Back in Seattle!

Just a quick note to say I arrived safely back in Seattle, immigration was very smooth so thank you for all your prayers.

Now what? A question I have been asked by others and asking myself a lot recently. I wish there was a simple answer - there is a simple answer but it involves me making solid choices, and that is where i struggle.

I have a lot of options to choose from, all good paths to take.

We were talking in a staff meeting the other day about the privilege of choice. I had started to feel frustrated with the process of choosing and planning the next step I want to take, and this reminded me just how blessed I am to even have the opportunity to choose based on what i would like or feel called to do rather than simply doing things to survive.

I am really interested in getting some training in Christian counselling. So much of my job entails doing this in a certain capacity and I am eager to have more to offer the students. I have been thinking about this for a while but now feel it is time to take action, and decide the when and where of it - I will keep you posted.

It has been good to be back here in Seattle, it has been really nice to catch up with friends here, and get back into the swing of life.

We are in the process of changing our DTS program, we will be extending it from 5 months to nearer 9 months. We believe this will allow us time with the students post outreach, to process all their learning and experience more thoroughly and help make the transition to life after YWAM easier. We also hope it will give us the opportunity to better prepare our students for the next steps they are taking in life. Our desire is that DTS will be so much more than 5 months they once had which don't relate at all to their "real lives", we want the things they learn and experience to go with them in to life.

This is taking lots of meetings and planning. Please be praying for us as we decide details of what this program will look like and also for potential students not to be put off by the extra time and money and that this fall the right students will be here. (We accepted our first student today!!!)

Another BIG, actually HUGE thing that is happening here in YWAM Seattle is that we are moving forward trying to buy the grey house. We have never owned property but believe that this is a step God is wanting us to take. The house costs $715,000.

We are starting our fund-raising efforts now and sending out letters and such next week. Our website will be updated with an online donation link too. This is a really exciting but also busy and slightly anxious time also for all of us. Please pray for God's provision to be known, for us to contact the right people and for this house to be a testimony of God's faithfulness, that for years to some will be full of students loving this city for God.