New year's news

2011 Begins...
Aloha, I hope you had a wonderful holiday season! God's blessings are often hard to quantify in a day or a week or a month, how much more so in remembering his faithful love, provision and guidance through an entire year! As you look back on 2010, I pray that you would see with new eyes, the unmistakable fingerprints of the God of the universe, actively enriching your life, and that those reminders fill you with expectation to see Him even more in 2011! As I think back on God's faithfulness, I think of an incident in May, traveling from Herrnhut, Germany to Indonesia. Due to my own oversight, I missed the train I needed to take to the airport, and ended up waiting an hour and a half for the next train. I stepped off the train at the Herrnhut airport 7 minutes before take off, rushed to the ticketing desk, was escorted through security, onto the plane, and took off on time! I sat down in my seat (14A) nearly fainting from shock or gratitude or a combination of both as I thought to myself "only God could have gotten me on this plane!"

Central American excursion

The past two weeks I've been in the nation of Costa Rica. In addition to this little Latin-American country's legendary beauty, I believe God has some amazing plans in its future, and I was incredibly blessed to be part of what He's doing there now. Several years ago, a missions base and training center called "Pura Vida Missions" was founded in Heredia, Costa Rica, in order to reach out to nearby communities, assist local church leadership and serve the local church in practical ways. Most recently, this has included launching a 10-month ministry school to train both native Costa Rican Christians, as well as international students with a heart for that nation. I was invited to teach for two weeks in that school on Bible survey and tools of inductive Bible study. It was an incredible time of fellowship, and mutual encouragement and learning, as I was challenged by each of the students' dreams for serving God, and blessing the nation of Costa Rica. In addition to taking ministry related classes each week, each student is regularly engaging in the local community in areas of evangelism, church work (leading youth groups, worship times outreaches etc.) as well as community development work in exploited communities and disaster areas.

sunset over Heredia, Costa Rica

campfire at the Heredia YWAM base with

With some students, going to visit YWAM

Campfire worship time

Costa Rican possums

Back to Business
This year won't see me traveling as much as last year, which is partly a blessing :-). I will be leading a 9 month ministry school called School of Biblical Studies back in Kona, Hawaii. I am really looking forward to this opportunity, both to invest into a new group of students, hungry for Gods' word, and also to invest into the community of Kona. I am believing that God will speak to the hearts of the students He wants to see take this course, and multiply His message in the nations. Could you be praying that the way would be opened for these students to come? Many from the developing world are still believing for things like visas, plane tickets and financial provision in order to be part of this school. Students for this school are expected to come from nations such as the United States, Norway, Rwanda, South Korea, China and Moldova.

Teaching Inductive Bible Study for DTS in Kona, Hawaii

Prayer for Nations
India:
I spent some time in India last summer, and recently had lunch with a friend who had just returned from a medical mission there. As we talked, I was reminded of some of the things that stood out to me while I was there, not just the visible, ever present poverty, idolatry and social oppression, but the subtle darkness, perceptible to believers as we look from the outside in on those whom Isaiah describes as "walking in darkness." The thing I would ask for you to join me in prayer for is the numerous new churches in regions such as Orissa, India, where the violence and hatred stem from not only religious animosity, but economic exploitation and a still present, if not condoned or legal, oppressive caste system. Pray for supernatural protection of believers in communities targeted by fundamentalist groups. Pray that Christians will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to respond in the opposite spirit, with love and compassion. Pray that the enemies of God's people will, like Saul on the road to Tarsus, be won over by the power of Jesus to transform any life. You can visit persecution.org for more information on the persecution in India and how to pray for these events.

Some of my team in Indian garb, experiencing the local transportation

The local produce market

Visiting the Taj Mahal

Giving thanks in Kona

Happy Thanksgiving!

