Hey y'all!
Hope you're doing swimmingly! I am doing well, enjoying the spring weather here in Oxford. Which is rainy most days but the sun has made an appearance every one and a while. All our students have arrived safely, soundly, bags and all.
Orientation has been involved in the first week schedule but we were also blessed with a couple of amazing speakers Marty Emmett (YWAM Bethlehem, Tauranga, NZ), and Paul & Teresa Archer (Hope Center/ Tauranga House of Prayer, Tauranga, NZ). Marty Emmett spoke on the Gospel and the Pursuit of God. He took us through heaps of repentance, repentance of shame, passivity, apathy. It was gnarly as. Many students met God in bold ways. God downloaded heaps of identity and just broke off many loads. God literally kicked shame and passivity out the door. A key thing that really challenged me was this "mathematical" equation, RADICAL TRANSFORMATION = RADICAL TRANSPARENCY. Freedom tore through, God downloaded pictures, epic words, scripture and so much joy! And of course tears! Romans 12: 2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Paul & Teresa spoke on Worship and Prayer. They talked heaps about being in the Father's presence, that worship is about God and not about you. That you cannot define worship by your circumstance or your emotions. If you do not give God the priority of being your first love than you cannot possible worship Him for who He is, otherwise it becomes about you. And worship is not about you, it is about God. Referring to the church of Ephesus and how they did everything that was required but they forgot their first love, Christ, in which God removed their influence. It did not matter to Him that they were the biggest influence in Asia at the time, He just wanted their hearts.
This first week of DTS has been so incredible. Heart wrenching and feelings of just wanting to cry but also heaps of joy and feelings of just wanting to laugh for hours. God has been at work wrecking our hearts and mind with His crazy offensive love. Such a sweet as journey.
Prayer requests!
* Health and wellness for all staff and students
* Unity and development of awesome relationships
* That hearts and minds would be open for all that God has for us
* Finances for both lecture and outreach phase for all staff and students
* Family. Families of staff and students that they would be rock with the revelation of Jesus Christ. And for homesickness.
* Focus and energy for this season!
"And the turtles, of course... all the turtles are free, as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be." -- Dr. Seuss
Facebook me or email if you want to chat, share some thing or just want some prayer.
Love y'all
Josephina
Hope you're doing swimmingly! I am doing well, enjoying the spring weather here in Oxford. Which is rainy most days but the sun has made an appearance every one and a while. All our students have arrived safely, soundly, bags and all.
Orientation has been involved in the first week schedule but we were also blessed with a couple of amazing speakers Marty Emmett (YWAM Bethlehem, Tauranga, NZ), and Paul & Teresa Archer (Hope Center/ Tauranga House of Prayer, Tauranga, NZ). Marty Emmett spoke on the Gospel and the Pursuit of God. He took us through heaps of repentance, repentance of shame, passivity, apathy. It was gnarly as. Many students met God in bold ways. God downloaded heaps of identity and just broke off many loads. God literally kicked shame and passivity out the door. A key thing that really challenged me was this "mathematical" equation, RADICAL TRANSFORMATION = RADICAL TRANSPARENCY. Freedom tore through, God downloaded pictures, epic words, scripture and so much joy! And of course tears! Romans 12: 2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Paul & Teresa spoke on Worship and Prayer. They talked heaps about being in the Father's presence, that worship is about God and not about you. That you cannot define worship by your circumstance or your emotions. If you do not give God the priority of being your first love than you cannot possible worship Him for who He is, otherwise it becomes about you. And worship is not about you, it is about God. Referring to the church of Ephesus and how they did everything that was required but they forgot their first love, Christ, in which God removed their influence. It did not matter to Him that they were the biggest influence in Asia at the time, He just wanted their hearts.
This first week of DTS has been so incredible. Heart wrenching and feelings of just wanting to cry but also heaps of joy and feelings of just wanting to laugh for hours. God has been at work wrecking our hearts and mind with His crazy offensive love. Such a sweet as journey.
Prayer requests!
* Health and wellness for all staff and students
* Unity and development of awesome relationships
* That hearts and minds would be open for all that God has for us
* Finances for both lecture and outreach phase for all staff and students
* Family. Families of staff and students that they would be rock with the revelation of Jesus Christ. And for homesickness.
* Focus and energy for this season!
"And the turtles, of course... all the turtles are free, as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be." -- Dr. Seuss
Facebook me or email if you want to chat, share some thing or just want some prayer.
Love y'all
Josephina
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