It's hard to believe it's been four months since I arrived in London. In many ways, it feels like I've lived many lifetimes since I arrived. Sometimes life in YWAM just doesn't seem to be done in real time. We have the opportunity to experience loads of things in a very short amount of time. The DTS began about a month and a half ago. God has already began to break down walls in my heart that have needed to be broken.
This week we've had teaching from Jorge Rios and he's been talking about being a new creation. When we are born again, something has to change inside of us. If it doesn't, then we have to question whether or not we've really been changed and whether our salvation is for real. God showed up this week for me. I realized just how much I fear failure. I've put so many pressures on myself from work, relationships, and even in my quiet times with God. I want to succeed and I stress out if I don't think I will. But God has broken through so many of those things and began to give me freedom in those moments. He's reminded me I just need to chill and let him work and do what he needs to. He'll work, he'll move, and I just need to chill and not put the pressures on myself that I have in the past. Going forth in my own strength isn't going to help me at all. Rather, it will make things worse because I will be trying to do it without God. When he's put certain things on my heart, then he's will complete them, not me.
Besides the intenseness of this week, we also went on outreach on Liverpool and Manchester two weeks ago which was quite awesome. We started in Liverpool, the birthplace of the Beatles. It was nice to be by water again. It was a beautiful city. We joined up with the YWAM base there that currently only has two full time staff members. We stayed in a flat that was owned by an older couple who belong to a local church. They were super sweet. Being able to be in Liverpool allowed us to really feel like we're in England. Being in London, there's so much international influence and multi culturalness which is great but to really experience British culture, it was wonderful to be in Liverpool and Manchester and to actually get a sense of that culture. We found people to be really friendly in both cities. In Liverpool, we performed some songs and our visual track did some art pieces. We were able to talk with people and share Christ in that way. We also walked the city to get a sense of the area. The YWAM base in Liverpool is also involved with a ministry to prostitutes. They took us to the spot where the girls work. We prayed over the area where the YWAM workers have been ministering to the girls.
Manchester was quite interesting. We stayed a church and the pastor was awesome. However, it was definitely in a more dodgy part of town. But to be able to be a light in that area was awesome. We went into the city center one of the days and performed and then had the chance to talk to people. One of the girls and I saw a girl sitting by herself. We went over and asked if there was anything we could pray for. She responded that she had been diagnosed with a tissue disease that made her really tired. We prayed for her. Then after we prayed, she told us she was a Christian but she had never had someone randomly come up and pray for her and just how cool it was. God used that moment to encourage her.
We had hoped to be in Brighton this week but connections with churches fell through. We still hope to go but there's a chance we won't. This week we've been continuing to work on our tracks so there's been new songs to learn, monologues to write and perform for theatre, and a huge blessing for me in that I also get to join the writing track! Being able to express and release through writing has been amazing so far. To check out my writing for our writing track, please visit www.writeuponthestars.blogspot.co.uk
As I close, prayer would be awesome for the rest of the outreaches that they would happen and we would make the right connections in all the places we wish to go. Also, prayer that God continues to do a work in our hearts and that we will be open to it. The final prayer request would be for unity amongst our team as well. I really do appreciate all your prayers while I've been here.
