YWAM's 50th... Video Snapshots

The big 50th celebration was such a wonderful time in many ways!  I took some videos on my little camera of a few highlights... all of them music and dance snapshots.  The first two are from the incredible performances from the islanders on the opening and final nights.  What beautiful, deep, powerful expressions of their cultures through song and dance.  I was really struck by the wealth the islands have to offer the world.  It is their time to shine... all for the glory of God.

About half of my week was spent serving in the children's Wildfire program.  They engaged in various activities... one of them being praise and worship!  They loved singing and dancing to the song you hear in the video.  The man leading them, Andy Kennedy, came all the way from England with a team.  They did an awesome job putting on a very involved, fruitful program for the little ones.  Enjoy their innocence and joy while dancing for God :)

A Thanksgiving Water Contemplation

Journal entry 11/25/10: 
Watching the waves that are a bit rough this morning.  They are tossing this way and that, crashing into each other.  Then they come to the lava rocks by the shore.  Their tossing is interrupted by the presence of the immovable rocks.  The water changes its tone, gliding gently over the rocks until it lands in a peaceful pool of clear water.  The rough waters are like our souls... tossed to and fro.  The peaceful pool is our spirit, the Holy of Holies where your Spirit dwells Lord.  Jesus, you are our Rock... What you did on the cross made a way for our lives to become like peaceful pools.  You settle us to REST in our new identity as beloved children and then to be welcoming agents for others to receive You. 

"Come, find refuge and peace from the stormy waters... wash yourself on ME, the Rock... and enter into My REST."

Hau'oli la hanau YWAM!

                                                Happy 50th Birthday YWAM

We are just two days away from one of the biggest celebrations in YWAM's history!  I feel really blessed to be a part of this historic celebration.  Hundreds and hundreds of people are expected to attend this five day gathering of remembering, celebrating, and honoring all God has done in and through YWAM in the past 50 years.  What a party it will be!

Let me share with you what I'll be up to during the event!  My focus and work will primarily be in two areas... the prayer room and the Wildfire Kid's event.  My worship team will be ministering in the prayer room for two hours on Monday, Thursday, and Friday.  It's going to be a wonderful time of blessing visitors as they commit time in God's presence.  There will be prayer teams praying for people and times of intercession for particular regions of the world.  I am expecting people to really receive from the Lord in wonderful ways!

The next generation is going to be extremely blessed during this celebration!  A team from England who have worked with children and youth for quite a while have joined us in putting on four fabulous days of worship, teaching, workshops, and fun for the kids.  I'll be a group leader 3 out of the 4 days... in charge of making 10 little ones feel welcome and excited about the events.  During one evening session, I'll join the 12 to 15 year olds for a night of encounter in worship and prayer.  We will pray over the youth to receive more of God's Spirit so they can go after God and serve Him with passion... it should be awesome!

Another highlight of the festivities will be for me to sing in a multigenerational, multicultural choir in worship and honor to the Lord.  One song in particular will involve dance, chants, and sounds of instruments from various nations represented on campus... all bringing their gifts before the King in worship! I will try to post photos or video :)

I need to go because soon I'll be heading to the airport to welcome people to the celebration!

Thank you for reading :)  Blessings

ESTABLISH

To make stable or firm; to fix immovably or firmly; to set (a thing) in a place and make it stable there; to settle; to confirm.

One of the key words coming up these first few weeks in my heart is the word ESTABLISH.  In prayer, the Lord has encouraged my heart that this is an establishing time and He will do the establishing!  One way this is happening is spending as much time as possible in the p..lace of prayer in the actual prayer room here on campus.  Putting my roots down in His presence is SO crucial during this time.  

Two wonderful scriptures about this are both found in the Psalms.  King David was firmly established in the place of worship and prayer before the Lord.  It was only through many hours before God's throne, wandering with his sheep alone, that he was prepared to rule as king!  I actual woke up one morning this year with this thought in my mind, "David was prepared to rule through intimacy with God."  Intimacy with God brings authority and reign in the sphere He has you in!  Time with God in the secret place is SO valuable!

Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” Psalm 87:5

After I had been hearing this word quite a bit my first week, I met with a woman on campus who prayed with me and the Lord gave her the following scripture... Perfect!

The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.” Psalm 102:28

May you too be established before our Father in your identity as his child and in your destiny!  Blessings, Rebecca

YADAH... among the nations

The campus has added ALL the flags of the Nations (about 230) in honor of YWAM's 50th celebration!

As I was preparing to write this post, I thought, "What is the Hebrew word for praise?"  I found out there are actually seven words but I choose one to "chew on" today.  


YADAH - yaw-daw - to worship with the extended hand. The giving of oneself in worship and adoration. To lift your hands unto the Lord. It carries the meaning of absoulute surrender as a young child does to a parent - "pick me up, I'm all yours".  Scriptures: Gen. 29:35, 2 Chron. 7:6, 20:21, Psalms 9:1, 28:7, Psalms 33:2, 42:5,11, 49:18, Isaiah 12:1

One of the beautiful highlights of the Lord planting me here is the privilege of praising him among the nations!  

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.  For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies" Psalm 57:9-10

This past Thursday night is a perfect example of such an experience.  We were led in exuberant worship and praise by Africans, Australians, Islanders, etc.  ENJOY!

      A taste of heaven... since every nation and tribe will surround His throne in worship :)

KIMCHI POWER

I was so excited to see Kimchi and rice on the lunch menu today!  When I lived here before, I came to love this Korean staple... a powerfully spicy, tangy, crunchy side dish they make constantly in Korea (they even have separate refrigerators just for kimchi b/c of the pungent smell).  It's wonderful with good 'ole sticky rice :)  So my taste buds were happy today.  

There is a wonderful group of Koreans here taking schools and staffing on campus.  They are passionate about prayer, among other things of God... I'm looking forward to connections with such great people!

Statements of strength and beauty

Here are some more trees around the Kona campus.  You don't realize the variety of God's creation until you intentionally fix your gaze on it!  These trees display a strength and beauty to desire in our own lives.  May we be deeply rooted in who God is and His perspective on things... How do we get there?!  Reading his word, gazing on His creation, worship, encouragement of other believers... and in all these things, we depend on the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17)!  Be blessed!

Light

Now that's all about being flexible with your surroundings!

Trees all around Me...

I've decided to take pictures of all the trees on campus to go with this tree theme popping up :)
First one...

Tree transplant!

Since my arrival to Kona last Wednesday night, a theme weaving itself into these initial days has been about me as a tree!  One of the key scriptures the Lord gave me about moving to Kona is found in Ezekiel 17:22-23.  "...I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high a lofty mountain.  On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar.  Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches."

In the prayer room yesterday, we worshiped to Psalm 1 which speaks about a tree planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither.

In my first staff meeting this morning, the team welcomed me and a key prayer was about me being planted as a tree!

I love this affirmation and encouragement from the Lord as I begin this season here!