My Life In A Week

It's been a little over a month since being back and it feels so good to be in the swing of things again! This quarter we have an AMAZING crew in the Leadership Track.  Right now we have Awaken DTS staff being trained to staff the July school just around the corner, and we also have Community Transformations DTS staff who are leading the school in the Fall.  These are some of the most fun people I've ever met and it was such a joy to come back to a full & vibrant group.

Over the past week I decided to take some pictures of the key things that I do on a weekly (and sometimes daily) basis here on campus and then paint a little picture of what it looks like!! I hope this provides you with a good idea of the different things I do & am involved with in the Leadership Track.
Enjoy!

   

Every other Tuesday afternoon we have a staff meeting where all of the staff on campus from every department, which range around 300-400 people, come together and we have a little family time.  We are so privileged to have Loren & Darlene Cunningham, the founders of YWAM, call the Kona base their home and attend these anytime they are here.  This past Tuesday we were able to pray with Darlene & commission out a group of people as well as hear her and Loren share on the goodness of the Lord and His faithfulness all across the world.  It was such a beautiful moment, I am so thankful for these times we get with them!

On Wednesday mornings the Leadership Track comes together at 8am for what we call Contending Hour.  During this hour we take about 30 minutes (sometimes less or more) and pray in the spirit, then from that place we have intercession all together for the rest of the time for whatever the Lord has led us to for that day.  In the beginning of the track over a year ago, this hour was extremely stretching & not extremely enjoyable as I learned to use spiritual muscles I never had before.  But now I have grown to love it and it has even become one of my favorite things we do!

After Contending Hour, from 9am until 12pm we have Practical Training & Teaching.  We have had the privilege of having some of the most amazing leaders of this generation come and speak to us.  Some of the topics that we may learn are on Preaching & Teaching, Godly Confrontation, Worship & Intercession,  Practical studies in the Bible and scripture memorization, Leadership, A Disciplined Life, and so many other amazing topics!  This past Wednesday we had Christian Gonzalez teach us.  Part of what he shared on that really wrecked me can be found in this statement he said while teaching:  "The questions leading us to an "I don't know" aren't naive, they are there so we may have the fullness of truth. The ability to say "I don't know" is the foundation of all wisdom and knowledge. The mystery and romance comes in the not knowing and being able to search it out for the rest of our lives. It's humility to go on the search into finding out the mysteries of God and who He is."

On Wednesday we also have community outreach.  The Leadership Track does a handful of different ones to serve the community but the one that I've been involved with this quarter is Bible Distribution.  The American Bible Society gave YWAM over 8,000 and the leaders of our campus really felt the Holy Spirit leading them to have a Bible in every home in Kona.  So we have taken on the challenge!  Every afternoon we go door to door for 3-4 in hopes not just that they would each have a Bible, but that we would also create relationships with the people in the community.  So far it has been absolutely amazing!! I was a little nervous the first time we headed out, but it has become something that I look forward to.  We are challenged in so many different ways and have not only see fruit in our own lives but have seen the Lord really moved in relationship with people here in Kona.  The picture shown is of me and my friend Anthony (who is staffing Awaken in July) climbing up a driveway to a families house.

On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday our Leadership Track (as well as some of the DTS' on campus) are in the Prayer Room from 1-3pm.  Each set looks like about an hour of worshipping and then transitioning into an hour of intercession with various topics such as praying for revival in America, Outreach teams to be refreshed (and we sometimes get words for them and send them while they are on the field), praying for our Kona community, leaders on the base, and so much more!  I've never experienced the Lord move in such a mighty way before as I have this past week specifically.  We are seeing so much fruit in our sets not only in our own hearts but as we hear about the people and places we are praying for and how God is doing amazing things through these times.  It really is amazing how God LOVES to give us His heart for things and then answer our prayers!  I have the privilege of singing on two of these 1-3 sets on Thursdays & Fridays.  This is the 5th quarter I've done this and it's an absolute blast.  Fridays are especially fun for me because we get to have Shannon Casteel (leading the Leadership Track) lead the intercession time for revival in America!

