was offered right on my own college campus, and I now have many friends who are connected into the YL program, and have seen lives changed for the better because of it. It has created a community of like-minded students throughout the country, who are on a mission to spread the love of God, just by being there and being in relationship with the students around them. At the end of the day it always comes back to the simple word: relationships.
Young Life isn’t a program. It is adults who care enough about kids and college students to go reach out to them, on their “turf” and building true friendships. These relationships don’t happen overnight though, they take time, trust, and consistency, so being a young life leader means spending many hours with kids, and meeting where they are, just as they are. They believe that kids’ lives can be dramatically changed when a caring adult steps in alongside of them, sharing in God’s love with them. The kids that they lead will begin to see that their lives really do have a huge purpose, and they are worth more than anything in this world. Their motto is “loving kids regardless of their responses”. They know firsthand how hard it is to love on kids that give you nothing in return, and don’t seem to respond back to you. But just as a seed that you plant takes time and attention to grow, the same could be said for kids, and the transformation is amazing to watch.
YL’s vision is that together, with eyes forward, they are diving deeper into their walk with Jesus while helping young people grow deeper in their faith, while building relationships with more young people all over the world. They want to help introduce young adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. How do they accomplish this? They accomplish it by praying for young people, going where the kids are, and providing fun, adventurous and life changing experiences. They also work on preparing kids for a life-long relationship with Christ, and a love for His word, as well as having a like-minded adult community surrounding the leaders.
How can you get involved? There are many different option through Young Life, and it isn’t limited to just one age group! You can work with kids or college students, and they also have different chapters for adults and parents, as well as alumni. They also have different ministry opportunities in different areas like high school, international, expeditions, multicultural, Young Lives, and global leaders. Their ministry opportunities are unique, and they keep the options wide open so that you can find just the right one to fit your likes. Even if you don’t have Young Life in your community, they will help you get in touch with someone who is close and can help you to get started on creating it!
There is so, so, SO much within the Young Life realm, and the options are endless, I can’t even begin to write about them, I wouldn’t know where to start! If this interests you at all, I highly encourage you go online and check out their website to look into all the different experiences they have to offer.
Check out their website! https://www.younglife.org/Pages/default.aspx
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