Aloha! November here on the big island looks a lot different than November at home. No fall foliage, not nearly as many pumpkins, but Thanksgiving, in any climate, is a great opportunity to count our blessings, and remember all of God's faithfulness in the past year. I'm so thankful for you and the partnership we share in God's kingdom, and the work He is doing around the world. As this quarter of training comes to an end at the U of N, around 500 students are preparing to leave on international outreaches to places like Cambodia, Thailand, China, Mozambique, South Africa, Colombia and many others. Most of these students are youth, who are giving up their holiday season, spending it away from friends and family, in foreign countries for the sake of the gospel. I feel privileged to have gotten to know them, and be part of many of their schools, and I hope you will join me in praying for God's protection over their teams, and for His power to minister through them as they leave for the nations. Also, I've put a video sideshow on youtube documenting some of this years travels with PhotogenX and you can view that here!

Use whatever language you know to thank the Lord for all his blessings!

SourceView™ Bible project

The past month I have been working with a team of editors, proof readers and publishers on a new Bible publication that I want to tell you about. The SourceView™ Bible is the first major innovation in the formatting of the Biblical text since the introduction of verses into the Scriptures nearly five hundred years ago! This breakthrough layout highlights the dramatic narrative of the original manuscripts and enhances the reader’s ability to follow the story. The reader can, at any given moment, clearly see who is speaking the words recorded in the Bible. The natural flow of the Biblical story comes to life as the drama unfolds with no artificial breaks. The multicolored text reads much like a movie script, engaging the reader in the page-turning interplay of those who form the speaking cast of God’s story. The format features a new reference system built on the natural dialogue found within the Biblical text, a new multicolored layout of the text and a left-hand column with character subtitles that inform the reader who the speaker is. Never again will you feel lost in the text with questions like “Who’s speaking?” or “What’s going on here?” It is set for an Easter release date from Tyndale House Publishers, and you can see a sample of the text and pre-order your own copy in the New Living translation at the link above.

sample cover of the SourceView Bible

Upcoming Events
This year I am excited to be spending the holidays (Christmas & New Year) at home in Pennsylvania, and for the chance to see many friends and family members in that time. From there I will be spending some time with some new Bible schools recently started in Costa Rica and Fiji, before returning to "home base" to prepare to lead the 9-month, School of Biblical Studies here in Kona. Already there are students accepted from places like China, Tanzania, Norway, and several other nations. I would like to see 25-30 students be part of this course, so we have the next 4 months to believe for 10-15 more students to apply. I guess a common theme from this newsletter could be summed up by Matthew 9:38 "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Costa Rica: Trip one, with Josh, Jason, Michael and Nick doing building projects for Youth With A Mission.

Costa Rica trip two: With VCF youth group to Pura Vida ministries

Prayer for Nations: Fiji

This island nation has undergone unbelievable transformation in the last few decades, both religiously and economically. Recognized throughout the world as a coveted tourist destination, Fiji's religious roots, both past and present often go overlooked. Once a place where animism ruled supreme, and witch-doctors ruled by fear, and even cannibalism was practiced as a religious rite. God has been moving in Fiji however, and the blood, sweat and tears poured out by missionaries and intercessors over that land has borne a harvest, culminating in a nation wide revival several years ago.
Now, Fiji is considered an evangelized nation, but what is more exciting to me is that there is a deep longing in the Fijian church to become a sending force in the global harvest. YWAM has partnered with believers in Fiji to train and equip Fijian missionaries, who are willing to go to the ends of the earth. This February, I have the opportunity to be part of this movement, as I go to teach a School of Biblical Studies run on the island of Vunayasi. Please pray that the work that God is doing in Fiji will bear fruit for the Kingdom all over the world!

Students study God's word at YWAM, Fiji

students from YWAM Fiji at work on a community development project.

Time goes by

My October thus far...

After a fun-filled arrival day, (where 650 new students arrived at the campus) the University of the Nations looks much busier than it has in several years. Students from over 30 nations, and from every continent, converge here for a quarter of study, worship, and passionate pursuit of our heavenly father. I have the great privilege this quarter of teaching in several of the training schools we run here, as well as assist and coach several new staff as they learn to teach the word of God. I am also facilitating some of the community outreach projects for the students to serve our local mission field here in Kona, I'm hoping this will include outreaches like feeding the homeless, street evangelism and community service projects. At the end of this month I have the opportunity to preach at a local church here in Kona, please pray that God would speak through me to bring a message that encourages and blesses the Kona Coast Chaplaincy.