   

Last quarter the Leadership Track was asked to pioneer the first ever high-school youth group on Thursday nights for the youth on campus, so we did!!  The first night we launched Youth Ablaze, we were expecting about 15 people to show up, instead we had over 60 high-school students!! We were absolutely blown away and continue to be by their hunger & desperation for more of Jesus!!  This past Thursday we had Isaac (in the track, staffing Awaken) lead worship with Mia & Micah who are high-school students.  Then, Ben Peterson (who is staff with the Prayer Room and does many other amazing things), spoke on the Holy Spirit.  We ended the night with everybody getting baptized in the Holy Spirit.  It was such a beautiful & rich night to watch everyone go deeper, staff included.

Friday mornings we start all being together for Family Time which is an hour of sharing testimonies, hearing people recite their memorized scripture, listen to a word from one of the leaders, and enjoy each others company.  After this, we all break up into our electives.  The two are Songwriting & Worship and Preaching & Teaching.  Last quarter I decided to do Preaching & Teacher, only because it scared me so much.  This quarter I am doing it again for that reason along with me actually starting to love it.  My elective is taught by the absolutely amazing Ashlea Brenenman, but this morning we had Andy Byrd as a guest teacher.  He taught on the importance of not speaking out of insecurity, but walking in all humility and from that place we gain the authority.  His teaching was not only challenging for our own lives, but also extremely practical in how to communicate best.  "We may not all be called to preach for hours and hours to hundreds of people all the time, but we are all called to be communicators.  And the goal of communicating is hearing & learning."

I hope you've enjoyed seeing a little bit more in detail what happens on a day to day basis here in Kona!!  I am so thankful that I am able to be doing what I'm doing.  This past month as been filled with an increase of revelation that God really is as good as He says He is, He really does answer prayers, and He is constantly faithful.  I pray that you are filled with the same revelation and even more!!

If you would like to hear more about these aspects or learn more about something else that we do here, please send me an email and I'd love to talk with you - oceansroar@gmail.com.  Have a wonderful weekend!

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If you are interested in becoming a part of YWAM Kona either long-term or for a short 2 weeks in the Summer by doing a School of the Circuit Riders, please visit these websites for an endless amount of possibilities: http://www.uofnkona.edu   //  http://thecircuitrider.com

School of the Circuit Riders promo:   http://youtu.be/_lJ5pvsDI4M

Closing Chapters & A Continuing Journey

3 years ago (minus a couple days), I arrived in Kona, Hawaii for the very first time to do the PhotogenX DTS.  A year after that I decided to staff a DTS, and one year ago I decided to come back full-time to do the Leadership Development Track.  Talking t a friend about all of this, they summed it up perfectly - "These past few years may have flown by, but I feel like there has been 5 years worth of experienced in them", and I even dare to say that there are more than 5 years worth.
Over these past 3 years, I have fallen in love with Jesus in a way that I have only dreamt of before and I have grasped a hold of His love for me and have only just begun the beautiful journey of walking in the abundant life that He offers us for all of eternity.  I have helped lead people through freedom, and have been lead through it myself.  I have been broken and restored, hurt and healed, died & have become alive for the very first time.

I never would have dreamed of having the life that I live now.  I have been blessed beyond words or measure and feel the beauty of it every single day.  I never dreamt that I could feel this free, or feel so much peace.  I didn't know that it was possible to have a hope that never wavered, or a peace that went far beyond circumstances and wasn't dictated by my situations.  I had no idea that there could be a love that was stronger than death and killed every peace of evil in my heart.  I am on a process, as we all are, and it's beautiful.  It's painful sometimes.  The pruning that the Lord brings sometimes it's all fun and games.  But it's so amazing to be loved by a God who is love Himself and to discover the depths of it more each and every day.
In the beginning of the Track the Lord told me He wanted to do two things:
1 - Completely free me of fear
2 - Teach me how to have endurance & be sustained
I can say without a doubt that this year has been full of these two things.  As you can read over my past blog entries, fear has been erased, and I have found the beauty of the sweet presence of the Lord not being a part of my life... but being the entirety of my life and everything else flowing out of it.  The treasures and gems I have found in this place are worth more than any silver or gold...

