My Job Next Quarter

Season's greetings! :-)

My job for next quarter has been made official-I will be hospitality head. Woot woot! I was in hospitality with my boss (hospitality head), and another girl who also worked in the same department. The positions are always prayed over, which is an encouragement to me! Usually, staff are in the same department for at least two quarters (two schools) before they are switched to another department.

I am happy for my position for the next school, and the opportunity to serve the base with "hospo" skills :) It will definitely be more challenging with the details that come with it, but it will be good leadership experience.

~Violetta

Christmas in Maui

Oh my goodness! I don't know if I want laugh or cry :) it has been a week since our Fall DTS left for outreach, and it has been so empty on our base! Our base staff continued to work until Friday, and now have Christmas break until the end of the month. To be honest, it was sad to see the students leave for their outreach... it was my first quarter as staff, and first group of students I grew close to while working. But I am also enjoying my first official day of Christmas break today! I won't be going home for Christmas, which is another sad part of my blog... but I am looking forward to resting, spending quality time with Jesus, exploring the island, spending time with friends and other staff staying for Christmas, along with other hobbies. :)

The staff that are staying for Christmas have decorated our main living room area with lights, a tree, stockings, and other festive items around the house. It makes it much more like home! We even put fake snow on the windows :) It's hard not being with my family, but will make the best of having a green Christmas.

Summer DTS Graduation!

The Bangladesh Team

The Borneo Team

This weekend was filled with lots of excitement from the summer school testimony night on Wednesday night, and graduation on Friday. And my hospitality job was definitely busy :-) For testimony night, all the staff and students gathered to listen to what God is doing in their outreach locations.

The Bangladesh team shared how they saw so much oppression, poverty, and need during their outreach on a daily basis. They spoke of the spiritual oppression they experienced and how it easily effected their own lives. But through this, they learned to stand against it with prayer, and depend on God in new ways. God used this team to shine in Bangladesh with joy and love that the people are so hungry for! :-)

The Borneo team also shared how God used them. Their main focus was traveling to different churches to encourage and disciple believers. They explained how apathy among believers was very strong in the country, but how God used them to bring excitement and revival with the people. They encouraged the people with Bible studies, church services, house visits, and dramas that always had huge crowds of people interested. God is awesome!

I also wanted to update on my needs financially. Next month, my bills will be increasing by $130 because of college loans that are starting. I would really appreciate your prayers and financial support. Thank you for supporting me so far, it truly makes a difference. :-)

Community Outreach

Every Tuesday, I get the opportunity to lead a group of the students in Community Outreach. There are three locations on the island our base focuses on; and is a time we take to love the people around us. My group focuses on helping two business' nearby with any cleaning they need done such as organizing, sweeping, mopping, etc... Our goal is to be a light by serving the people who own the business', and speaking about our faith. It is not only fun, but also a learning experience to love people through the little things in life.

a couple of pictures of community outreach

organizing clothes

Packed House!

The Summer DTS school came back from Asia on Saturday... and the base is PACKED! :) They will be here for a week and leave after their graduation ceremony. This week will give them time to debrief with the base leaders and process their time out of the country before going home. It is definitely an important week, and will help them adjust to life at home after an intense six months.

It is also encouraging for the Fall DTS school because they will here fresh stories of what outreach is like, and have a chance to get more excited of how God will use them.

Also, the Fall school is leaving in seventeen days! WOW! That will be a sad day for me to see them leave, but exciting at the same time :) Now more than ever they are finishing details, and preparing for their adventure.

Fall DTS School listening to one of the speakers

Group Picture of the Fall School

Prayer Requests

In less than two weeks our Summer DTS Team will be coming back from their outreach to Asia! We are so excited, even though our base will be super packed for a week while they debrief :-) Please pray they will arrive safely. Here they are!

One of the latest news for our base is that our Summer DTS leader, Tik, was deported when flying back from Thailand. She was visiting the Summer school teams that had gone on outreach, and unfortunately her visa was rejected and she was sent back to Thailand. She is definitely needed on our base! Our leadership team was planning on placing her as Winter DTS School leader in January. So please pray that her application for another visa will be accepted by the end of this year. Thankyou! Here is a picture of Tik, along with Isaac who helped her lead the Summer DTS.

Baptism Day

Last weekend our speakers had a baptism at the beach. Nine of our students decided to be dunked! :-) It was such a perfect day for the occasion.

praying for the students after they were baptized

Other than that, the week went by so fast! I hit a couple of low points during the week, and didn't understand why I felt so empty/had feelings of being burnt out. I was a little frustrated actually realizing I have only started my commitment with YWAM. But after spending some much needed time with Jesus, I realized THAT was the problem. He gave me a picture of myself as a wilted flower from not letting Him nourish me. That is something I am learning to do... often I get filled from spending time with Him/the Word etc... and feel super energized and excited to build relationships and love the people around me-and then stop being as intentional with my relationship with God. Then I start to crash because I run out of fuel :-) I get annoyed at myself when this happens... especially when I feel like I should have learned the first time! But I always love how God has open arms for me when I mess up :-) something I am learning how to balance in my life :) love it. love Him. weeeeeeeee

pictures!

Snapshots of my life working at YWAM

hospitality homies :-)

enjoying the beach on the weekend

cliff jumping this past weekend..woooo!

the staff/students get to hang out

Just starting!

September already?! Time is going by so fast:) I have already been working as staff in YWAM for over a month. But I absolutely love working here! Right now my position is in the hospitality department; which includes baking, cleaning, event-planning, and taking care of the school's speakers that come every week. It is a Monday-Friday job (sometimes we do some work over the weekend), with the weekends usually free to spend time with students, go to the beach, rest, etc...

The twenty-six students here are great! They are so hungry for God and what He wants to do in their lives. And I love spending time with them when I get the chance.

This week the speaker spoke on intercession and intimacy with God, and I got to sit in on two night lectures. (I can't during the day because of work) I loved it! It was one of my favorite topics to learn. Plus, God has been teaching me so much! More than I expected for only being on staff for almost two months.

Some of the things God is teaching me is to not keep Him in a box, and allow Him more freedom to move in my life. It is so easy to limit Him, and I am done with that. I am so hungry for His presence in my life, and learning what that looks like. I want more than just a quiet time with God then done for the rest of the day... I crave His voice in my life-intimacy is what I want! There are many other things He has been teaching me, but I need to go to bed :)

Some things I have been doing lately...

*Remodeling my room a bit that me and two other staff live in. It needs some spice! This weekend I am going to paint/collage/etc.

*Practicing guitar when I get the chance; I reaaaaallllly want to be good at this. Singing and guitar have been a passion growing inside of me, especially for worship.

*I went to a Purity Siege this weekend! It was amazing. A bunch of us went and prayed for purity on this island and in our generation. A lot to explain, so look at this link!

Purity Siege


Love,

Violetta