A hula dancer performs at a welcoming ceremony for the students at the U of N

Students present the flags of their nations for their classmates

YWAM 50th year celebration comes to Kona
It is Youth With A Mission’s Jubilee (50th; Leviticus 25:8) Year, and we are celebrating with all the colors and cultures as only a multinational group can. All across the globe YWAM Bases have been celebrating 50 years of world missions, launched by Loren Cunningham's vision of waves of young people taking nations for Jesus, and in late November the party will all culminate with the final celebration here at YWAM Kona. Our Kona community is preparing for a swell of close to 5,000 as people from over 100 countries come to celebrate what God is doing in this world. PhotogenX’s will be launching a number of new initiatives at the celebration, as well as holding a seminar on creative media in missions. Our Biblical studies department is hoping to connect with many of our co-workers, who are doing similar things around the world. FOR MORE INFO VISIT - www.ywam50.com/kona.

Are you an Ironman?
This past week, our little town of Kona was host to the world championship of Ironman triathlons. Staff and students from the U of N volunteered in areas of security, water safety and athlete aid stations, helping everything run smoothly for the athletes who complete 2.4 miles swimming, then a 112 mile bike race, followed by a 26.2 mile marathon, under the scorching Hawaiian sun. For me, the race is always motivational on several levels. On one hand, I am motivated in the area of physical exercise (which usually lasts a few weeks) and on the other, I can't help but be reminded of the spiritual parallels the apostle Paul draws from the task of an athlete. For Ironman athletes, training is only part of what goes into completing the race. All the runs, bike training and swimming lead up to this event, but unless their body is properly hydrated, given proper nutrition, and protected from the sun, their big race day will more than likely end in disappointment. As a Christian, I hope to continually learn from this illustration, and remember to constantly seek nourishment from the Word, hydration from the Holy Spirit, the source of living water, and protection in the fellowship of other believers and in the equipping of the armor of God (Ephesians 6).

2010 Ironman world Champion

an Ironman contestant begins their early morning swim into the ocean.

On the bike for 112 miles.

Prayer for Nations: Afghanistan
No nation has been in more of a constant state of uncertainty and chaos the past decade than Afghanistan. It's government has been replaced, it's loyalties questioned and tested, its culture and religion blamed for atrocities, and it's people overlooked and marginalized. I have a student this quarter from Afghanistan, and talking with him about his home has put a burden on my heart to see God work in the way only he can to bring breakthrough to that nation. In the past few months YWAM missionaries and Christians from other groups have paid the ultimate price for bringing the Gospel to Afghanistan, and it was the sad duty of one of our most recent DTS outreach teams to facilitate a memorial service there for some of the long term workers who had been killed for the Gospel. When you read this, please say a prayer for the protection of our workers still there, who will remain nameless for security purposes. I have several good friends currently serving the Lord in Afghanistan, and I'm praying that the Lord gives them supernatural protection and wisdom in how to minister, but also supernatural boldness, that His kingdom may go forth in that nation!

Return to Kona

Back on the big island!

After a great summer at home in Pennsylvania and taking my church's youth group to Costa Rica, I returned to the University of the Nations' main campus to continue my commitment teaching the School of Biblical Studies. A lot of changes are happening here. God has opened the doors for new schools to begin, new classrooms and dorms are being built. A larger-than-ever influx of students from all over the world are arriving in just a few short days to receive training in evangelism, church planting, counseling, health-care, film-making, etc. and to be sent out into the nations with a message of peace, hope and love. I'm excited to be part of what God is going to do here in the coming months, to see his transformational power impact our campus, our community, and ultimately our world!

