cities...

The hidden Cross atop Mount Davidson 

We had the best classroom spaces ever this week! 
Our topic was "cities", and our teacher, Tim Svoboda took us to multiple beautiful vistas overlooking San Francisco for class times.  It was delightful to get out of our basement classroom for several sessions to enjoy the gorgeous day and views.  A great diversion and an amazing way to dialogue about cities from these heights.

Amazing views with Tim with sunset included!

 

Other highlights from the week included visiting the Castro and hearing from a pastor there about ways to actively engage one's community, and doing chair aerobics with our friends at the senior center.

Spring has sprung!

Chair Aerobics at the Senior Center



Cable car riding



1 out of 10 miles down for the day...

We were also blessed by a visit from my parents this week!  They came Thursday and are staying in a nearby hotel until Tuesday [early] morning.  They've been able to join us for some classes and activities, and we've had fun showing them around town.  We even got to do a bunch of things we hadn't done before including: walking the Golden Gate Bridge, visiting the town of Sausalito, bringing the ferry back to San Francisco, dining in at Tony's Pizza, and going to the cable car museum.  Of course, we also got to show them some of our favorites here as well, such as Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower (where we got to see a beautiful sunset), Filbert [wooden stair] Street, and the cable cars.  Yet Saturday alone we logged about 10 miles on foot!  (My parents are pretty spry, I'd say...)  I believe the highlights for them were walking the Golden Gate and riding the cable cars (besides being with us of course!).  We have had an wonderful time together being outdoors and enjoying the lovely spring weather.

-sara

where has the time gone???

We've suddenly realized that we have a mere 3 weeks between us and Italy!  It's hard to believe that the months here in San Francisco will so quickly be over.  We have learned so much, built amazing friendships, and are slowly, but steadily, translating new concepts into everyday life.  And I've relearned how much I love living in a close community (yeah, I might annul this statement while traveling together for 3 months with more cramped and less ideal accommodations...but for now I'm thinking I'll really miss these folks when we finally part in June!).  We've really become a sort of [big] family.  Today we had the pleasure of all spending the day at the home of one of the students who lives about 1.5 hours from the base.  Her parents graciously opened their beautiful home to us, made lots of amazing food, and provided us with a gorgeous place to kick back, relax, and enjoy each other and nature.  It was a beautiful sunny day in Sunnyvale, CA and super refreshing for all of us.  I think we'd forgotten what grass was like!  We all enjoyed it immensely.  The back yard offered such a peaceful haven and was a lovely change from the sights and smells of the city.

Our class topic this week was Lordship, and was taught by multiple speakers from the YWAM SF community.  There were so many profound truths (as usual), I'm not sure how to condense it.  (My plan for tomorrow--in addition to getting up super early to ride along to Twin Peaks to see the sunrise--is to review my notes from the past week in an attempt to increase absorption.)  We talked about allowing God to show us what areas of life we are maintaining control over.  For me, this included my rights, my reputation, and my ideas/ theories/opinions.  A few other concepts that were highlighted to me in reflecting on the week were: entitlement vs. serving, hiding vs. leading, my agenda vs. God's will, and self-protection vs. vulnerability (all of which boil down to selfishness vs. Lordship).  I kept coming back to how counterintuitive the gospel is.  In search for peace, happiness, love, there are only counterfeits, but in seeking God, all these and more are fully realized.  Hmmm, perhaps that's what the Bible means when it says, "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Luke 9:24

I hope you're all doing well.  I'd really REALLY love to hear from you!!!  If you have a chance, please drop a line via comment, email, or FB!  I'm always interested in feedback and/or hearing how life is going for you.  Love to all!

-sara

God's kingdom and my Kingdom

My Kingdom (sphere of influence, realm of decision making, anything I own), is now under God's rule, made a part of his kingdom. I'm no longer king, but a representative of the heavenly king to whom it now belongs! His Kingdom has come to earth and we are all invited to join His kingdom, and be a part of the amazing riches, and wealth that the heavenly kingdom offers to all who make the God of the universe the King of their kingdom! Jason

Who am I?

I have always had a fear of public speaking and felt like there was always someone else who should do it because they were more gifted then I was. Most times when I did need to speak publicly, I felt like I became a different person because I was bound by fear of messing up in front of everyone, convinced I didn’t have what it took to do it. I believed that at the core of who I was I just wasn’t cut out for it, that somehow God didn’t give me that ability. But then why did so much of what I was called to involve speaking publicly? Why couldn’t I conquer my fear of what others thought of me, and live with confidence in what I knew God called me to? It was a completely new thought to me that God wanted to talk to me about who I am and through this struggle I had and show me what he thought of me and what he created me for. 

The root of this problem was deeper than speaking, it was in finding my identity in Christ, which is a "christian" term for hearing from God himself what he thinks of you and who he says you are.

God has been teaching me so much in the past few weeks about how much he wants to be in communication with us as his sons and daughters. He doesn’t just want a one sided conversation with me, where I’m doing all the talking and he is doing all the listening, but actually wants to talk to me as I listen to him. He wants to tell me what he thinks of me, tell me who I am, and the plans he has for me. It’s about a relationship where God is my perfect father and I hear from him the kind of things a son needs to hear from a father.  

So I took these big questions of "who I am?" and "what am I made to do?" to my creator and father and asked Him and then listened as he talked. Let me tell you, I have never been so affected by a talk in my life. When you find out what God thinks of you and what the truth about yourself is, there is nothing so freeing, nothing so life giving as God telling you who you are. In spite of past failings and sin, not because of anything I have done, but because of how much he loves me; because I am His creation. I know we cannot fully understand how much God loves us, but if we can begin to let God tell us, show us, and begin to experience his love, that is life like no other.

