Thursday, August 10, 2006
Settling Into Home and Ministry
Our first Monday Morning Meeting here at YWAM-Chico was momentous as all the staff laid hands on us in prayer and received us as part of the YWAM Staff family. We felt we had come full circle, having been sent out by so many back home, and now received into the work God has for us here. Thank you again to you who have sent us. Know that we are feeling anointed and empowered to serve already. Praise God!
Also during the meeting, we saw first hand just how real the Body ministry is in this place. Testimonies were given from two 15-16 year olds who had just completed intense two months as part of “24/7”, which is basically a youth “summer of service” program here. They shared how God had done healing and life-changing works in their lives while they served with their group. Some of the previous DTS (Discipleship Training School) students we knew had returned to help lead the 24/7 summer youth program, and they were experiencing God doing awesome deeper works in their hearts as well. Ginger was in tears to see right away that effective youth ministry is core here. More on all that another time.
We discovered on arrival that August is a very busy time at YWAM-Chico. It’s a month of continued summer camps, in addition to preparations for the fall terms of the different YWAM schools. Last week, the base hosted 450 campers for a hard-core Youth Camp. (A group that size maxes our staff in service areas alone, but we do it willingly, because of the ministry and changed lives that emerge every year from this group.) This week a church group brought in 100 for kids camp (much easier size). Not too long from now and all of the West Coast YWAM Leadership land here for a conference. (We’ll be swamped again.)
All this extra activity brings increased needs in the service areas of meal prep and housekeeping, so for the next 3 weeks, I’m doing dishes and learning the ropes with kitchen meal prep and clean-up. After that I’ll get to actually start my Orientation. As a mother, Ginger gets to stay home until school starts, so she is elated to have time to minister to our kids and be a homemaker as we are figuring how to arrange things in our house and get ourselves settled in.
Our house here is a blessing. It is one of the older staff cottages from before YWAM came to own the property. Like most of these cottages, it had needed some serious attention. Before we arrived they had done quite a bit of work on it to make it ready us. One of the main workers told us he had spent hours praying for us as he re-wired, re-plumbed and generally overhauled the house. (Don’t ask about the vermin traces they found in the attic…) It is a small 3 bedroom cottage with a walk-through kitchen which kind of shares the same living space as the living room… you know, the “open concept”. Helps make it seem larger, but created an interesting challenge for the dining area. The kids are adjusting to each having their own bedroom for the first time. There are still boxes everywhere, but it’s home, and we love it… what a wonderful little place; God is good!
Also during the meeting, we saw first hand just how real the Body ministry is in this place. Testimonies were given from two 15-16 year olds who had just completed intense two months as part of “24/7”, which is basically a youth “summer of service” program here. They shared how God had done healing and life-changing works in their lives while they served with their group. Some of the previous DTS (Discipleship Training School) students we knew had returned to help lead the 24/7 summer youth program, and they were experiencing God doing awesome deeper works in their hearts as well. Ginger was in tears to see right away that effective youth ministry is core here. More on all that another time.
We discovered on arrival that August is a very busy time at YWAM-Chico. It’s a month of continued summer camps, in addition to preparations for the fall terms of the different YWAM schools. Last week, the base hosted 450 campers for a hard-core Youth Camp. (A group that size maxes our staff in service areas alone, but we do it willingly, because of the ministry and changed lives that emerge every year from this group.) This week a church group brought in 100 for kids camp (much easier size). Not too long from now and all of the West Coast YWAM Leadership land here for a conference. (We’ll be swamped again.)
All this extra activity brings increased needs in the service areas of meal prep and housekeeping, so for the next 3 weeks, I’m doing dishes and learning the ropes with kitchen meal prep and clean-up. After that I’ll get to actually start my Orientation. As a mother, Ginger gets to stay home until school starts, so she is elated to have time to minister to our kids and be a homemaker as we are figuring how to arrange things in our house and get ourselves settled in.
Our house here is a blessing. It is one of the older staff cottages from before YWAM came to own the property. Like most of these cottages, it had needed some serious attention. Before we arrived they had done quite a bit of work on it to make it ready us. One of the main workers told us he had spent hours praying for us as he re-wired, re-plumbed and generally overhauled the house. (Don’t ask about the vermin traces they found in the attic…) It is a small 3 bedroom cottage with a walk-through kitchen which kind of shares the same living space as the living room… you know, the “open concept”. Helps make it seem larger, but created an interesting challenge for the dining area. The kids are adjusting to each having their own bedroom for the first time. There are still boxes everywhere, but it’s home, and we love it… what a wonderful little place; God is good!
# posted by Shawn N Ginger : 2:24 PM