The fountain at the plaza of the nations, University of the Nations, Hawaii

Students represent their nations with flags at a welcome ceremony

Update from Nigeria

I recently shared a testimony in my home church about a revival that is taking place in Nigeria among militant rebel groups. I've just heard an update from YWAM's founder, Loren Cunningham, that I wanted to share with you. In a nutshell, last year the Lord put it on my heart to have the school I was leading commit to pray for Nigeria and the political and religious tension there. After a few weeks, we began to hear reports that our fellow YWAMmers in Nigeria were fearlessly going into rebel camps, preaching the gospel and casting out demons. Whole guerrilla armies were coming to Christ, renouncing violence and confessing Jesus as the only hope for peace in their nation. Hundreds came to the nearby YWAM bases to do basic discipleship schools. Since then, over 8,000 former militants have given their hearts to the Lord. The government of Nigeria has been so impressed by the transformation they have seen in these men that they have begun to offer amnesty to any and all former guerrillas from these groups, provided they complete YWAM's discipleship training school! God is truly using his people there to disciple and change the nation!

Students are commissioned as they leave Kona for outreach

Mobile Word

This upcoming semester, I will be leading a ministry from YWAM's Bible department called "mobile word." Our goal is to incorporate Bible teaching and Bible study into our community of Kona, as well as the other schools happening on campus. Myself and a team of 5 staff from the School of Biblical Studies will be developing new cirriculum for weekly seminars, and for various audiences in an effort to integrate and emphasize God's word in everything our staff and students do here at the UofN. I'm really excited for this project, as it will be an amazing way to invest in and bless our local mission field (Kona, Hawaii) and I believe it will also add a richness and depth to some of the courses we have been running here on campus. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as we pioneer this project in the next few months.

Loren Cunningham dedicates a new building to God's purposes on campus

Prayer for Nations: Hawaii.

No part of the United States is as unique and different, both culturally and geographically, than Hawaii. A chain of Islands still being formed by volcanic forces of the earth, Hawaii is the most remote land mass on the planet. The University of the Nations was established here on the big Island of Hawaii as a strategic campus for training and launching missionaries into the Pacific Islands and Asia. While this dream is realized every three months, as hundreds are sent out to those mission fields, another purpose I believe we are located here for is to see God's transformational power come to the Hawaiian Islands. In the last year or two we have begun to see this purpose be realized in new and amazing ways. Evangelism and ministry teams sent out into our community are seeing God move in healing, words of knowledge and salvation We don't want it to end there, but for God to break through in full fledged revival! Would you pray with me this month for God's presence to break through in Hawaii? His touch is greatly needed. Hawaii has some of the biggest drug, abuse, education and teen pregnancy problems in the Nation. New programs aren't going to be the answer, God's presence is the answer!

Farewell to summer

All good things come to an end

It's been a wonderful two months of summer. It is now time to wrap up vacation mode however. Next week I am returning to YWAM to begin work with another training course. I don't know where all the student's are coming from, but I am sure of the calling God has on their lives, so I am excited to be part of it. I will be teaching in the Discipleship Training school and the School of Biblical Studies, both of which focus on raising up young people, giving them skills and tools to help them succeed on the mission field, and sending them out to the nations. I will also be working on developing some courses for Bible study that we can do as mobile classes throughout the middle east.

VCF's youth group in Costa Rica
I had the opportunity to go with my home church's youth group to Costa Rica on their summer missions trip. What a great trip, amazing youth group, wonderful ministry and as for the country, well I don't think I've ever met anyone who complained about Costa Rica :-). Our group worked with youth groups from several other Vineyard east coast, churches, doing projects that ranged from open air ministry to construction, to community service. The most exciting part for me was to see the kids stepping out in faith, and seeing God meet them in unexpected and powerful ways. It was a huge blessing to be there with other groups; as iron sharpens iron, these youth groups really encouraged one another to press into God, and it reflected in our prayer and worship times as well as in our ministry there. I've posted a full photo album on my website's photo album page and a few photos here for you to view.

worship in the grove with the VCF youth group.

quiet time at the cross

Eric and AJ performing "el Champion!"

