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Hello Everyone!
I thought I’d send you a quick email to let you know what’s happening here in Argentina…
We arrived in Buenos Aires and were carted off in the back of a transit van to go to the base there for the night before we headed off to Puerto Madryn on a 24 hour bus ride on a forever straight road. By the time we were at the base in Puerto Madryn we were exhausted! We had some lunch then showered and rested the rest of the day with brief intermissions of playing with the 9 puppies there. To my surprise we were in the desert. No joke.
To make things quicker, here are a couple high-lights from Puerto Madryn. We worked with an elderly day care center a couple of times. Some of these paricular elderly people are abused by their childern and grandchildern who are drug addicts. The first time we were there someone put on some music and the old men asked us all to dance! The next time we chatted with them and they asked us why were come to hang out with them. I replied because they’re wise, we love them and they’re fun…probably more fun than people our own age. They said that we changed some thoughts in their heads about people our age not loving them.
Also in Puerto Madryn we taught on a DTS. That was super cool! The theme was “identitiy”. I think that time really opened up something in me pertaining to teaching. I’m exploring with God to see how that will fit into ministry.
In Puerto Madryn the base was way out in the desert and we had to hitch hike home. What was funny was when people would stop they didn’t even ask us where to go because they knew we were from “the mission”.
We made the 24 hour bus ride back up to Buenos Aires and were greeted by slums and beggers once again. The further North you go the poorer it gets. Sice being here we’ve done loads of “friendshi evangelism” in parks and plazas. We’ve also had a massive picnic with some homeless people we met (Buenos Aires has not benefits system so people have no hope…). Dave did a massive portrait of one of the homeless men, Hugo, with chalk and charcol and that nearly Hugo to tears. We did an evangelism weekend in San Martin complete with drama and preach, and 6 people became Christians!!! And today we did a secular kids club and taught values with dramas and games. The people who run the club told us afterwards that we have a different spirit. They said they could sense it. Now, Praise God!!! That’s so true. We have the Holy Spirit and ministry doesn’t have to be words…it’s living because He loves in us!!
So far we’ve been in Argentina for 6 weeks and we have 4 left. Thanks for all the prayers and support.
Just a couple things that you could pray fr if you get the chance:
*Dave’s bag was stolen a few weeks ago and it had his sketch book, Bible and journal which are close to his heart (he’s an artist) along with his camera and ipod, etc. Just be praying for him and for provision.
*I have to get a new VISA in December which will cost 435 pounds (711 dollars). This will be a 3 year visa. After that I’ll get a 2 year VISA and if I’m still in the UK after that I’ll apply for residency, etc… So please pray for God’s provision and protection over the visa.
Thanks Guys!!!
Love you all and looking forward to seeing you either in England or the States!!
ps. pctures to come!!!
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In June the YWAM York crew all boarded planes and headed to Malaga, Spain for a leadership training course for 2 weeks. A few of us went early to have some time to just chill and experience Spain since we knew most of our time would be up in the mountains away from the city. Well, we arrived with this expectation of sun, fun and beach. I had read earlier that Malaga has 310 sunny days each year. So the first night we all went to bed excited about the prospect of a whole day at the beach in the sun. The next morning we woke up and thought “hmmm, it doesn’t feel very hot.” But we live in England so we’re going to the beach no matter what!! So we pack up and suit up and head down to the beach. When we arrive it’s so foggy that you can’t see the sea. Now we’re sure that Mother Nature MUST be taking the mick. I mean come on…Brits travel to Spain and it won’t be sunny on our only day off?! This place is called Costa del Sol which means cost of the sun. Eventually around 2 or 3 the fog lifted and we realised what the sea actually looked like and funnily enough all of us got burned.

Filed under: My Life
I really enjoyed my time in Amsterdam. It’s such a beautiful city. It has this lure, this sparkle that draws people to it. “Freedom”. “Liberty”. That’s what some people I met there have told me. “It’s Amsterdam, that’s what we do here!” People view the legal prostitution and drugs as freedom to express yourself and totally normal. It’s warped. A warped illusion of what Freedom is. Freedom is not addiction to sex and drugs. Freedom is not a human being a slave to prostitution to make it in life. It’s a poison apple, not what it seems. People are taking huge bites thinking it’s good when in reality they don’t see what it really is. Bondage. Slavery. Darkness.
Many times I would be in the red light district and would see families walking around. Small children with their parents. Why? Warped. It’s not what it seems. This is a very interesting article about a “family day” in the red light district that our YWAM Amsterdam friends wrote about. One time my friend and I were walking to the place where our team mate was doing a piece of art about “innocence” in the red light district and a man standing at a door of a sex show shouted to us that there’s a family discount. Warped.
Snow White didn’t realise that the apple was poisonous and neither does this world. These things that seem so good and so normal are detrimental and desensitizing. What are we going to do about it? There has to be a loving way.