And now here I am, in the middle of Amsterdam, Holland.  I had never been to Europe before, but have always dreamed of going.  I told myself that when I went I would never want to leave... I maybe don't feel that strong about it yet, but there has been a love established in my heart for this place and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will be returning.
The other night our team sat around and hung out and shared what we felt the Lord was giving us in these 2 weeks.  I began to share how I felt like again the Lord was giving me two things:
1 - I am marked as an intercessor // The head knowledge that Prayer and Intercession flowed outside of Worship is so vital and a pure gift from the Lord has turned into full heart knowledge.  I have seen, felt, experienced, and chased after the beautiful truth that the veil has been torn and we have full access to God.  We have the power to shift atmospheres, to change the world, and to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.  This is a part of our inheritance as Christians and this revelation became so alive in my heart.
2 - My God Satisfies // This is a part of the meaning of my name (along with many other things).  Something that I have always longed for, but never really thought possible when it came down to it, was for God to really be everything that I needed and to be completely satisfied in Him.  I wanted to not desire anything but Him... to find my joy in Him, to find my hope in Him, to find true love in Him, to find purpose and dreams and life in Him.  This was established in my heart over these past 2 weeks.  I couldn't say that there was a "moment"... but as we fasted & prayed, I heard the Lord say that He was giving me this gift.  And the amazing part is that it didn't come out of me freaking out, and becoming exhausted and wrongfully striving after it... it was given out of a place of me rest in Him, seeking His face, becoming enamored by His beauty & power.

Today was our last day here in Amsterdam and it was quite wonderful.  The majority of us are leaving Amsterdam tomorrow and either heading back to Kona, visiting family for a couple weeks or traveling around Europe.  As you know I am traveling to Scotland and London for the next two weeks!!
There are so many other things that I could share about from this trip... but I will close it out for now and share more later.  I do want to thank every single one of you though, that helped me get here.  Whether you gave financially, prayed for our trip, encouraged us, looked at pictures, read this blog... Whatever it was, thank you so very much.  This trip has not only changed my life, but also every one else who came with me.  I could not be more thankful or feel more blessed and very loved.

I will leave you with some pictures from the past week... Enjoy!

 

 [My beautiful friend, Tegan and I near the Dam Square] // [Blake, Shannon, Shiloh,

Aarow & Brave - My amazing leaders & their three kids]

 [Almost all the girls on my team - Molly, Emily, Ruth, Kate, Cammie, Tegan, and me]

 [Our team worshiping in the Prayer Tower and reading the Psalms over the city of Amsterdam]

[Central Station in the middle of the night]

[The view of Amsterdam from the library]

[We took a 20 minute train ride & visited Haarlem for the day!  This is the city where Corrie Ten Boom's
house is, The Hiding Place (I will post another blog about our time there). Needless to say,
it was absolutely beautiful and had such a presence of peace in the quaint downtown.]

 

[Kaashuis Tromp // An incredible cheese shop in the heart of Haarlem, Holland]

 

[The Dam Square]

Amsterdam: Shifting with Worship & Intercession

Hello everybody!!  I hope this little letter finds you all doing really well.  My team and I have been in Amsterdam for a little under a week now, and it has already been what my heart knew it would be... Amazing.

Since the very beginning of planning this outreach to Amsterdam, we have felt in our spirits that it was going to be very different than any other outreach we've all done in the past, and it has been just that.  As we began to pray into what that could look like, we felt a strong call to be a "strike team", meaning we would go in with a word of the Lord, do just what He has called us to, and then leave.  Since being here in Amsterdam, the word has not changed but only become more evident and alive in our hearts.  We knew that this meant we were called to worship Jesus with our whole hearts, and to intercede on behalf of Amsterdam.  Since being here, we have felt called to invest not just to the lost on the streets, but also to revive and encourage those on the YWAM base where we are staying at, De Poort [The Gate in Dutch].  We have been spending each morning in 2+ hours worshiping Jesus and praying for whatever Holy Spirit leads us to invest in that day, in the Prayer Tower.  The Prayer Tower is so amazing because it is at the top of the YWAM base and it has all glass windows over looking the whole city of Amsterdam.
This calling for this trip from the Lord has totally challenged my heart and shifted my perspective of what is most influential.  We cannot base our success on what our eyes see, because we only see in part anyways!  But we have to base our success off of our obedience, and that is what we are doing.  Pouring our love on Jesus, and praying out of that place for the hearts of His lost children to turn back to Him, is where everything is based out of for us, and it's such a beautiful thing to see.  It has united our team is such an amazing way and we are truly becoming family.
Along with worship and intercession, we have been serving the base here every day by making the meals for everyone and cleaning the building.  And then we have also been able to go out and do ministry in the streets!  Today we worked with Serve The City - Amsterdam, which is a volunteer based organization that aims to create community in their society by serving the city through organizing and facilitating volunteer projects to help the underprivileged.  We got to split into teams and some of us were able to paint an autistic school building, some helped put wallpaper in a mentally handicapped mans house, others gardened, while my team were able to feed over 100 homeless people homemade pancakes.  We also asked the Lord for words for each of them and made them cards to keep.  It was so amazing to see people get so touched by such a little thing in our eyes, but it may have changed their lives forever.