Indigenous wildlife

frogs of all colors

and the bluest of butterflies

Volcanoes tower over tropical rain forests

Return to my mission field...
Hawaii! That's right, I've tried a lot of places, and there just aren't any others challenging enough! Kidding, but I feel a peace about the Lord leading me back to Kona and, even though it was not the plan, (or so I thought) the biggest current need I can fill is to return there this coming year and lead the School of Biblical Studies. And God is beginning to really stir my faith up for the year ahead. Last year my students went to places like India, Egypt, Japan and China to use their Bible training in teaching and starting new Bible schools. I believe that God wants to see the same and more with this next school... and if it means I have to SUFFER in Hawaii... so be it :-). It's actually a wonderful town (Kona, Hawaii) and a great campus for studying the word, and God is doing amazing things in Kona, as well as sending missionaries out from there.

Prayer for Nations: Costa Rica:
A nation known for it's beautiful scenery, cascading waterfalls and pristine beaches; known for "pura vida" the "pure life," of simplicity, contentment and bliss. As the VCF youth group ministered in Costa Rica we discovered another side of this country, one that includes poverty, superstition and fear. Our mission, as followers of Christ, was to let our lights shine, to pierce the darkness, and let Jesus bring his kingdom through us. Our trip was short, but I believe our prayer mandate over Costa Rica continues on, and I hope you will join us in lifting up the missionaries we worked with there at PVM (Pura Vida Missions,) and to lift up the workers who are dedicating their lives to serving the Lord in this country. Pray that Costa Rica regains it's national identity of "the pure life" with Jesus Christ as the center of that identity. While we were there we saw several people make commitments to the Lord during our ministry times. Pray that the hearts that were touched by our testimonies, skits and dramas, will find Christian communities to strengthen them and help them grow.

Summer's here.

I am back in PA after 6 months of travels with the PhotogenX crew. Lot's of stories, lot's of God breaking through... more highlights than low lights. In the total duration of the trip I was in 17 countries, teaching 32 books of the Bible and a few other lectures for different YWAM courses and bases, and I wanted to share some pictures and stories from the last few locations our team went.

PhotogenX time with the Roma people

With time winding down on the road, there has been no shortage of highlights for my team and me as we traveled through eastern Europe. While most of our time there was in Hungary, three of the students and myself, took a week to visit central Romania, to do a project with a people group known as the Gypsies or, Roma people. We had an amazing time learning and documenting their journey and their struggles as a people group, and were able to minister to both the poorest of the poor, as well as meet, interview and pray with the Gypsy royal family. Part of this trip included me learning how to drive a stick-shift car in Budapest, and driving 12 hours to Hungary... kind of a "crash course," but without the "crash" praise the Lord!

visiting a Roma village in central Romania

a toddler demonstrating traditional Roma dancing

Humanities in Hungary

We had a fantastic time during our few weeks in Budapest, Hungary. It was an interesting place to study subjects such as "God' in Government, Economics & international relations." Hungary was behind the iron curtain 20 years ago, and has a fascinating history and culture, forged out of a volatile struggle centered on the subjects we were studying. One place we visited was "the House of Terror" which is a memorial to the victims of the communist and fascist governments that ruled Hungary last century. It was a sobering place for me as I discussed with students the roots of these forms of government, and the dire effects of taking God out of the authority structures of a nation. In addition to this, I think it was a powerful reminder to all of us, that we need to be crying out to God in prayer for our own nation.

bbq for our Hungarian love feast

climbing the stairs at the Fisherman's' Bastion, Budapest, Hungary

Open doors in Kashmir, India

God was preparing hearts and opportunities to receive our team before we even made it to India. While there, we were still doing classes, and had the privilege of having for our guest speaker, Vishal Mangalwadi, an Indian, Christian, thinker & writer who was able to share with us on Indian culture, worldview and religion. Our group was invited to share at the University of Kashmir, and after meeting the students there, we were able to explore the area with some of them as our guides. We did a photography exhibition sponsored by some local businesses, displaying photography from around the world, as well as a section revealing the beauty of Kashmir. It was also great to be able to partner with local ministries as the workers there reach out to the predominately Muslim population.

found a place to watch the world cup at our photography exhibit

a common Indian traffic hazard

local produce sold by the road

some pictures © Savannah Chastain, 2010. Used with permission