Goodbye DTS...

Another DTS season is behind us.  These past 6 months have been some of my favorite ones... there was just something very unique and memorable about this DTS.

Our students graduated Friday night and it was a very joyful, tearful, and beautiful evening.  Brandon and I are extremely proud of them all.  We are extremely thankful for the staff who worked alongside us, who lead the outreaches, and who sacrificed these past 6 months in order to be obedient to God's call and to usher discipleship into 17 student's lives.

Thank you Paula, Audrey, and Philip.  You are great leaders, and great friends.

Thank you Lori.  You not only are an inspiring DTS Director, but you kicked butt leading the first Basic Leadership School.  We love to serve and work under your guidance.

Thank you Olivia, Sherell, Riana, & Kelsey.  You all grew a ton and worked so hard.  It did not go unnoticed.

Thank you...

Leonie

Sierra

Dan

Rebecca

Jules

Austin

Emily

Allie

Robert

Hanna

Jess

Connor

Amber

Lauren

Nick

Alia

MacKenzie

You guys did it!  We will miss you!

Most of all.... Thank you Lord for your provision, your grace, and the opportunity to do what we do, for the opportunity to grow and learn, for the chance to make mistakes and be forgiven, for the chance to love, to speak truth, to touch lives.  Thank you for life itself.  Thank you for redemption.  Thank you.

One of our students, (yay, Jules!) made a great video slideshow that sums up the past 6 months as best as one can.... I apologize for the skipping.  That is not how Jules made it, but somewhere in the file transferring, converting, and uploading it picked up some skips.

I have taken away so many great lessons, character building mistakes, and hours pressing into the heart of God.  For everything, we are so grateful.

Advent {Days 1-4}

Day 1 {Thursday}  Bake holiday rice crispie treats and give them to our neighbors.

We then took them to all our neighbors and Shiloh passed them out.

She was very polite.

When she was done, she even politely collected them back from each person.

:)

What a cutie.

I should have bought more marshmallows.

Because now I want to make another batch all for myself.

Day 2 {Friday}  Sing and dance to Christmas music.

We were too busy dancing and singing to snap a photo... but we did dance to this song...

Day 3 {Saturday}  Go sledding as a family.

Yes, thats a pile of snow in sunny California.

Weird.

Some kids were sledding down it in shorts and a t-shirt.

Shiloh got to go on a couple runs down the mini-hill.

She seemed confused.

I told her not to worry, we could sled again in Oregon.

Brandon volunteered for the big Santa's Workshop event at the park.

He got to push kiddos down the hill all morning. 

I chased the monster around all morning.

We had a fun time.

Day 4 {Sunday}  Watch a Christmas movie.

After much debate... we narrowed it down to our 3 favorites.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, and Home Alone.

We decided on Home Alone.

Classic.

We also decided to watch it without the bubbers.

Comfy time for Brandon and I, complete with hot chocolate.

I seriously love Home Alone, they just don't make movies like that anymore.

Most re-inacted scene around our home...

Love it.

Today we are making Christmas cards... can't wait to play with glue!

Boyz 2 Men {A hard goodbye}

We had to say goodbye to a close friend yesterday.  It had me singing this song all day....

Tyler we miss you already!!!!

I met Tyler 4 years ago, at the LAX airport as we both had just flown in to attend our DTSes up here in Pismo Beach.  We took a train up together, got stuck in a bad storm... he was my first friend on the school.

Brandon and I have experienced so much with Tyler at our side... we got to reminisce over lunch yesterday.  It was difficult to realize we had to say goodbye.  We've shared a TON of great times together.

Our DTS....

Tyler came back to Pismo and joined staff at the same time I did.

We spent Christmas in Bonanza together.

Then we got to staff our first DTS together...

Brandon and I got to join Tyler while he was leading an outreach to Nicaragua.  It was my first time in Nica, Brandon's second... and it was great to share that with our friend.

Tyler was Brandon's best man at our wedding.  He was GREAT man!

Tyler visited us in Virginia when we were leading the DTS there... he helped Brandon pick out chocolate frosting for me when my prego cravings were kciking in.  For that alone, I am so thankful for Tyler.  :)

He has been such a great friend.  We are going to miss him.  And how he is always is making funny jokes and faces.  And his musical talents....

But.... its good that he has left... because he is going to Switzerland to attend this school.  YWAM's leadership training school (LTS).

We are SO EXCITED for him.  And cannot wait to see what he learns while there, and where God will direct him afterwards.

You can check out Tyler's blog.   Seriously, check it out.... he is a great guy and is going to be doing some amazing things for the Lord.

Tyler, we miss you!  We love you.

P.S.
ivv8c4rf45ff      .... that spells 'I love you Tyler" in Shiloh language!

Water.

4 years ago I worked at a jewelry and accessories store down in Boca Raton, Florida.  I has just finished my 5 month Discipleship Training School.  I had just spent 5 months living with 8-16 other people, just spent two months living without air conditioning in southeast Asia.  I had just spent 1 month ministering to sex-trafficked women.  There I was, back in the mall in one of the most affluent cities in America.  It.  Was.  Culture.  Shock.

I saw the world differently.

Our store was amazing.  At the time, we were promoting a charity.  Giving money to support others around the world.  My heart was deeply connected to the living conditions of others around the world.  I remember one day, a customer came in, and I asked her if she wanted to support the charity... and she turned her nose up and said that she doesn't give money to help people outside of America, when there are plenty of needs inside America.  She was right, I mean, there are plenty of needs in America.  But her response still disturbed me.

Charity: Water.

