Man, this one is really hard to write! We have been soooo busy and there is SOooo much to write! Idk how to sum it up! So, first of all… My past couple weeks started off with the GREAT news that I will be going to Southeast Asia for my outreach. I will be going to the nation of Cambodia and potentially one other bordering nation. I am beyond excited, and seriously CANNOT wait to see where the Lord has me during that. I will be with 5 teammates and 2 staff members. We will be doing children’s ministry, prayer walks, door to door evangelism and much more. I AM STOKED! I still have to raise about $2,000, so prayer and support would be greatly, greatly appreciated! My team is great and we would LOVE LOVE LOVE the support and prayers of anyone and everyone! SWEET!
This is a Civilized picture of my Outreach team for Cambodia
This is the REAL outreach team for Cambodia!!!! HAHA
After hearing this news, my friend Brad and I decided to make a road trip to Kansas City, Missouri with another friend of ours , Caleb, and visit IHOP (the International House of Prayer). It was an AMAZING experience. We stayed in a Hotel for 2 nights thanks to my wonderful, hospitable, mother and really got to experience God’s Grace. We spent the weekend Fasting and praying and just spending time in God’s presence. So after fasting from food for 52 hours and spending a lot of time in the prayer room, we made our way back to Ozark. We had a BLASTTTT! And for those of you who know who she is, we got to MEET Misty Edwards. AHHHHHH!
This is Brad and I inside the prayer room at IHOP! We had Such an Amazing Time and really developed our relationship through spending time just hanging out together!
After returning, our class was blessed with an awesome speaker named Dawn Borchers. She came and brought a week’s worth of teaching on the topic of “The Fear of the Lord”, breaking many people’s misconception that that means being scared of God. She was such a blessing and was FILLED with wisdom on the topic. She shared with us that our God desires a deep intimate relationship with each of us, but that in order to attain that, we must be vulnerable and transparent to him. We really learned a lot about God’s heart and his heart for us! It was Superb!
The weekend following Dawn, we had the “YWAM Ozark 10 year anniversary “. This was so much fun! I got to meet Dean Sherman, who was a speaker that we saw on video back in the first 2 weeks, as well as many YWAM Ozark alumni. I got to meet new people and celebrate what God has done for this base in the past 10 years and got to pray for the next 10. I ALSO got to take part in a nice game of ULTIMATE FRISBEE!
This is our DTS meeting with Dean Sherman and hearing about the past 10 years at YWAM Ozark!
Just playing some Frisbee. Always going hard!
After the weekend, we were introduced to another DTS from Madison, Wisconsin and got to spend the next two weeks with them. The students were great! Very loving and very easy to jump in and spend time with. After arriving on Saturday night, and making our introductions, we left with them Sunday afternoon for a week in the woods camping. This week was amazing. During this week, we had class in the woods with a Speaker named Manuel, who was from Germany. HE was awesome and taught on the topic of Spiritual Warfare! It was great! I learned a lot during this week both during class time and chill time. During the week we went hiking, and repelling. The repelling was a good time. We went over an 80 foot cliff with a BEAUTIFUL view. It was so great! Then on the 2nd to last day of the trip, our staff took our tents, hammocks, machetes, toiletries, etc. and sent us into the woods in groups with no staff. They gave us food, 2 tarps, and a map, and said “see ya tomorrow”. We were then sent on an over-night hiking trip and had to “survive” and build our own shelter along the 12 mile hike. It was so fun!!! It was definitely a great end to the week.
As if that week wasn’t enough fun, we returned to base for 2 days and left again that Monday. This time we headed to Oklahoma for a YWAM conference where we spent a week with like 5 other DTS’s and schools.
It was amazing. I met some amazing people, and heard some awesome speakers. There were some really cool people. During the conference I got to go zip lining in the woods with the people above. We did it IN THE RAIN! SO MUCH FUN! On the last day of the conference, we did intercession for the nations. We laid a map on the floor and walk on it, and prayed for the nations. We prayed over our outreach nations and got to specifically intercede for our hometowns. It was really just an awesome time.
This is Everyone at the YWAM GO Conference, Interceding for the Nations! And Doing our Joshua Walk!
I got to play a lot of music and worship a lot. It was amazing. The theme was “the great commission” and we just learned about God’s heart for the great commission and how he desires us to reach ALL the nations and EVERY people group. Being inspired to read the stories and testimonies of many missionaries, I purchased about 15 books from the YWAM publishing, bookstore. It was awesome.
My new collection of books that i DO plan to read!
These past couples of weeks have literally just been amazing. The people, places, scenic views, scriptures, and overall experiences have been AMAZING! I am so thankful that I am here and cannot wait to continue experiencing the wonders of our GOD! HE IS HUGE, and who are we to put him in a box, because he will break out EVERY time!
Again, prayer is greatly appreciated and I will continue to keep you all updated! God Bless you guys! Much love, Michael!
Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
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