So far Amsterdam has been so amazing.  I love the city, it's absolutely beautiful and I really have fallen in love with this place already.  I am so excited to see what else the Lord does on this trip with all of us together.  It's so encouraging to see His promises being fulfilled.  I'll update more later once things happen!

Here are some pictures I've taken so far... Hope you enjoy!

   

 Prayer Tower // Top:  Panoramic view of the Prayer Tower
Bottom: View out of one of the windows of the river

[Beautiful Canals around the corner from our place]

  [Exploring with my friends, Aaron & Tegan]

[Down almost every street you will find this beautiful view at night]

 

[Blake, Shiloh, & Arrow making

pancake mix for the homeless!]

 

[At Amsterdam Square]

A New Quarter Has Begun! [July Update]

Oh my dear friends & family and those across the world.  I want to first personally thank every one of you.  Whether you read this blog, support me financially, lift me up in your prayers, or just send a quick hello every once in a while - I am extremely grateful.  I can feel the support of all of you, and it really gives me strength in moments of weakness.  You impact my heart so greatly and I am so filled with thankfulness for your friendship & support.
I come to you with a full heart and good news to proclaim!  In just a short four days, I will have arrived to Kona 5 months ago.  There's a part of me that feels like it has been so much longer, because I miss you all so deeply.  But then there's another part of me that cannot believe it's been 5 months already.  For me to say that my expectations for this time have been exceeded, would be quite an understatement;  I have been swept off my feet by Jesus, overwhelmed by His faithfulness & pure goodness, and I stand with a heart full of gratitude.  I could not have dreamed of this time being as amazing as it has been.
Upon arriving, I felt the Lord say a few things about my time here (I share some of this in my post "Long Time No... Read?" ... and the process of what He has spoken has only continued to go deeper.
Here are a few things that have been going on lately!

Just 3 weeks ago a new quarter started here!  This is such an exciting time when students, from all over the world (literally), come for training in missions;  to be filled up with truth and hunger to see hearts come to the Lord, as their own hearts are encountered.  After 3 months of training, they leave on a 3 month outreach - to reach out to the community, and to release all the Lord has done in their own hearts to the nations, countries, cities, towns, neighborhoods, homes, and hearts, who know and don't know the love of the Father.  So we have just received 150 new students, and the campus has definitely experienced a shift.  I can tangibly feel the presents of the Lord thicken on this base, and as a result the town gets impacted and people get encountered with the love of Jesus.
As part of the Leadership Track, we do a weekly community outreach.  This past Wednesday, we had the privilege of having both of our outreaches with Salvation Army and our friends from the Marshallese community, and also a lot of the kids on campus, come as we hosted an all day Kids Camp here on campus.  We played games, worshiped, performed skits, ate otter pops, and really just loved on them as much as we could.  Then we all finished our time by eating our meals together and really enjoying each other, as we learned about their culture and listened to their stories.  It was such a fun and impacting time.
We also have been spending an amazing amount of time in the prayer room that we have here on campus.  It is such a privelege to have a place here specifically dedicated to prayer, worship, and intercession.  As part of the Track, we have taken on the responsibility of filling the prayer room 24/7, rising incense to the Fathers heart.  As a result, we have seen such a down pour of favor every time we enter.  Each day we have a 1-3pm set where multiple DTS' come in for worship and intercession, and we join them in there and just wait on the Lord to come... And He comes. Every. Single. Time.  We are constantly blown away by His presence, and how willing He is to visit us.  These times in the prayer room have become so precious to me because not only do I get to spend time with Jesus, but our relationships go deeper, and our community is even more solitifide when we set aside time, daily, to enter into His presence together, to ask as a whole what is on His heart for that day, and then to go after those things and see seeds planted, fruit produced, and things changed... and the Father received so much pleasure & honor & glory.
Just as I wrote last time, I am still the Work Duty Coordinator for the campus.  This past quarter was a little difficult since we did not have many students.  On average we have about 500 students, and this quarter only 150 came because the summer usually is a smaller group.  But we pressed through and it has been great!  I honestly enjoy this job a lot.  It can be a little stressful in the beginning and in the end, but it definitely pays to not give up and to see something completed.  I feel honored that I get to do this job, and to walk with so many amazing and influential people on this campus.  As we prepare for next quarter, I will continue to be in charge of this, as we prepare for our biggest quarter in the history of this base!  It's going to be amazing for sure!