That was organization our store was supporting.  To help those in the world who do not have access to clean water.  CLEAN WATER.  This is NOT something Americans struggle with.  This IS something that is a reality for people in Africa and India.   This is not something I can imagine.  This is something that many people in developing nations have to face each and every day.

Check out their 5 year anniversary video.  And check out how you can help.

The 2011 September Campaign. Our 5-year-anniversary video from charity: water on Vimeo.

Who doesn't like videos of talking babies?

Shiloh's vocabulary is so cute these days.  My favorite, "Oh no".  Seriously, how does she pick these things up?  Notice when she hears 'burrito', she points to her 'toes'.  Cute.

Offering

Last night we had an offering.  The two DTS Outreach Teams still needed about $2,000.  Plus Brandon and I still needed about $4,700 for our Pastoral Visit to see the teams.

22 YWAMers sat in the living room.  We worshiped.  We prayed and asked God what we should each give.  We listened.  And we gave.

The numbers of what was needed began to drop.  People's amounts began to zero out.  Wait------ did you hear that?  They ZEROED OUT!

Our number began to drop.  And drop.  And drop.

Brandon and I both had our eyes closed once our amount still needed was down to around $4,000.  We just closed our eyes and sat quietly in the Lord's presence.  People were still giving.

When the offering was completed we received a total of $2,189!  Amazing!  (I'll admit, I was crying.)

We knew the offering would be a blessing to help those still needing money for the outreach.  We knew that God would move people's hearts to give.  We NEVER IMAGINED that people's hearts would be moved to give so much!  In total, through the entire offering, $4,140.05 was given!!!

So as of today, we've purchased tickets for the Israel portion of the Pastoral Visit!!!  Whoa!  Thank you Lord!  And we only need $2,500 more for the tickets to Asia + the in-country costs in both countries.   I am so joyed to feel the love behind all that people have given us!  It really is an exciting and inspiring thing.  It stirs my heart.  And I know that God has big plans for our time with the Outreach Teams.

We're excited to have the tickets bought for Israel.  Brandon went there on his DTS outreach back in 2006....  and he's getting excited to return.  I just realized today that I don't know anything in Hebrew!  Guess I'll just have to buy and iPhone and use this cool app:



Just kidding.  But isn't it WAY COOL!!!!

Brandon and I both hope that as you read this, it blesses you in some way, maybe just in a tiny encouraging way... who knows how God will move and bless you!

A mid-July Video Update

Oooooo Ahhhhh! Video Blog!

Let us know if you like the videos... maybe we'll have to switch to this rather than writing.

Announcement!

Well, Hello friends of ours (who read our blog)!! We have an exciting and very cool announcement for you!!! Brandon and I will be going to YWAM Richmond in Virginia to lead a DTS for their base for 5 months. (No we are not leaving staff with YWAM Pismo... just going to lead this school and then come back here).

Last week, the base director from YWAM Richmond, Chris, called our base with a huge request: His DTS leader for the upcoming school had to return home to Korea due to a family medical problem, leaving the school without a leader... would our base help?

He had been on his knees before God on what to do, cancel the school, lead it himself, or find another leader? God told him to wait, and promised He would provide. That is when a friend of YWAM Pismo (and DTS speaker), Daniel Susenbach, ran across Chris, and after hearing the need for a leader, Daniel recommended our base as having run very good, quality DTS's.

With humility and many nerves, Brandon & I contacted Chris over at Richmond, and we prayed together about filling the need. In the end, we felt willing, and our base is fully behind us going, and the Richmond base has been asking God to bring a young, American leader... so, WE ARE GOING! As a couple we prayed and really felt God's hand guiding us to go, and that we could really serve their base by helping fill this position. Our only hesitation was how young we are... but then, they've been praying for a young leader, so I guess we fit that description! As newlyweds, we are looking forward to the natural bonding and closeness that leading a school results in... and their base is excited to support our new marriage. Also both Brandon and I have family in that area.

The school runs from September 21 through the new year and ends February 26. We'll be packing up at the end of this month (whew, so soon!) and traveling to their base in order to spend several weeks acclimating to the area, the base, their staff, and to have the time to do some school prep work. What an exciting opportunity!!! We absolutely love DTS, and it has been Brandon's passion to disciple as many people as God brings him, so we are joyed to be given this chance to run a school at another base.

As far as we know, there are currently 15 students, and 3 other staff.... and apparently 2 of the staff are Brazilians!!! Yay! The Richmond base will be very different than ours, and we hope to glean wisdom and experience while we are there, and then bring it back to Pismo. We don't have official details to share about the outreach phase... or if we'll even be going on outreach... but we'll know soon enough. Richmond allows a long Thanksgiving holiday, as well as a break for Christmas in between the lecture phase and the outreach phase in which the students can go home, and Brandon and I can go visit family.

We are just super thrilled to lead this DTS!!! It means a lot of change, and hard work, but we love both, and have a fire for trusting God with new and different things!!!

Please pray for us.... we have about 3 weeks to finish up some necessary work here in Pismo. Also we are in need of increasing our monthly support by $300. Then just be praying for our travel arrangements there, God's wisdom, and the such.

Check out our fun lil' video... the joys of having a mac.

As always... we love having a way for people to read what is going on in our lives... so keep checking back with us as we post more! (hopefully I can get some wedding photos up soon)

Kirsten (and Brandon)

Want a dose?

A dose of what our goal is?  The verse from Isaiah that has been a banner for our lives led to this video montage's creation.  Its nothing much, hardly a full representation of our ministry, but it does serve as a peek into the calling God has put on us as a couple.  If you watch it, who knows, maybe you'll catch the calling too?!!?

God bless!!!

Brandon & Kirsten