SBS in Kona and Budapest

Well I just got back from my time in Switzerland and Hungary, so blessed to be able to be a part of what God is doing in YWAM over there! All my travel went smoothly and teaching in the SBS in Budapest was an incredible week. I was able to spend time with students and YWAM staff from Lebanon, USA, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Macedonia, Singapore among others, teaching in the mornings and being part of the community there. God totally orchestrated my time, and the trip was a great blessing to the staff team who had been praying for a speaker for that week before I committed to go. While I was there I taught three books in their SBS: Lamentations, Nahum and Zephaniah. They have a team of two SBS staff pioneering a new school there, which is a huge amount of work, and it was great to be able to bless them this past week.

Divine appointments

I try to remember I Peter 3:15 as I travel which says: "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." On my flights and train trips these past two weeks I've been able to have some great conversations that I believe God set up and I want to share one with you.

Last Sunday I took a train overnight from Switzerland to Hungary. The only other person who spoke english near me was a Hungarian girl who was going back home after vacation. We talked for a while and one of the things she shared with me was she had been a Jahova's witness for several year but recently had stopped believing in that religion. We had a long conversation about who Jesus is, and when I got my bible out to show her some scriptures another girl across from us got really excited and pulled out a Hungarian Bible from her bag. The two of them then started speaking Hungarian (effectively ending my part of the conversation) but when we were leaving the train my new friend shared with me that the other girl had told her about a church she could go to and they were going to stay in touch. So praise God! That's the power of His word!

Poetry from Jeremiah

I recently taught the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations, this is a poem I've written to try and capture the timeless message Jeremiah has for the children of God.

Daughter Zion

Awake! Fix your eyes on me, daughter, my love.
Set your path on the statutes that come from above.
For the rain has poured down, behold, everything’s new,
Heaven and earth I made special for you.
When I saw you rejected me by what you’ve done,
I gave you new hope by the birth of my Son.
Miracles can happen as you, daughter, can see,
And all of your blessings come straight from me.
How long will you waver before doing what’s right?
It’s not hard, look to me my love; I’ll be your light.
For behold, I’ve created this new thing on earth,
My own death in a man, your new life at his birth.
Could I stand idly by and watch all I love fall,
Or remember their pain, and in turn, give it all?
And that’s what I did; I fixed all that you broke,
I rent heaven and earth and I lifted your yoke.
Clap your hands, sing aloud or the stones will cry out,
Oh, my heart skips a beat at the sound of your shout.
For I’ve done all these things so you might have a clue,
All I want in this world is to spend time with you.