As well as being a part of The Leadership Track intentionally, I am also a part of a bigger family here [Fire & Fragrance] who have been sending out schools called The Circuit Riders all across America, and one in London, for the past couple of months.  Their goal is "Save the lost. Revive the saved. Train them all".  The miracles that have happened have been absolutely astounding as we see every type of person with every condition of the heart encounter Jesus .  In London, in a short 7 hours of ministry, they experienced over 150 salvation's, with over 49 physical healing's.  In Denver (where they are now), they have prayed for 2 blind men, who one was also deaf, and they both got 100% healed.  They have seen an atheist deny God, have lead them to pray for the sick, seen the sick healed, and as a result they turned to believe in Jesus.  The testimonies of the greatness of God go on and on and on, I could write a whole blog about them!  It is so exciting to be a part of a bigger family and to see the Lord reveal His goodness through them.  There is no one like Jesus, and there is nothing like what He does.  I honestly feel honored and totally humbled to be serving and living for such an amazing God.  We always need reminding of our smallness, and His greatness, and the redemption and love He brings to us in the midst of it all.

Although it may seem that a lot of what we do practically here is repetitive, it is all for a goal - and that is to give the Lord glory and honor in all that we do.  I can personally testify that my heart has been radically encountered.  This encounter goes far beyond a one time experience, or a tingly moment in the spirit, it really is the day to day decisions that have created revival in my own heart, and I am seeing the reformation of my life through it.  I just finished up "The Calvary Road" by Roy Hession, and I would encourage all of you to Buy It.  It has changed my life, forever.  The gist of the book is the reality of heart revival being an every day thing, and our lives matching that revival.  It definitely isn't a light read - I get the fear of the Lord every time I pick it up because it is so full of truth, and brings a refreshing sting of conviction that brings you straight to the heart of the Lord every time.  It has changed the way I think, the way I perceive things, the way I respond, and the way I live.  It has stirred up a hunger and thirst for righteousness and purity that I only dreamed about having in the past, and now it's created reality in my heart.

If you would to know more in detail, or even chat with me on the phone about what is going on here, I would absolutely love to connect with you!  Just send me a quick email at oceansroar@gmail.com.
As I am still in need of $600.00 in monthly support, if you feel the Lord calling you to join with me in meeting that goal, you can visit the University of the Nations Support Page for either a one time donation or monthly support

God bless you all!
Lizzie



[For more testimonies or information on how you can be a part of The Circuit Riders School, please visit www.fireandfragrance.com <---- Just click there!  And you can also join the Group on Facebook, or follow Andy Byrd on Twitter]



Enjoy some photos!

[some of my friends from my DTS back in 2010!!

Emily, Jonathan & Dani]

 [We were able to surprise our leaders of the Track, Blake & Shay

and their children, Shiloh & Arrow, with tickets to visit home in NC!]

 

[Ryan and I at the PhotogenX Love Feast]

 [The lovely women I was able to disciple for three months! Sydney, Me, Elle, Sabrina, & Leah]

 

[Myself with Erin Crain and my roommate, Madeleine Curry]

 

[Beautiful Hadassah & Valor - the sweet kids I live with]

 

[Out at The Coffee Shack celebrating my friend Brit's birthday

with some incredible women]

[The sunset from my back porch one night]

 

[Traveling around the island with some friends]

 [Caleb dressed up as a Gekko, ready for the kids to charge him!

And praying for the islands with the 6-8 year olds]