This picture is of a church in the red light district. It’s surrounded by narrow alley ways. When you’re walking down those alley ways it’s a bit cool and damp because the sun doesn’t get down there. On your right hand side is the church and on your left are brothels. Women in windows. I’ve been thinking about them recently. I almost didn’t write anything about them because it’s so tender but I had a revelation that I think others need to have. It’s a simple one but true. These women are just like me. They giggle. They cry. They want a steady love in their lives. They want children or have children. They watch movies. They have the same fears and desires I have. I want to be their friend. To cry with them, hug them, laugh with them. eat with them, share life with them. That’s what my heart is burning for.
So this poison apple. What to do? We’ve eaten from it and now we need to be redeemed. In the story Prince Charming had to kiss Snow White to bring her back. Well, my theory is our Father’s gonna be the one to redeem it. He wants to. He is. He’s there. In the heart of it. He’s in the red light district. He’s watching. His heart breaks. He’s crying. He can’t wait for his princess, his bride to wake up and be restored. To be who she was made to be. Listen to his heart beat and you’ll hear it. You’ll hear it break for them. The ones he loves. The prostitutes, the pimps, the addicts, the tourists.
Filed under: My Life
Interesting question. Amsterdamite? Amsterdamer? Amsterdame? Amsterdamsel? Hmm.
I’ve been in Amsterdam since Tuesday. It’s been hot and sunny! I love this city. The culture is confusing because it feels like Asia and Europe combined (especially with the hot weather recently). I really like this city. It’s beautiful and relaxing but also so broken and dark at the same time. A city of oxymoron’s. I can’t really make a judgement now or even begin to understand the people here. I’ve barely scraped the surface. I would still get lost several times if Dave didn’t know where we were going.
The YWAM base here has some amazing ministries and some that really excite me. One of them is building relationships with the women in the windows. I’ve heard some stories about this ministry and it’s amazing! They go and chat with the women while they’re working in the windows and the prostitutes are so happy to see them. They’re friends. That’s what I want to do. Share life with them, love them.
So I searched the web and couldn’t find the answer to my question. SO if you figure it out let me know!!
Filed under: My Life
I find it very interesting that American money is all the same color and size. All other currencies that I know of have different sizes and colors and also have those cool raised things that make it look special. I read a news article that said America is going to have to change their currency soon because blind people can’t tell which note is which since they are all the same size and have no raised bits. I can’t imagine America without the standard green currency.
Anyways, the point of this entry is to let you know that I am praying and trusting God for quite a lot of money for some mission trips that I’m going on and I am asking if you would stand with me in prayer. I need money for our 2 week trip to Amsterdam, our 2 month trip to the far east, travel insurance, injections and for flights for the Asia trip. That all comes to about 1,200 pounds (2,400 dollars). I need this really soon, by the end of August. I’m looking forward to the day when I get to tell you that I have it all. I believe that it’ll happen because He’s provided so much before.
This is a photo that Dave took of me. It’s a bit random but I thought it looked kinda like I was praying so it relates.
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So I was walking into the city one evening and I took the route by the river because it’s more scenic. As I was walking I saw this straight line of geese. 12 baby geese and one mother goose. The mother was in the front and the 12 babies were behind. They were walking slowly and all at the same pace using the same foot and the same time. I giggled to myself and grinned because it was so cute. As I passed the mother she stopped and bent her head to the left staring me down, watching and listening to me. Behind her all the babies stopped too and were still. I was thinking about them again today and it hit me. That’s what we should look like with God. Mirroring him. What He does we do. The way he moves we move.
Filed under: My Life
That’s a difficult choice. I think I would prefer a see-saw because spinning in circles makes me sick.
For the past couple of hours I’ve been trying to decide what to write in my blog because I haven’t written in a while and I have a lot to say. I think I’ve finally decided upon a couple of snapshots to share.
My friend Hari and I met an Australian guy at a store in York and while we were talking to him he told us that he’s so pale now that his skin is see through. I was just looking at my hands and I can see my veins and my skin is see through. Whoa. Weird.
And just so you know, nutes are not a tadpole about to turn frog as one of my friends thought.
I met a woman who is one of millions. She was sitting by herself and I sat with her. The whole left of her face was black and blue accompanied by a cut above her eyes. Her back and belly (which looked swollen with baby to me) also had huge round bruises. She covered her face with her coat and with her hands. Then she began to cry and say “please, please don’t look at my face. Just don’t look at my face.” At that moment my heart broke. Hard bits that were surrounding a fleshy inside broke off and the warm beating part was exposed to the harsh reality that she is only one and there are millions more. Millions. She told me the man standing by the tent was her partner and he did it to her. But he’s the best man in the world and it was an accident. They’re soul mates they are. He just dropped her. It was an accident. When he returned to the table she did something to annoy him and he said do you want it to happen again? Are you asking for it? She left upset. Going back to her homeless hostel. As she leaves he tells me she’s pathetic then puts down his second can of beer. That day my heart broke for good. I cried and cried. God’s always crying. He loves them Images of her being beaten flashed through my mind. That’s my imagination but God sees the real thing. His heart broke a long time ago. I know for sure now that I want to love these women for my whole life. Her name is Tammy just as her partner has her name tatooed on his neck her name is seared on my heart.