Ep. 3:17-19 ¹⁷ May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, ¹⁸ That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; ¹⁹ [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

When I hear from God and find security in him as my father and creator, I learn who I really am and am set free to be who he created me to be. All of a sudden the fear of what others think about me lessens, the thoughts that I don’t have what it takes melt away in the reality of who I really am and the plans that the God who made me has for my life. Where could I better find out what gifts I have, what I was created for, and why I am here in the world, than to get it from the one who created me and made plans for my life since the beginning of time? 

(Ep. 2:10 AMP For we are God’s own handiwork, His workmanship, re-created in Christ Jesus, born anew that we may do those good works which God planned before hand for us, taking paths which he prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them  living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live) 

Why would I ever try to figure it out on my own if my heavenly father who knows me better then I know myself is wanting to tell me all these things? I’m learning through this that God has the perfect plan for my life and if he asks me to do something he will provide me with the means to carry it out, even if it means speaking publicly! I choose to let God define my identity not my fear.

-Jason

random happenings

This week was again a full one, with classes every morning, some evenings, and community outreach/service projects in the afternoons.  Highlights included a time of reflection/processing at the beach one morning and the long walk home, an amazing week of class: insights, inspiration, growth, encouragement, and increased closeness as a team, a special Valentine's dinner at Knob Hill Café with antique cable car transportation, flowers from a street vendor, and watching the Chinese New Year Parade with thousands of participants along with approximately one million onlookers.  (The parade is said to be one of the top 10 parades in the world, and proved to be a fun cultural community event.)

 

Class quotes from Plumbline (taught by Jerry Preatzal, Montana):

• It's not the past that makes up who we are, it's what we do with it.
• If you don't deal with issues, they'll deal with you!
• If the enemy cannot keep you out of the past, he'll keep you in it.
• The person who leaves his past at the cross, takes up a new life.

• When pain occurs and we "stuff it", we numb our emotions, compromise our will (turn to addictions), and live solely from our minds.  However, the glory of God is a person fully alive (mind, will, and emotions).
• Jesus offers to take our lives of pain, guilt, shame, mistakes, and failures and exchange it for a life of freedom--a redeemed life: a totally new, alive person!
• Unbelief disqualifies God.  It says, "I know you're all-powerful and loving, but not with me."

• We are forgiven people who forgive others.
• "Whoever's sin you retain (hang onto) on earth, will be bound in heaven."  Unforgiveness is a binding contract between parties that can be broken by one person, freeing all involved.
• Humility (being willing to be known for who you are) draws God's presence.



snippets from class

Topic: Identity
Speaker: Alessandro Gatti, Italy

• Who are you?
• When you are what you're doing, when you stop doing, you aren't! =P
• Is it what I do that determines who I am, or who I am that determines what I do?
• Nobody is better equipped to fulfill the unique purposes God designed me to fulfill.

• We were all born with longings for security, significance, and acceptance--exactly what we were created for (Eden). 
• Jesus came to bring abundant life!  (John 10:10)

• No matter how much effort we put into creating an identity through appearance, accomplishments, or social status, it's a farce.
• Identity never has to be proven.
• As Christians, we live from our identity, not for our identity.  We are defined by who we are [in Christ], not by what we do (or fail to do) for Christ.

• Truth only empowers when you believe it.

life on Ellis Street...

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) San Francisco is based on Ellis Street on a block that is "home" to 20-30 homeless individuals.  The front room of the YWAM building is known as the Ellis Room, and is a large open area filled with tables chairs and game tables, with windows onto the street.  Monday-Thursday mornings this room is a drop-in center open to anyone who wants to come in to hang out, play pool, sleep in safety, or chat with staff.  Most afternoons the Ellis Room is also open and offers free services to the local [homeless]community. 


Monday afternoons are "nail day".  The Ellis Room is open for women to get free manicures and/or be creative at our art table.  Nail Day is staffed largely by volunteers as well as BJM (Because Justice Matters) staff.  This is a great opportunity to serve the women in the community: it's a time for them to relax, be waited upon, and have someone to talk to who cares about them, and drink bottomless coffee =).  Tuesday afternoons there different planned activities each week.  Wednesday afternoons there are open Bible Studies and, later, free men's hair cuts.  Thursday afternoons we have a "food pantry" for individuals registered with the food bank.  We set up with pallets and bins of food and about 25 volunteers.  As people loop around the room, they are handed their allotment of fruits, vegetables, meat, or dairy products by volunteers.  We typically serve over 200 individuals.  Friday afternoons are for life groups, prayer times, and a few (10 per week) people can come in for showers.  Jason's ministry times on Wed and Fri afternoons are primarily with the Ellis Room, so he could expound on particular events, stories, and [occasional?] drama in more detail.

My ministry assignment is in North Beach, an Italian community about 20 minutes by bus from base.  Wed and Fri afternoons are spent volunteering at the Boys' and Girls' club with an average of 150 (out of about 400) kids.  We play four-square, soccer, board games, do origami, use game tables, etc., and just have fun building relationships with them.  This week we also went to Italian Community Center, a senior center we'll be volunteering at every other week.

Another opportunity we have here in SF is "hot chocolate" (everyone's favorite!).  Every Friday evening we take thermoses full of hot chocolate and hand it out to the friends and neighbors who live on the streets in the area around the YWAM base.  Sometimes (like last week) we have as many as 100 extra volunteers who come just to help out for the evening.  We split into small groups and just walk around and find people to talk to.  Giving someone who sleeps outdoors a warm drink on a cold night, often opens up opportunity for great conversations.  Our goal is to be a blessing, build friendships, and share God's love.  Last week I had multiple people come up to my group and specifically ask for prayer.  They seem to really like, as one person termed it, "hot chocolate moments".  There are always interesting and inspirational stories told at the end of these evenings!